If your feet are hurting...your whole body hurts." If you need bunion treatments, Dr. Christopher Bussema, Dr. Kathleen Bickle, and Dr. Robert Monfore of Advanas Foot & Ankle Specialists in Angola, IN, Coldwater, MI, Paw Paw, MI, Portage, MI, and Sturgis, MI have the foot services you are looking for.
What are bunions?
If you have ever seen a foot with a bony bump at the joint where the big toe meets the foot, you have seen a bunion. The bunion forms at the toe joint when the bones move out of their proper position. A bunion causes the big toe to move toward the smaller toes and the outside of the foot. The condition develops slowly and over time it causes the bones, tendons, and ligaments to change position, causing a deformity of the foot. As the deformity gets worse, it causes arthritis,and make walking and wearing shoes very painful.
What causes bunions?
More than two-thirds of people who develop bunions have a family history of the condition, which suggests that there is a genetic component to their development. More women than men develop bunions. It may well be because women are more inclined to wear narrow pointed shoes than men. The shape of this type of shoe causes pressure on the toe joint and is a primary cause of bunions. If you have an inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, it may also contribute to the formation of bunions.
Common bunion treatments
As soon as you notice that the joint where your big toe meets your foot is sore or red, change the shoes you are wearing. You need to go wider to take the pressure off that area of your foot. Gel pads that you put in your shoes can help to cushion the area. Custom-made orthotics can help, and you can try anti-inflammatory medication.
As the bunion progresses and to prevent arthritis from getting worse,surgery may be the best option. It will be done under local or general anesthesia, with the ankle or below the knee being blocked by local anesthetic, and is done as an outpatient procedure in hosptial setting or our own surgery center. No hospital stay is necessary.
Every case is different, and your podiatrist will develop a plan for the treatment of your bunion. At Advanas Foot & Ankle Specialists, you can count on Dr. Bussema, Dr. Bickle, and Dr. Monfore to give you the bunion treatments that you require. To make an appointment, call the office at 855.971.2516.
