Hallux valgus, known as a bunion, is the most common bone alteration of the adult foot. The bunion is not a bone that has grown or emerged, but a deviation of the first metatarsal (bone of the big toe) and the phalanges, which is expressed as a bulge in the region of the inside of the foot.
The causes can be genetic or mechanical, due to the use of inappropriate shoes, especially high heels and pointed toes, in addition to overload (running with tight shoes can cause a mechanical force that favors the deformity).
To avoid the problem, the first thing to know is that the shoe must be made to fit the foot. Therefore, footwear modifications should be considered:
1 – Choose the model that you like the most considering that it must have a wide tip; “square” or “round”, which give greater gait stability, preventing falls;
2 – If you are wearing heels, do not exceed 3 cm. Give preference to the “anabela” types, as they distribute pressure better;
3 – In sneakers: leave space between the fingertips and the front, this is necessary for them to come off the ground during walking or running;
4 – Change shoes daily, avoiding friction at a single point on the skin (bunion);
5 – Do not believe that the shoe will break with use. He must be comfortable already at the time of purchase.
Patients often ask about using bunion braces or splints. There is no evidence that these can improve an established hallux valgus, however they can help alleviate or not make the deviation worse.
How is the correction surgery currently?
Bunion correction surgery has undergone several innovations in recent years. The most modern techniques, in addition to being much more effective, dispense with the use of plaster, which facilitates postoperative rehabilitation. In addition, pain complaints are minimal, since the anesthesia used, in addition to minimizing complications, promotes much longer analgesia in the postoperative period.
The procedure requires some care and the use of closed shoes is only allowed after 40 days of surgery. In this interval, the patient uses appropriate footwear, which provides support only on the heel.
What precautions should I take after the surgery?
Most patients undergoing bunion correction using current techniques enjoy the advances in modern surgery, dispensing with the use of a cast and being free to support the calcaneus the day after surgery.
1 – Be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations to the letter;
2 – The release to walk after surgery involves the essential (eating, going to the bathroom, taking a shower). Avoid unnecessary walks. They increase swelling, cause pain and delay recovery;
3 – Exaggerated efforts in the postoperative period, including walking, may jeopardize the result of the surgery due to the loss of the correction obtained;
4 – Be sure to carry out all post-operative consultations to ensure adequate rehabilitation;
5 – There is the possibility of having pain and residual edema for a period of up to one year after the surgery, depending on the nature of each one.
Can the deformity come back?
The chances of bunion treatment failure are very small, as long as the surgery is correctly indicated, there are no complications and the recommendations are strictly followed by the patient, especially with regard to the use of shoes.
Can I run with a bunion?
Yes, if the deviation and bump don’t cause pain, it can. The point is to protect the region so the deformity doesn’t get worse and to do a good job of muscle strengthening.
Ana Paula Simões is an instructor professor at the Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo and holds a Master’s degree in Medicine, Orthopedics and Traumatology and specialist in Medicine and Surgery of the Foot and Ankle from the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Santa Casa de São Paulo. She is a member of the Brazilian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology; the Brazilian Association of Ankle and Foot Medicine and Surgery, the Brazilian Society of Sports Arthroscopy and Traumatology; and the Brazilian Society of Sports Medicine
Hallux valgus, known as a bunion, is the most common bone alteration of the adult foot. The bunion is not a bone that has grown or emerged, but a deviation of the first metatarsal (bone of the big toe) and the phalanges, which is expressed as a bulge in the region of the inside of the foot.
The causes can be genetic or mechanical, due to the use of inappropriate shoes, especially high heels and pointed toes, in addition to overload (running with tight shoes can cause a mechanical force that favors the deformity).
To avoid the problem, the first thing to know is that the shoe must be made to fit the foot. Therefore, footwear modifications should be considered:
1 – Choose the model that you like the most considering that it must have a wide tip; “square” or “round”, which give greater gait stability, preventing falls;
2 – If you are wearing heels, do not exceed 3 cm. Give preference to the “anabela” types, as they distribute pressure better;
3 – In sneakers: leave space between the fingertips and the front, this is necessary for them to come off the ground during walking or running;
4 – Change shoes daily, avoiding friction at a single point on the skin (bunion);
5 – Do not believe that the shoe will break with use. He must be comfortable already at the time of purchase.
Patients often ask about using bunion braces or splints. There is no evidence that these can improve an established hallux valgus, however they can help alleviate or not make the deviation worse.
How is the correction surgery currently?
Bunion correction surgery has undergone several innovations in recent years. The most modern techniques, in addition to being much more effective, dispense with the use of plaster, which facilitates postoperative rehabilitation. In addition, pain complaints are minimal, since the anesthesia used, in addition to minimizing complications, promotes much longer analgesia in the postoperative period.
The procedure requires some care and the use of closed shoes is only allowed after 40 days of surgery. In this interval, the patient uses appropriate footwear, which provides support only on the heel.
What precautions should I take after the surgery?
Most patients undergoing bunion correction using current techniques enjoy the advances in modern surgery, dispensing with the use of a cast and being free to support the calcaneus the day after surgery.
1 – Be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations to the letter;
2 – The release to walk after surgery involves the essential (eating, going to the bathroom, taking a shower). Avoid unnecessary walks. They increase swelling, cause pain and delay recovery;
3 – Exaggerated efforts in the postoperative period, including walking, may jeopardize the result of the surgery due to the loss of the correction obtained;
4 – Be sure to carry out all post-operative consultations to ensure adequate rehabilitation;
5 – There is the possibility of having pain and residual edema for a period of up to one year after the surgery, depending on the nature of each one.
Can the deformity come back?
The chances of bunion treatment failure are very small, as long as the surgery is correctly indicated, there are no complications and the recommendations are strictly followed by the patient, especially with regard to the use of shoes.
Can I run with a bunion?
Yes, if the deviation and bump don’t cause pain, it can. The point is to protect the region so the deformity doesn’t get worse and to do a good job of muscle strengthening.
Ana Paula Simões is an instructor professor at the Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo and holds a Master’s degree in Medicine, Orthopedics and Traumatology and specialist in Medicine and Surgery of the Foot and Ankle from the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Santa Casa de São Paulo. She is a member of the Brazilian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology; the Brazilian Association of Ankle and Foot Medicine and Surgery, the Brazilian Society of Sports Arthroscopy and Traumatology; and the Brazilian Society of Sports Medicine
