Bunions are often painful and can limit toe movement.
Bunions form gradually, but a flare of bunion pain may occur suddenly.
You may not notice it until you experience a sudden flare of pain.
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Without treatment, the bunion will get worse over time and cause you pain and discomfort.
Over time, the bump will also become more pronounced and painful.
Signs and symptoms of a bunion include:
Causes Compared: What Is Worse for Bunions?
Tight-fitting shoes can lead toinflammationof the big toe if you already have a bunion.
You may also experience pain while walking.
Wearing supportive and wider shoes can also help reduce bunions and bunion pain from other causes.
Comfortable and supportive shoes can help prevent bunions or bunion pain linked to these risk factors.
Shoe Choice
Making the right shoe choices can reduce foot pain.
How to Minimize Bunion Flares
Bunions do not always cause pain.
Plenty of people have small bunions that do not produce symptoms.
A podiatrist may recommend additional therapies to help you manage bunion pain and symptoms.
Dry Needling
Podiatrists sometimes recommend dry needling to treat bunions.
Dry needling involves using a microfine needle to release trigger points.
It may also stimulate the body to release pain-killing endorphins and cortisol to reduce inflammation and speed healing.
Differentsurgical proceduresmay help correct bunions.The punch in of surgery used will depend on the size of the bunion.
Surgery recommendations will be based on the X-rays and physical exam findings.
Most bunion surgeries aresame-day proceduresthat do not require a hospital stay.
You will need to stay off the affected foot for a short period.
Summary
Bunions are bony bumps that form near the base of the big toe.
They can become red and swollen and cause much pain.
Bunions develop slowly, so you may not realize you have one until you experience pain or discomfort.
Wearing comfortable, wide-toe shoes can reduce your risk for bunions.
A podiatrist can recommend additional treatment options like dry needling and, if needed, surgery.
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Non-surgical treatment of hallux valgus: a current practice survey of Australian podiatrists.J Foot Ankle Res.
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