The Most Common Types of Bunions
Posted by Apex Foot Health on 25th Aug 2023
Picture the most common foot-related problem in America for older folks. It's not diabetic foot conditions or hammertoes. No, it's bunions, something one in three Americans suffer from.
Bunions aren't just unsightly, the pain they cause makes even putting shoes on a chore. Though a bunion manifests in the same way for everyone, there are several types of bunions depending on your routines. Knowing which type you have can make the road to bunion relief that much easier.
Read on for your one-and-done guide on the types of bunions. We'll throw in some bunion treatment tips and advice on buying shoes for them as well.
What Are Bunions?
Bunions are those bony lumps that form on the joints of your feet. Particularly when your big toe angles inward towards the rest of your toes. The result is that the joint sticks out like a sore thumb--or in this case, toe.
They tend to happen from ill-fitting shoes and are more common among women. With age, their likelihood increases as well.
Bunion Treatment
In some extreme cases, a case of bunion pain may require surgery to correct. That said, most folks can obtain bunion relief by having shoes with wider toe boxes and softer insoles. Icing the bunion and taking pain meds like ibuprofen can help when the pain gets unbearable.
Types of Bunions
While the general mechanics of a bunion are the same, bunion pain manifests in different ways. Here are some of the common bunion types.
Skin Irritation Bunion
Since bunions form from shoes that cram toes into a teeny-tiny toe box, it stands to reason that it irritates the skin in the process. It's common to spot a bunion with red, inflamed, and irritated skin along the joint.
Bunion pads in the shoes can help alleviate this pain.
Tailor's Bunion
This is a bunion that forms on the opposite side of the foot, on the pinky. Tight shoes cause it just the same as a regular bunion. Legend has it that the name derives from when tailors' pinkies would rub against the ground as they sat cross-legged.
Similarly, wearing shoes with a good fit should mitigate this issue.
Hallux Limitus
Due to the way a bunion forms, your toe may lose much of its range of motion. The result is a top-facing bunion on the toe joint--rubbed raw thanks to its immobility.
Bunion Relief
Once you have bunions, there's nothing you can do to get rid of them short of surgery. The most important thing at that point is to grab yourself some shoes that fit well. A high-quality therapeutic shoe can make bunion pain far more manageable than a cheap pair from Walmart.
Source Your Shoes From APEX
Bunions are no fun, and certain types of bunions can put you in more agony than others. What matters at the end of the day for bunion treatment is easing the burden on those callused toe joints. Wide shoes with bunion pads--and a bit of paracetamol here or there--can go a long way to treating them.
APEX is your one-stop shop for therapeutic footwear--and a repository of knowledge as well! Get started with our shoe advisor and snag a pair that alleviates whatever condition you may have.
