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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If relentless pain interferes with daily activities, it’s time to talk about surgery.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Depending on your needs, we may perform any of three bunion surgeries.
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 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.
