DON'T BLAME IT ON YOUR MOM - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BUNION GENE

It drives me crazy when I hear women say, "I can't help it, it's not my fault, I got them from my mom", as though the 5" heels that contort the foot into an abnormal shape have had nothing to do with it. I repeat, you can only genetically inherit a foot structure, not bunions! Let’s face it, the biggest cause of bunions is improper footwear, with or without an underlying condition that makes you prone to developing them.

In my case, with both bunions and bunionettes, my feet have taken on the shape of traditional diamond shaped kites, no joke. How did this happen - wearing pointe shoes for ballet as a child, pointy-toed cowboy boots as a teen, forefoot squishing high-heels as an adult, and even shoes that weren’t exactly my size but that I just had to have.

Eventually, as some of us come to our senses the quest begins for proper fitting, comfortable footwear. This can be easily achieved until you factor in the must haves of fashion and sex appeal – I’ll continue on this subject in another post. 

I can't stress enough how important it is to have your feet examined by a Podiatrist for the proper diagnosis of bunions and other foot conditions. There may be more going on with your feet than you are aware of. In the mean time, you can begin to prevent your bunions from getting worse by immediately addressing your footwear.

Consider the following:

• Avoid strappy sandals that cut across the bunion, put pressure on it, or allow it to poke out between straps
• A strap over the instep will hold the foot back against the heel and prevent it from sliding forward, and will also keep the heel from slipping out  
• Keep pressure off the balls of the feet and toes, stick to lower heels
• Avoid footwear that is completely flat (meaning with no heel) and lacks support (both especially bad for flat feet)
• Make sure there is 1/2" between the longest toe and the end of the shoe, and that there is sufficient width for the toes to spread for balance
• Tops of toes should never touch the inside top of the shoe
• Shoes and sandals should have some cushioning in the footbed
• The shape and width of your shoes should be as close as possible to the shape of your feet
• If you are going to use orthopaedic insoles, take them with you when you go shopping and make sure the shoes are roomy enough to accommodate both the insoles and your feet

A BUNION IS NOT JUST AN UNAPPEALING BUMP ON THE SIDE OF THE FOOT - THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN MEETS THE EYE

WHAT IS A BUNION

A bunion (hallux valgus) is an enlargement of bone or tissue around the joint at the base of the big toe (the metatarsophalangeal joint). It is the hard bump you feel when you touch the side of your big toe joint - the head of the bone behind the big toe (the first metatarsal bone) that has protruded outward. The bump is partly the result of a fluid filled sac in the connective tissue (inflammed bursal sac) and/or a bony anomaly where the first metatarsal bone and big toe (hallux) meet (the mesophalangeal joint).

A bunionette, also referred to as a tailor’s bunion, develops on the outside of the foot at the base of the little toe (the 5th metatarsal phalangeal joint). The bump is the head of the bone behind the little toe (the fifth metatarsal bone) that has protruded outward, while the little toe has shifted inward.

WHAT CAUSES A BUNION

Both bunions and bunionettes are most commonly caused by abnormal biomechanics of the feet, footwear that squeezes the forefoot, and high-heeled shoes that force the weight of the body down onto the ball of the foot and toes. Other causes include but are not limited to, injury, arthritis, excessive stress on the feet due to body weight, various occupations and sports.

During a recent visit to a Podiatrist, I asked if bunions are in fact hereditary. He explained - bunions are not genetically inherited, but that foot structures are, and that certain foot structures are more susceptible to forming bunions; for example, the structure of flat feet will often lead to the development of bunions.

IT DOESN'T HURT TO SEE A PODIATRIST

If you are in denial about the bumps on your feet, waiting until the pain becomes unbearable or for deformity to set in before doing anything about it, then take this into consideration - if left untreated, bones will continue to shift out of alignment and the tendons around the big toe will allow it to bend inward, and the bump on the joint will grow bigger. Not only that, the big toe can eventually progress to sit over or under the second toe, leading to more problems.

THE FIRST GALLERY PIC IS POSTED!

As a thank you to the sender, for being the first to share and submit a photo to the gallery, I will be mailing this lovely fridge magnet.

I'll get around to posting a photo of my flippers, as soon as I paint my toenails :)  Come on ladies, let's see what you've got - so we can all ooh and ahhh!

CELEBRITY FEET, A SHOCKING EYE-OPENER

"From Beautiful To Hideous, Top 45 Most Sensational Celebrity Feet",
from  TheFABlife


[Photos: Getty Images and Splash News Online]

I'LL SHOW YOU MINE IF YOU SHOW ME YOURS

The first comment I received on this blog was a request to see a feature post about famous people with bunions, which I will do - in the mean time, this comment inspired the creation of a whole new page on the site, the BUNION GALLERY. 

This gallery will host photos of our bunions, both hideous and beautified. This is not about “misery loving company”, but about empathy and inspiration - sharing what we have to deal with, and how we do the best with what we’ve got. You can e-mail your pics to buniongirls@gmail.com. No faces or names, just photos of your feet, bare or adorned. 

AND most certainly, we’ll take a close look at celebrity feet, could be empowering - as we see, they can confidently strut their exposed bedazzled bunions, blisters, corns, calluses and crooked toes down the red carpet with no problem.

BUNIONS AREN'T PRETTY, BUT THIS IS NOT A GOOD REASON FOR SURGERY

As it turns out my GP sent me to an Orthopaedic Surgeon at Toronto Western Hospital whose primary area of interest and expertise is in knee and hip surgery. When I asked him if he’d done much bunion surgery, he said, “I’ve done a few”. This appointment was a total waste of time. My GP can be a total bonehead sometimes. I will take this as a sign that my bunions are meant to stay, for now. An Orthopaedic Surgeon can help you decide if bunion surgery is the best option, but get a good referral, unlike mine.

My take on the matter - there is a very lengthy rehabilitation and too many potential complications in having bunion surgery simply for cosmetic reasons. The width of the forefoot will only decrease by about 1/8 of an inch – that being said, if you want to have bunion surgery just to fit into slim shoes and strappy sandals, you might end up very disappointed. For those who have significant chronic pain and are unable to correct the problem with adaptive footwear and non-invasive therapies, surgery is a treatment option.

SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO

Contemplating bunion surgery? Although this is a blog that is meant to help you learn to get along with your flippers, just the way they are - I’m going to start this blog with a visit to an Orthopaedic Surgeon on Friday, April 8th.  Let’s see what the Surgeon believes necessitates extreme measures. This might help to rule out surgery for some of you.