Bunions that form on the outer base joint of your big toe can appear unsightly and may cause significant discomfort. Women are more likely to develop bunions than men thanks to their footwear options and the relationship between bunions and high heels.
Tight shoes that force your toes into unnatural positions don’t just cause temporary discomfort. Shoes like high heels can cause lasting podiatric issues.
Bunions may be connected to habitual wearing of high heels, although genetic factors and a history of prior foot injuries can increase your risk of developing bunions, too.
If you have painful bunions, what steps should you take going forward? And can you keep wearing high heels? Turn to our experts at Town Center Foot & Ankle for answers to all your questions about coping with bunion pain.
While high heels don’t necessarily directly cause bunions to develop on your feet, constricting footwear could definitely lead to podiatry problems down the road. Your toes get crammed together in overly tight shoes, and your big toe joint could start to deform over time. You could also develop bunionettes on your smaller toes.
Bunions are more common in older people and may be connected to rheumatoid arthritis. Over time, unnatural constriction and pressure due to tight, formal footwear takes its toll on the shape and internal structure of your feet and toes.
Continuing to wear uncomfortable shoes after developing bunions may worsen your problems, causing increasing pain and debility.
Switching to wider-toed shoes, lower heels, or even open-toed sandals can help with your podiatry problems. You might also need professional diagnosis and treatment for your bunions.
With physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and other treatment options, we can restore your foot health.
You may be able to reduce your bunion pain just by getting rid of the worst offenders on your shoe rack. Try padded insoles to redistribute pressure on your feet, or padding or taping your affected toes. We can also recommend custom orthotics to support your feet as part of a conservative treatment plan for bunions.
If you don’t see improvements, you may need cortisone injections, or even bunion surgery to reposition the bones of your big toe joint and get your whole foot working properly again.
No matter how severe your bunions, our team at Town Center Foot & Ankle, under the leadership of Stephen Eichelsdorfer, DPM, can help. With our high-definition X-ray imaging and years of experience with bunions and other deformities caused by wearing high heels — like hammertoes — we can recommend the right solution for you.
Schedule a consultation with “Dr. Ike” to discuss your bunions and foot pain concerns by contacting our Kingwood or Atascocita, Texas, office.
