Bunions

We got to talking about bunions in Jazzercise the other day and realized we didn’t know much about them. I have bunions on both feet, similar to the illustration below. Rather ugly, but they don’t hurt, so I’ve never paid much attention to them. I just figured they were another consequence of old age, which is why I knew nothing about them until I started doing a little research for this blog post. In case you don’t know, here is what a bunion looks like:

A bunion is the result of a condition called hallux valgus—and it’s more than just a bump on the side of your big toe. It’s a progressive, biomechanical deformity. The bump reflects changes in the bony framework of the front part of the foot, as you can see in the diagram on the right. It’s actually quite a complicated condition that’s not easy to fix. (No need to fix it unless it hurts.)

In the progression, your big toe starts to lean in and over the years it gradually changes the angle of the bones. It’s caused by a faulty mechanical structure of your foot—one that you inherit, which can include excessive pronation and an imbalance of the foot muscles and ligaments. The problematic foot structures vary from person to person.

Bunions occur in about 23% of adults, 35% of people over 65, and mostly in women (30% females compared to 13% males). Wearing pointy, high-heeled shoes exacerbate but do not cause the condition.

There’s not a lot you can do about bunions. Shoes with a wide toe box and orthotic inserts can help (I use both). Exercises that strengthen the ankle and lower leg muscles might also help. Here is one I'm trying, but with an imagined towel.

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