A bunion is a bump of bone around the big toe joint. There is a common
belief that poor fitting shoes cause the problem but the cause is often
caused by overpronation. The overpronation
causes the foot to roll-in toward the big toe. This causes laxity (weakness)
in the tendons a and ligaments that keep the toes in line. Then when
you put the foot with weakened tendons and ligaments into a narrow shoe,
the increased pressure causes the big toe to bend towards the middle
of the foot.
The bump that you see at the base of the big toes is actually the base
of the toe bone sticking out the side. Over time and without treatment
the bump gets bigger and more painful when wearing shoes.
It is important to diagnosis and correct the biomechanical problem
that is causing this problem early, before the deformity occurs. A custom,
prescription orthotic can be constructed to control the pronation of
the foot.
