Bunions (also referred to as hallux valgus or hallux abducto valgus) are a progressive disorder. They begin with your big toe leaning towards your second toe, gradually changing the angle of the bones causing a bump, which becomes increasingly more obvious.

Bunions are most often caused by the inherited shape of your foot that makes you more prone to developing a bunion.

Symptoms
Symptoms, which occur at the site of the bunion, may include:

- Red and calloused skin on the inside of your big toe
- A boney bump protruding from the inside of your big toe
- Pain or soreness that is aggravated by footwear
- A burning sensation and possible numbness

Women are more likely to have symptoms because wearing shoes that crowd the toes, such as high heels, can cause symptoms to develop sooner.

Non-Surgical Treatment
Sometimes your doctor can diagnose a bunion by observation alone. Because bunions usually get worse over time, an early diagnosis and treatment plan is vital in preventing symptoms from getting worse. Non-surgical treatments won‘t reverse the deformity itself but can help to alleviate the pain.

Non-surgical treatments include:

- Wearing appropriate footwear. Your doctor will help you determine which type of footwear is best for your situation.
- Padding can be used to reduce the pain.
- To reduce pain and swelling, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may be prescribed.
- Avoid standing for long periods of time.
- Applying an ice pack throughout day helps reduce inflammation and helps dull the pain.
- In rare cases, injections of corticosteroids may be prescribed.

When Is Surgery Needed?

If non-surgical treatments don’t help and the pain causes interruptions in your daily activities, you and your doctor may discuss surgical options to remove the bunion and relieve the pain.