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Why Active People With Bunions NEED to Get Them Assessed EARLY

First of all, any runner, jogger, cyclist or other weekend warrior who has a bunion, knows it can it get in the way of their activities. A bony growth sticking out from the the joint of the big toe can cause all sorts of problems. Best case scenario, it will make your athletic shoe shopping a lot harder. Furthermore, if you’re not so lucky, bunions can cause serious pain and damage to your feet.  Here are some important considerations and information to help active folks deal with bunions:

Did your running/cycling/jogging etc cause your bunions?

No they didn’t. Your activity is not to blame for your bunions. However, your activity may be making your bunions symptoms worse.

“It’s not that activity and doing exercise on your feet causes bunions. But the misalignment of the joint, that caused the bunion in the first place, can be made worse by activity,” says Dr. Roy Mathews of Vancouver Podiatry in Kerrisdale.

What caused your bunion?

Bunions are primarily caused by a genetic predisposition to them. If you never stray far from your couch, you may not notice any pain or discomfort from your bunions. The force exerted on your feet by running, jumping, hiking and dancing  can bring about discomfort more quickly. The wrong shoes and poor form can also make matters worse.

Treatment Options For Active Folks With Bunions

“The most common complaint we hear is of pain at the side of the bunion from it rubbing on the side of the shoe” says Dr. Quintoro, who works alongside Dr. Mathews at the Vancouver Podiatry Clinic.

Conservative treatment options include making room for the bunion by cutting a hole in the side of the shoe, getting custom fit orthotics from a foot specialists, and limiting your activity.

The Risks of Doing Nothing About Your Bunion

In conclusion, continuing to be active without addressing the root cause of your problem can be making your problems worse and can permanently damage your feet. If  you suspect you are dealing with a bunion, act quickly. Try the conservative options above as soon as you suspect you have a bunion. If the bunion becomes very painful and doesn’t respond to the solutions above, it may be time to consider surgery.

Surgical options for fixing bunions have improved considerably and a minimally invasive procedure is available to correct the vast majority of bunions safely and permanently. The technique employed in all but the most severe cases at Vancouver Podiatry, is the Tricorrectional Bunionectomy (TCB) procedure. TCB is unique in the way it permanently corrects the misaligned bunion joint and provides a stable shifting of the bone with screw fixation. Therefore, it prevents a recurrence of the bunion.  

Please contact us today for a consultation at our new Vancouver Podiatry clinic in Kerrisdale. Also, no referral is necessary. Your feet will thanks us!

Dr. Roy Mathews DPM and Dr. Victor Quintoro DPM, Vancouver Podiatrists.

 

Published on:January 22, 2018
Posted in Uncategorized by Roy Mathews

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