Bunions Specialist

Dr. Anthony Spitz, DPM

Podiatrist & Ankle and Foot Surgeon located in Wheeling, IL

Dr. Anthony Spitz, DPM

Bunions

As one of the most common foot deformities, especially among women, bunions can lead to agonizing foot pain. Before your bunion worsens, get started on a personalized bunion treatment plan at Foot Clinic in Wheeling, Illinois. Anthony Spitz, DPM, offers conservative therapies, like splinting, as well as minimally invasive bunion surgery for pain relief. You can use the online booking feature to request an appointment or call the office today.

Bunions Q & A

Bunions can develop for a variety of reasons, but foot and ankle specialists find that footwear plays a role.

If you wear pointy, snug-fitting shoes or high heels on a regular basis — common for women — your big toe continuously gets pushed into its neighboring toes. This can change its joint, causing it to become permanently angled and deformed.

In some cases, you just have higher chances of developing bunions because of your inherited foot shape. Other times, bunions stem from:

Injury or trauma
Arthritic conditions
Neuromuscular disorders
Flat feet or low arches
Abnormal gait (the way you walk)

It isn’t always known why some men and women develop bunions though. You can even develop a similar issue in your baby toe, which is known as a bunionette or Tailor’s bunion deformity.

In any case, if you have one of these painful bony bumps on your toe joint, it’s important to get it treated at Foot Clinic

Aside from the obvious physical sign of a bunion at the base of your big toe, bunions can lead to a realm of issues. Some of the most common symptoms of bunions include:

Joint stiffness, pain, or swelling
Difficulty finding comfortable shoes
Limited range of motion in your toe
Redness or tenderness over the joint

Because your feet are going to rub up against the insides of your shoes in an abnormal manner, it’s typical for bunions to lead to painful corns and calluses, too. Without proper treatment, bunions can trigger related toe deformities, including hammertoes or mallet toes.

The skilled podiatry team at Foot Clinic offers several conservative bunion treatments, including:

Custom prescription orthotics
Corticosteroid injections
Physical therapy
Anti-inflammatory medications
Padding, taping, or strapping

Usually, Dr. Spitz tries to resolve lingering bunion pain and discomfort with conservative solutions, before going the surgical route. If your pain persists, ultimately, surgery might be the best option for you.

If so, Dr. Spitz performs minimally invasive bunion surgery. During the procedure, he applies external fixation, meaning that the way he wraps the foot in way that holds the bones in a specific place.

Minimally invasive surgery is an outpatient procedure that features a quicker recovery time, less scarring, and less pain. Unlike traditional surgeries, the procedure doesn't use hardware or screws, so there is no metal in your foot.

Before living with bunion pain another day, learn how the podiatry team at Foot Clinic can help. Book your visit online or over the phone today.

(847) 465-9311

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