A bunion, usually a bony bump, that forms on the joint of the big toe. It means that some bones at the front of the foot have moved out of place, causing the big toe to pull towards the smaller toes, forcing the joint to stick out. The area around the joint is red and sore. The most obvious symptom of a bunion is a bulging lump at the joint of the toe. Avoid bunion surgery by seeking solutions immediately you notice bunion symptoms.

Causes of bunions

The exact cause of bunions is not known, but other likely reasons are

1. Foot deformities at birth.
2. Inherited foot type.
3. Foot injuries and stresses.
4. Some bunions have been linked to inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis.
5. Tight or too-narrow shoes or high-heeled shoes cause bunions though some experts disagree with this.

Other factors that increase the risk of developing bunions are:

• Wearing high heels is believed to be the number one risk factor. High heels force the toes to the front of the shoes causing the toes to cramp.
• Wearing too narrow or tight shoes, likely pointed, cause bunions due to pressure on the toes cramped together.
• The tendency to develop bunions might be a result of inherited anatomy or structure of the foot.
• If you have an underlying condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis, it likely favors the development of bunions.
• Adolescents, especially girls, are likely to get bunions. It is not known why, but doctors suspect the constant need to change footwear around this age as a contributing factor. However, bunions in adolescents and young people have not been linked to any underlying health condition.
• Bunionette forms at the little toe’s joint, often known as a tailor’s bunion, is caused by the pressure put on the side of the foot. It often happens due to sitting cross-legged for long hours, putting pressure on the side of the foot leading to bunions near the pinky toes.

Unless you seek bunion treatment Houston, bunions are permanent. However, several measures will make you comfortable and slow bunion progression. Some measures include

1. Maintain a healthy weight that does not put pressure on your feet.
2. Buy the gel-filled pad or moleskin from a drugstore for the protection of the bunion. You need to test the moleskin for a short time to determine if it helps ease pressure and pain.
3. Buy over-the-counter arch supports or shoe inserts that will position the foot correctly.
4. Following your podiatrist’s guidance, use a splint at night to ease the discomfort and hold the toe straight.
5. Take pain killers that are anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen.
6. Use massage, warm soaks, and icepacks regularly. If you have circulation problems, consult the foot doctor before using an icepack.
7. Buy proper fitting shoes with a wide toe box with room for your toes. The heels of the shoes should be lower than two inches.

Immediately you notice changes in the structure of the toe or foot, visit a bunion doctor to avoid complications such as stiff toe, chronic toe pain, and foot/toe deformity.

Over at DeNiel Foot and Ankle Center  located in Houston, Texas, and covering surrounding areas like Cypress, and Katy, TX. Ejodamen Shobowale, DPM and her highly skilled staff provide personalized comprehensive care for all your podiatry and sport medicine needs. Whether the issue is foot-related like hammertoes, or toenail fungus or involves pain in the heel , nerves, or joints, Dr. Sho, as she is fondly called, can get you back on your feet in no time.

Morton neuroma is the thickening of the tissue around leading to the toes. This is a painful foot condition that affects the ball of your foot, especially in the middle of the third and fourth toes. The pain is sharp and burning and sometimes your toes feel numb. With Mortons feet, you always feel like you are standing on a fold in your sock or as if you are standing on a pebble.

Diagnosis

The neuroma specialist conducts a physical examination by pressing on the foot to determine the tender spot. Further examination is recommended to rule out other issues that could be causing the foot pain. An ultrasound would be the best exam because it uses sound waves to create a real-time image of the internal structures of the body. It will reveal the abnormalities of the neuromas. An x-ray can be done to rule out foot pain causes like a stress fracture. The MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to visualize the soft tissues such as the neuromas. This is used when the patient is showing no symptoms of Morton neuromas, but the doctor suspects it could be the issue causing the patient discomfort. 

Morton’s neuroma can be uncomfortable and painful to live with. If you think you have Morton’s neuroma and need neuroma treatment, please reach out to the podiatrist at DeNiel Foot and Ankle Center. Their doctor, Dr. Ejodamen Shobowale will take care of all your foot and ankle needs plus answer any questions related to foot issues. 

Risk factors contributing to Morton’s neuroma

• Foot deformities such as hammertoes, bunions, flat feet, high arches leave the patients susceptible to the development of this condition.
• High heels or ill-fitting shoes and too-tight shoes, put extra pressure on the ball of the foot and your toes.
• High impact athletic activities such as running or jogging, are subject to repetitive trauma to the feet. Also, sports that feature tight shoes such as rock climbing or skiing put pressure on your shoes.
• Overweight people risk getting Morton neuroma because once they wear a high-heeled shoe the extra weight puts extra pressure on the feet.

