What is a bunion and what causes bunions?

A bunion is a deformity at the side of the foot near the big toe joint, due to an enlarged bone and/or a deviated big toe joint.  This causes a bump which is unsightly and can rub in shoes and become painful.

In the opinion of Toronto podiatrist Sheldon Nadal, bunions are due to a hereditary biomechanical imbalance.  They are not caused by shoes but can be aggravated by the wrong type of shoes.

Pointed toed shoes can contribute to the development of bunions by forcing the toes out of alignment.

In addition, shoes with heels higher than two inches can cause a shifting of the body weight forward, putting extreme pressure on the ball of your feet and toes.  This extra weight contributes to the development of the bunions as well as painful calluses at the ball of the feet.  Low heeled ballet type shoes while not causing pressure at the front of the foot, can also cause problems because they tend not to have support under the arches.

Bunions can now be treated with Minimally Invasive Foot Surgery techniques along with local anesthetic in our Toronto foot surgery clinic.

If you, or someone you care about are developing bunions, please call my Toronto podiatry office at 416-486-9917 to fund out how to prevent bunions.  If you already have bunions, I will explain how I can correct them.