Early treatment for bunion pain is the best course of action. Bunions are progressive and early intervention will help control the rate of progression. If bunions are treated early the liklyhood of surgery is reduced or delayed. 

Dr. Timothy Young and Dr. Brandon Nelson were named Top Doctors for 2011 by Seattle Metropolitain magazine and have a dedicated resource for those with bunions. Bunions are a common condition treated by the "Top Docs" in podiatry and therefore have created the Washington Bunion Center. Visit the website for more information about bunion treatments.

If you have have exhausted non-surgical methods including bunion splints, prescription orthotics (we are no longer perfroming casting for orhotics, we now use the latest in 3-D imaging to create digital images of your feet to make our prescription orthotics), or changes or modifications in footwear. Surgery is considered the last course of treatment for bunions at our clinic. However, when conservative therapy is not decreasing pain or discomfort anymore, surgery is an option.

For many patients bunion surgery is chosen when their bunion interferes with daily activities or when footwear becomes increasingly painful or difficult to deal with.

Cirsumstances will determine if bunion surgery will be recommended. Considering bunions are a progressive disorder, the likelyhood surgery will be a recommended course of action increases over time. Many bunion patients do not need surgery!

Government statistics indicate about 4.4 million report suffering from bunions in a given year. Bunions will affect more women than men and can be attributed to women’s high-heeled, narrow-toed shoes. Other causes include arthritis and biomechanical gait abnormalities or nerve and muscle disorders of the foot. If left untreated bunions will progress and typically become increasingly painful. This can cause restricted or painful motion of the big toe (small toe for a Tailor’s bunion) resulting in decreased activity levels, inability to wear common footwear and the development of corns.

Because bunions are a progressive disorder the best course of action is early treatment. Bunions left untreated that progress to the point of severe pain that limits activity are more likely to require surgery to correct the issue. The best option is to have your case evaluated by a doctor and devise a treatment plan. There are many treatments available and early action can slow the progression significantly for many people.

Bunions are a progressive disorder. They begin with a leaning of the big toe (or the little toe, in the case of a Tailor’s bunion), gradually changing the angle of the bones over the years and slowly resulting in the characteristic bump or protrusion. As the condition progresses, this bump will become increasingly prominent. Symptoms usually appear at later stages, although some people may never have symptoms.

Bunions are a common foot deformity that can be inherited or occur as a result of repeated stress to the joint. It is not the bunion itself that is inherited, but certain foot types that make a person prone to developing a bunion. Not wearing proper sized footwear that crowd one’s toes will not cause bunions, however it can contribute to the progression of the deformity. As a result, symptoms may appear sooner with improper footwear.

A Tailor’s bunion is a bunion that occurs on the little toe where the metatarsal bone meets the little toe. Tailor’s bunion is a deformity caused when the head of the metatarsal is pushed outwards. The result is often a painful and swollen protrusion on the outside of the foot.

The causes, diagnosis and treatments are similar for these two types of bunion. Treatment options that are specific to each kind of bunion can vary slightly depending on the severity and type of bunion. If you suffer from either type of bunion they should be evaluated by a doctor for recommended treatment options. Visit bunion treatments for more information about how the Washington Bunion Center effectively treats bunions.

A bunion is often described as a protrusion or bump on the side of the foot near the toe joint is. However, a bunion is much more than that. The visible protrusion reflects actual changes in the bony framework of the foot. This disorder causes the toe to “bow out” instead of pointing straight ahead.

How long does it take to recover from bunion surgery is a common question we hear at our foot surgery center.  Many patients are concerned about missing work or how long they will be unable to walk and we will explore both of these topics in detail.  Contemplating foot surgery, ankle surgery or bunion surgery often creates many questions and concerns for patient’s especially recovery time.  These are important questions and knowing these answers going into the surgery is important in order to make appropriate plans.