A bunion is a boney bump on the joint on the side of the big toe. It is caused by the joint of the big toe pressing against the next toe, forcing the joint to become larger and more prominent. Over time, the joint can become painful, red, and swollen.

Bunions are caused by wearing tight or inappropriate footwear, because of a structural defect in your foot, or arthritis. Bunions can also develop on the outside of the joint of the little toe, but these are less common.

Signs of a bunion include:

• A large lump at the base of your big toe joint
• Swelling, soreness, and redness in that area
• Calluses around the joint
• Pain
• Stiffness or inhibited movement of the big toe

You should see a podiatric physician is you experience:

• Severe pain
• A large bump on your big toe
• Decreased or loss of ability to move your big toe
• Difficulty finding comfortable shoes or inability to wear shoes

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Hammertoes are joints on the little toes that have been forced to bend at an unnatural angle. Hammertoes may allow the toe to flex or keep the toe from bending. Hammertoes are often found on women who wear high-heels, those suffering joint or nerve injury from stroke or diabetes, or people with certain medical disorders. You may notice that it is hard or painful to move the toe or you may notice thick, tough calluses and bumps forming along the toe.

If you or a loved one is experiencing any of the above symptoms from a bunion or hammertoe, make an appointment with one of our board certified podiatric physicians today.

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