Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Bunion Causes and Bunion Treatment

To understand the causes for bunions, also known as Hallux Valgus Los Angeles doctors recommend looking at family history, individual foot bone structure, or the shoes you wear. A bunion is usually an enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe, though bunions can also occur at the base of the small toe, and in that case are often called “tailor’s bunions.” Hallux Valgus literally means: “big toe bent outward.” The joint of the big toe, called the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP), carries most of our weight. Bunions occur after years of unbalanced pressure and motion on the big toe. Bunions are incredibly painful and interfere with many daily activities. This condition makes it difficult to stand or even to wear normal shoes.

People who stand all day are at a greater risk of bunions than people who sit at desks for long stretches. Each person distributes their weight differently across their feet, and when a person gets in the habit of placing a greater amount of weight on the outside or inside of their foot bunions will eventually occur. Bunions are also believed to be genetic. People inherit their foot structure from their parents. Those who have a short big toe and a longer second toe, known as Morton’s Toe, are at greater risk for bunions because pressure is exerted across the foot less evenly than it is in people who have greater support from a large big toe. High heeled shoes are another common culprit of bunions. High heels force your entire body’s weight onto your toes, causing unnecessary stress and pressure to your joints. For bunion treatment Los Angeles patients are happy to hear that there are options available to cure this painful condition.

To avoid bunion surgery Los Angeles patients are recommended to avoid heels over two inches, apply ice to the area to reduce swelling, and apply a bunion pad to cushion the bony protrusion. If the patient catches his or her bunion early, the goal is to relieve the pressure on the bunion and correct balance issues so that the joint doesn’t deform any further. Physical therapy may also be recommended, so that the patient can learn to correctly balance their body weight across their foot. In cases of severe pain, anti-inflammatory medications can be administered. In Los Angeles bunion surgery is only resorted to when all other treatment options fail to relieve the patient’s pain.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Bunions and Bunions surgery

Foot deformities are common among people, especially those whose parents have foot deformities. Foot deformities are genetics and the likely hood of someone having a foot deformity which their parent had is very high so taking care of one’s feet is critical. Preventing common foot deformities such as Hallux Valgus Los Angeles leading foot doctors say begins with wearing comfortable shoes. Comfortable shoes with sufficient support will keep the feet healthy and happy and keep one from spending money on surgeries and medication. Bunion is a common foot deformity that can form from wearing pointed enclosed shoes which force the shoe to stay in an uncomfortable position, heredity, and arthritis can also be the cause of bunions.  One shopping for shoes there are certain rules that one can follow in order to prevent a foot deformity but if one has already experienced bunions read on for more information.

A bunion consists of the base of the bone of the big toe turn outwards forming a bunion which is the bump made of bone and soft tissue. Bunions can be painful when wearing shoes as the friction may cause skin irritation and cause the skin to peal.  Having a bunion will make every shoe uncomfortable unless one is wearing sandals. If nonsurgical bunion treatment fails and no pain relief is found its time to ask about Bunion surgery Los Angeles

Foot pain that interferes with ones daily life is not ideal for most people, and therefore bunion surgery is often the solution. About 90% of , patients are satisfied with the results of their surgery. Bunion surgery is done simply to relieve pain not for the perfect looking foot. If one is having bunion surgery for aesthetic reasons beware that surgery may not solve that problem fully.

There is several different Los Angeles Bunion treatment surgeries that surgeons can choose to perform, he will choose according to what may provide the best pain relief. The orthopedic surgeon will first gather information about ones general health and perform an examination which will include x-rays and then he will make decisions accordingly. It is important to understand that after bunion surgery ones foot will not be smaller and there will still be shoe restriction. Most important if one begins to wear pointed shoes or uncomfortable shoes the bunion may reappear. The orthopedic surgeons should explain which type of shoe one should wear in order for this problem not to arise again.