If you have bunions it can make it difficult to go about the activities of daily life. When bunions are causing pain, it may be very uncomfortable to wear shoes and to walk. The team of podiatrists at Cascade Foot Center in Salem, OR, offers a full range of podiatric services to help not only bunions but any other foot or ankle issues you may have.
Causes of Bunions
Bunions are not caused by just one thing. While bunions are not hereditary, they do tend to run in families. A major contributor to their development is the shape of the foot. Having low arches can stress the joint in the big toe, resulting in a bunion. Women are more likely than men to have bunions, and that may be partly the choice of shoes that women wear. Women often wear high heels and shoes with pointy toe boxes. But any shoes that are ill-fitting can be responsible for bunions.
Prevention of Bunions
The most important thing that you can do to help prevent bunions is to make sure that you have properly fitted shoes. The pressure that shoes place on the joint in the big toe is the cause of bunions that is most within your control. Avoid shoes that have a tight-fitting toe box. Make sure that your shoes have good arch supports. Give your feet a rest once in a while, take off your shoes and just let your feet relax. Exercising your toes by doing stretches or marble pick-ups can also help prevent bunions.
Treatments of Bunions
Treatment of your bunions begins at home. Make sure your shoes are correctly fitted, and add pads to the bunions to protect them from the pressure of your shoes. Stay off your feet if it is causing you pain.
Your Salem, OR, podiatrists can help your bunions with custom orthotics that support your foot. We may recommend that you take medication to reduce the inflammation in your toe joint. In some cases, steroid injections may be useful in reducing the pain in your toe.
If all the conservative treatments have not brought you the relief you are seeking, it may be necessary to do surgery on your bunion. The toe can be placed back into alignment. The recovery time is anywhere from six to twelve weeks.
Contact Us
If you are having pain from bunions in Salem, OR, the podiatrists at Cascade Foot Center can provide treatment for your feet. To make an appointment for a visit, give our office a call at (503) 588-8188.