Managing neuroma foot

There are various ways of managing the foot condition to improve the symptoms

• Relieve pressure off the foot by using over the counter shoe pads.
• Wear more supportive shoes with a wide toe box. If they have laces avoid tying them too tight. It is recommended that you wear shoes with proper insoles and shock-absorbent soles.
• Avoid pointed toed shoes or too tight shoes. Wear shoes whose heels are not more than 2 inches.
• Apply ice to the inflamed area to reduce swelling and pain.
• Rest your feet as much as possible.
• Massage the painful area of the foot.
• Wear proper athletic footwear with enough padding to cushion the balls whenever you’re taking part in sports or exercising.
• Reduce or manage your body weight so that you improve on the amount of pressure put on your feet.

 Neuroma treatment

Medications

Drugs temporally relieve symptoms of Morton’s Neuroma including pain, though, using medications for long is highly discouraged. Some of the medications used include corticosteroid injections and alcohol sclerosing injections. There are anti-inflammatory drugs that are taken orally to reduce inflammation such as aspirin and ibuprofen. You can have an anesthetic injection to temporarily relieve the pain through numbing the affected nerve.

Orthotics

Custom designed shoe inserts that reduce the pain by offloading the pressure off the nerve. The metatarsal pad is placed in the shoe insole for effective working. Custom made shoe inserts are individually designed to fit the different contours of your foot.

Surgery

When medication and management methods do not effectively relieve pain surgery is the next option. The surgical procedure known as neurectomy is used to remove part of the nerve tissue. Before the neurectomy is performed there is a procedure called cryogenic Neuro ablation therapy.  In this procedure, cold temperatures are applied to the nerves to destroy the sheath that covers the nerve and the nerve cells. Patients who have undergone this therapy are less likely to experience the symptoms of Morton neuroma again.

Decompression surgery can be done by cutting the structures nearby the nerve to relieve the pressure. Some of the structures removed include ligaments that bind the bones.

Gout is an inflammatory arthritis affecting one joint at a time. The condition is also known as hyperuricemia, characterized by too much uric acid present in the body. The body is responsible for uric acid production as waste when it is breaking down purines from foods we eat. Once there is extra uric acid in the body, the acidic crystals build up in joints, tissues, and fluids inside the body. Hyperuricemia does not always cause gout, however, if the condition is without gout symptoms, there is no need to treat it.

Foods that cause gout

Foods trigger an attack by raising uric acid levels. Foods that cause gout are high in purine, a natural substance in foods. People with gout cannot efficiently remove excess uric acid from their bodies, causing accumulation and an attack.

Foods that trigger gout attacks contain moderate to a high number of purines.

• Organ meats include liver, brain, kidneys, and sweetbreads.
• Game meats like veal, pheasant, and venison.
• Seafood such as crab, shrimp, scallops, and roe.
• Fish including tuna, herring, haddock, trout, sardines, and mackerel.
• Sugar-sweetened beverages and fructose increase the risk of developing gout or cause gout attacks. These include sugary sodas and fruit juices.
• Added sugars such as honey, high -fructose corn syrup, and agave nectar.
• Yeasts including nutritional yeast, yeast supplements, and brewers’ yeast.
• Refined carbs from cakes, white bread, and cookies.

Gout symptoms

Gout symptoms can be sudden but often happen at night. When the symptoms are worse, they are called flares and when they are less noticeable it is known as remission.

• Joint pain, especially the large joint of your big toe, although it can happen on any joint on the ankles, elbows, fingers, and wrists. The pain is severe in the first 12 hours of happening.
• The discomfort usually happens after the pain subsides. It can last up to a few weeks, but later flares cause prolonged discomfort to the affected joints.
• Redness and inflammation of the affected joints.
• Limited range of motion for the affected joints.

Gout treatment

Gout can be treated with medications and self-management strategies. Both methods have three roles to reduce inflammation, pain, and gout attacks. There are conventional treatments and traditional treatments.

Self-management strategies include adjusting your diet to reduce the number of acute gout attacks by lowering the level of uric acid in the blood. Some dietary adjustments include

• Eliminate or reduce alcohol (beer).
• Drink a lot of non-alcoholic drinks, mainly water.
• Eat non-fat or low-fat dairy products.
• Take soy products, low-fat dairy products, and vitamin C to prevent gout attacks.
• The intake of high-fat dairy products or full-fat products does not affect uric acid levels.
• Eating high purine vegetables does not trigger gout attacks.
• Take plant-based proteins like legumes and beans.
• Eat complex carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain bread.

Medications

Classes of gout treatment medications are

• Xanthine oxidase inhibitors reduce uric acid produced by the body.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that reduce inflammation and pain associated with a gout attack.
• Probenecid improves the function of the kidney and its ability to remove uric acid.

At DeNiel Foot and Ankle Center located in Houston, Texas, Ejodamen Shobowale, DPM and her caring staff strive to provide the best comprehensive care for all podiatry and sport medicine related issues. If the foot and ankle issue, is foot-related like toenail fungus or heel pain, or involves foot deformities such as bunions or hammertoes, the foot specialist at DeNiel Foot and Ankle Center can get you back on your feet as quickly as possible