By the end of the day, there s a deep, aching pain in that joint and all you want to do is sit down and take your shoes off. Bunions are often hereditary and develop from a weakness in the foot s bone structure. All the bones and ligaments which make up the foot s arches and joints are very mobile and flexible. When the move out of alignment due to faulty foot function, the big toe joint is overloaded, causing it to unlock and dislocate. This doesn t happen all at once.
Bunions develop gradually but continuously, and can cause pain at various levels of enlargement.
With bunions, the best defense is a good offense. In the early stages, there are a variety of effective treatments. If left undiagnosed and untreated until the bunion is in an advanced stage, a significantly more serious deformity must be addressed, and that can mean more discomfort and loss of mobility. Treatment begins with isolating the cause of the problem so that some of the more uncomfortable symptoms do not develop. Early intervention can involve exercise, modification of foot wear, and prescription orthotics aimed at stabilizing any structural weakness in the foot.