Feet can tell a lot about a person, his he alth, ailments and lifestyle. If they are neglected and distorted, they not only look unsightly, but also hurt. How to avoid the problem of bunions and how to deal with them when they occur?

Haluksyare a disease of civilization and affect more and more people, mainly women, although they also affect men. As shown by the research of the Halluxmed orthopedic clinic in Poznań, this problem affects up to 4% of the population. In half of patients, it appears before the age of 20. In most cases,deformationoccurs on both feet.Hallux valgus , or hallux, is a deformation of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe, which is characterized by a lateral deviation of the big toe.

Bunions cause pain

Initially, the deformity is not painful, but over time it can cause discomfort associated with the development of local inflammation, which is manifested by redness, periodically swelling and pain at the height of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe.

Factors contributing to the formation of bunions

The disease is usually progressive. Moreover, improperly selected shoes only aggravate the problem. In addition to inflammation, the front of the foot widens and often additional changes in the foot area appear, such as:hammer toes ,clawed , side ailments soles.

Women suffer from bunions nine times more often than men.

Bunionsare often hereditary in as much as 60-88% of cases. Fortunately, we have an influence on the footwear we wear. High heels are the number one enemy of our feet. It is not without reason that the first reports of bunions date back to the beginning of the 18th century, when these types of shoes began to be worn.

- The vast majority of patients who come to me with this problem are ladies. Most of them wear high heels, which overload the front part of the foot, which can lead to the formation of bunions, which are accompanied by medial dislocation of the first metatarsal bone, says Dr. Zbigniew Jackowiak, orthopedist.

However, this problem does not only concern mature women who have spent years wearing high heels. There are even teenagers among the patients. In their case, the problem of bunions is passed down from generation to generationgeneration. Not all women wearing high heels develop hallux valgus. The simultaneous presence of several of these factors (gender, footwear, family presence) leads to the development of hallux valgus.

Comfortable footwear delays the development of bunions

Of course, prevention is better than cure, but it is difficult to prevent a disease that is usually progressive. Before the appearance of deformities, in order to ensure the overall proper development of the feet, wear comfortable and appropriate-sized footwear (this applies to both children and adults). During childhood, it is especially important to preventflat feet . If the bunion problem is hereditary and runs in a family, it is recommended that high-heeled shoes be worn as rarely as possible. It is worth remembering that taking care of our feet in youth will pay off in adulthood.

How to treat bunions?

Treatment of bunionsdepends on the severity of the disease. In the initial stage of the disease, it is possible to alleviate the symptoms by using pharmacological treatment, physiotherapy, the selection of appropriateorthopedic insolesand the use of shoes with an oval shaped shoe sole.

In lesions of greater intensity, various variants of surgical treatment are used. Early surgical treatment may prevent further deterioration of the deformity. This is of particular importance in young patients. The use of appropriate surgical treatment allows not only to prevent further progression of the disease, but also prevents the development of other changes in the foot. In recent years, many new operational solutions in the field of foot surgery have been developed to avoid plaster immobilization. In postoperative treatment, special footwear is used, and walking starts from the first day after the surgery. Patients wear these shoes for 4-5 weeks. Postoperative treatment also includes physical therapy, exercises, whirlpool massages and energy tone therapy.

Haluksy - treatment methods

Feet can tell a lot about a person, his he alth, ailments and lifestyle. If they are neglected and distorted, they not only look unsightly, but also hurt. How to avoid the problem of bunions and how to deal with them when they appear? Listen to our expert Joanna Stodolna-Tukendorf, physiotherapist and podiatrist at the FootMedica Clinic.

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Spine, bones, joints