The Telltale Signs of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
Diabetic nerve damage can affect where and how you feel pain, your sense of touch, your muscle control, and even your heart and lung function. If you have diabetes, here’s what to watch for.
Do My Bunions Require Surgery?
Life is good when all your body parts work as designed, like when your toes all point forward and support each step. However, when your big toe turns toward the others due to a bunion, a chain reaction of pain and instability ensues.
Don’t panic — bunions are common and treatable.
At Dan Preece, DPM, & Darren Groberg, DPM, in Salt Lake City, Utah, we handle bunion problems daily. As a branch of the Utah Musculoskeletal Specialists, our team of experts approaches bunions with your overall health in mind, including your ankles, legs, hips, posture, and gait.
Here’s a look at how we treat bunions and the signs indicating you may need bunion surgery.
Bunions 101
A bunion is a bony bump that forms on the joint at the base of your big toe. Bunions form when your big toe pushes against the adjacent toe, causing the joint of your big toe to stick out and grow larger. Over time, the bony bump becomes more pronounced, causing pain and difficulty walking.
Bunion symptoms
The first signs of a bunion are swelling, redness, and pain around the big toe joint. You might also notice corns or calluses where the toes overlap, as well as stiffness and restricted movement as the condition progresses.
Bunion risk factors and causes
Several factors contribute to the formation of bunions, including genetics, wearing ill-fitting shoes, and certain medical conditions like arthritis. Women who wear tight, narrow footwear like high heels are more likely to develop bunions.
When to consider bunion surgery
We always start with conservative treatment for bunions. For example, you may benefit from custom orthotics, physical therapy, taping, and anti-inflammatory measures, such as ice, rest, and medication.
However, severe bunions require surgical intervention. Here are some signs that it's time to consider bunion surgery.
Persistent pain
If relentless pain interferes with daily activities, it’s time to talk about surgery.
Severe deformity
If your bunion is so large that you can’t wear shoes comfortably or walk without pain, surgery might be the best option. Severe deformities can lead to secondary issues like hammertoes and metatarsalgia.
Limited mobility
When a bunion restricts the movement of your big toe, it affects how your foot functions and hinders activities like walking, running, and other forms of exercise.
What bunion surgery fixes
Drs. Dan Preece, Darren Groberg, and Christian Smith specialize in bunion surgery and can repair your joint and straighten your toe. Here’s what happens during surgery.
Big toe realignment
Our primary goal in bunion surgery is to realign the big toe to its natural position by reducing the bony bump and alleviating pressure on the joint.
Excess bone removal
Reducing the bump means removing the excess bone that's causing it. This procedure not only addresses the cosmetic aspect of bunions but also relieves pain and prevents further complications.
Ligament adjustments
Bunions often cause an imbalance in the soft tissues around the joint. Surgery corrects this by tightening the ligaments on one side of the toe and loosening them on the other for better alignment and stability.
Types of bunion surgery
Depending on your needs, we may perform any of three bunion surgeries.
Exostectomy
Exostectomy is the least invasive bunion surgery technique and removes the bony bump without realigning the joint. We reserve this procedure for less severe cases or when the primary concern is the bony protrusion itself.
Osteotomy
Osteotomy involves cutting and realigning the bone to correct the bunion. We use this procedure for moderate-to-severe bunions. It usually requires the insertion of screws or pins to hold the bone in place during healing.
Arthrodesis
Arthrodesis fuses the bones in the affected joint. We turn to this method in cases of severe arthritis or when previous surgeries have failed. While it limits joint mobility, it provides significant pain relief and stability.
If your bunion is bugging you, call Dan Preece, DPM & Darren Groberg, DPM, or request an appointment online to find out if bunion surgery is your best option.
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