What is a bunion?
Bunions can cause excruciating pain, thus affect your day to day life. Orthobdridge Institute, an orthopedic center in Kenya is the premier foot care clinic in Kenya that helps with bunion treatment in Nairobi, Kenya.
The top-rated foot surgeon in Kenya, Col (Dr) Adari at Orthobridge Institute, offers the most advanced, most effective treatments for those throughout Kenya and the world who are dealing with bunions.
Symptoms associated with bunions
Symptoms, which occur at the site of the bunion, may include:
- Foot pain or soreness, particularly when weight is applied to the foot in question.
- Swelling, inflammation, and redness
- A burning sensation
- Possible numbness
- Reduced big toe mobility
What causes bunions?
Bunions are an unsightly foot disorder caused by a misalignment joint in the big toe. These factors might increase your risk of bunions.
- Genetics – Families often have a history of bunions, as foot structure plays a role in bunion formation.
Arthritis – Many people with rheumatoid arthritis also develop bunions. - Foot trauma – Sprains, fractures, breaks, and other injuries have been linked to bunion formation.
- Limb-length discrepancies – If one of your legs is shorter than the other, the longer leg is likely to develop a bunion.
- Mechanical factors – Tight-fitting footwear and high-heeled shoes may also cause bunion development.
Although they don’t always cause problems, bunions are permanent unless surgically corrected.
Possible complications include:
Bursitis: This painful condition occurs when the small fluid-filled pads (bursae) that cushion bones, tendons, and muscles near your joints become inflamed.
Hammertoe: An abnormal bend that occurs in the middle joint of a toe, usually the toe next to your big toe, can cause pain and pressure.
Metatarsalgia: This condition causes pain and inflammation in the ball of your foot.
Bunions Diagnosis
Bunions are readily apparent—the prominence is visible at the base of the big toe or side of the foot.
However, to fully evaluate the condition, our foot and ankle surgeon in Kenya may take x-rays to determine the degree of the deformity and assess the changes that have occurred.
Most bunions are progressive, they do not go away and will usually get worse over time. But not all cases are alike—some bunions progress more rapidly than others.
Bunion Treatment in Kenya
Although not all bunions are painful, they can worsen over time and become increasingly uncomfortable.
One of the most common conditions we treat here at our orthopedic center in Nairobi, Kenya is the painful bunion.
A bunion can be a source of annoying and sometimes quite debilitating pain. If left untreated, bunions can also lead to other foot conditions, such as hammertoes, corns, and calluses.
If you suspect you have a bunion, or that one may be forming, we welcome you to visit us. An experienced podiatrist/ foot surgeon in Kenya, Col (Dr) Adari will quickly diagnose your bunion and determining the appropriate next steps.
There are multiple ways to treat bunions. Your case and history will help us determine which is best for you.
Treatment varies based on your individual case. At Orthobridge Orthopedic Centre in Kenya, we pride ourselves on performing conservative treatment first before the need for surgical intervention.
Conservative treatments for bunions
- Orthotic devices- in some cases, custom orthotic devices may be provided by the foot and ankle surgeon.
- Medications- oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be recommended to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Injection therapy- although rarely used in bunion treatment, injections of corticosteroids may be useful in treating the inflamed bursa (fluid-filled sac located around a joint) sometimes seen with bunions.
- Activity modifications- avoid activity that causes bunion pain, including standing for long periods of time.
- Changes in shoewear- wearing the right kind of shoes is very important. Tight shoes can exacerbate symptoms. We recommend switching to a shoe with more room.
- Shoe/footwear inserts – depending on the cause of your bunion, inserts that improve arch support or weight transfer can help with bunion symptoms.
When is surgery needed?
Our surgeon in Kenya is highly trained in order to assure that the surgical selection criteria are thoroughly evaluated.
Some of the most common types of bunion removal procedures are osteotomy, exostectomy, and arthrodesis.
In an osteotomy, your surgeon will cut your big toe joint and realign it to a normal position.
In an exostectomy, your surgeon will remove your bunion from the joint without performing an alignment.
In an arthrodesis, your surgeon will replace the damaged joint with screws or metal plates to correct the deformity.
Recovering from bunion surgery
For the first two weeks following your surgery, you’ll wear a surgical boot or cast to protect your foot.
After removing the cast or boot, you’ll wear a brace to support your foot while you heal. You won’t be able to bear weight on your foot at first, and you’ll need crutches for assistance. Gradually, you can start putting some weight on your foot, using a walker or crutches for support.
Your doctor may send you to physical therapy, where you’ll learn exercises that can strengthen your foot and lower leg.
Your foot and ankle surgeon in Kenya, Col (Dr) Adari gives you measures you can take to ensure your foot heals correctly such as taking care of your feet by avoiding shoes with narrow toe boxes after surgery will help prevent future bunions.
