5 Symptoms of Bunions and How They're Treated

Roughly one out of every five Americans suffers from bunions, lumps, or bumps that form along the side of the foot at the base of the big toe. Bunions can dramatically alter foot shape and how people walk, making it difficult to find comfortable shoes and participate in many activities comfortably.

Matthew W. Cerniglia, DPM, and the team at Ankle and Foot Institute of Texas offer patient-centered treatment for bunions, relieving symptoms and preventing them from recurring. Here are five common bunion symptoms and what we can do to help you find relief.

Bunion symptoms

Bunions happen when pressure on your big toe pushes the top of the toe inward toward the other toes, forcing the joint at the base of the toe out of alignment. The joint pushes outward, creating a visible lump.

Not surprisingly, bunions can cause symptoms that tend to worsen the longer treatment is delayed.

1. Pain

Your foot joints are “designed” to remain in ideal alignment. Not surprisingly, when the big toe joint is forced out of its normal position, you can wind up with considerable pain. Painful symptoms worsen when you wear tight, narrow, or inflexible shoes.

2. Swelling

Increasing pressure on the toe joint eventually leads to inflammation inside and in the surrounding tissues. In addition to visible swelling, you may notice redness and tenderness around the joint and the area around it. Without prompt treatment, ongoing inflammation can lead to arthritis and permanent deformity.

3. Corns or calluses

A bunion’s characteristic lump or bump causes pressure on your skin, eventually leading to thickening that takes the form of a painful callus or corn. While they can be uncomfortable alone, corns and calluses become especially painful when wearing shoes or participating in activities that increase friction in the area.

4. Stiffness

Misalignment of your toe joint interferes with normal movement, leading to stiffness and immobility. Inflammation inside your toe joint can lead to increasing stiffness over time. 

5. Burning sensations

Swelling in and around the big toe joint may impinge on nerves in the area, causing painful nerve compression. Compromised nerves can exacerbate pain and lead to burning sensations in the area.

Treating bunions

Bunion treatment begins with conservative options to relieve pain and inflammation while gently coaxing the toe joint back into its normal position. These treatments work best when applied early.

Change your shoes

The first step in treating bunions is to choose footwear with plenty of room in the toe area. Avoid high heels and shoes with pointy or narrow toe areas. 

Apply TLC

Using ice to relieve inflammation can provide some immediate relief from pain, especially when combined with over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), bunion cushions or pads, and taping to hold the joint in place. Custom orthotics can also help relieve pressure and promote normal toe alignment.

Seek medical therapy

For more moderate symptoms, physical therapy can help by relieving swelling and increasing strength and flexibility in and around the toe joint. Steroid injections, which administer medicine directly to the joint, can be especially effective in targeting inflammation and relieving pain.

Look into surgery

While conservative options may be helpful for bunions in their early stages and for mild to moderate symptoms, surgery offers a better solution for more severe bunions by addressing the underlying anatomical cause.

Dr. Cerniglia is skilled in multiple types of bunion surgery, including bunionectomy and osteotomy. In bunionectomy, Dr. Cerniglia realigns the big toe joint, sometimes reshaping the toe bone and tightening the ligaments that support the toe. He may also fuse the toe joint, providing permanent stability and correcting the bunion deformity.

Osteotomy uses similar techniques to reshape the bone tissue and realign the joint. These techniques may be reserved for severe bunions with extreme protrusion or combined with other methods. 

Find relief for your painful bunions

Bunions can significantly affect mobility, which can also affect physical health and quality of life. To learn how we can help you find relief for your bunion symptoms, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Cerniglia and the team at the Ankle and Foot Institute of Texas today.