Can Orthotics Correct My Bunions?

Millions of Americans suffer from bunions, painful lumps located on the outside of the foot just below the big toe. Bunions can cause significant discomfort, changing the shape of the foot and interfering with the way one walks and performs other everyday activities.

At Forward Foot & Ankle, our team helps patients relieve bunion symptoms with customized treatment plans focused on each person's symptoms and other factors. If you have painful bunions, learn how custom orthotics could help you manage discomfort and improve your quality of life.

Bunion basics

A bunion is a bulge that forms when the joint at the base of your big toe is shifted out of its normal alignment. The upper part of the big toe drifts inward, forcing the lower toe joint to move outward.

While the specific cause of bunions isn’t completely understood, researchers believe they’re due to a combination of factors, including:

• Foot shape
• Gait pattern
• Genetics
• Short Achilles tendon or short calf muscles
• Underlying diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis

It was once thought that wearing too-tight shoes caused bunions, but today, researchers say tight shoes can worsen bunions; they don't trigger bunion formation.

Bunions become more common as we age and are much more common in women, perhaps because their ligaments and tendons supporting the toe joint tend to be thinner and weaker. While mild bunions may not cause any symptoms, more severe ones can interfere with how we walk and even make it difficult to find shoes that fit.

The role of custom orthotics

Custom orthotics are special shoe inserts designed to fit your specific foot shape. Our team designs orthotics using advanced techniques that measure your foot and consider all your foot-related issues. 

Orthotics are made in a special lab using high-quality materials for extra comfort and durability. They're available for all shoes, including dress and athletic wear.

For bunions, orthotics provide support for the big toe area, cushioning the area to reduce the risk of pain and other foot issues, like corns and calluses that often form over the bunion. Orthotics can also be designed to improve arch support, drawing pressure away from the bunion while supporting a more natural alignment for the big toe joint.

Many people with bunions develop abnormal walking or standing postures to relieve joint pressure and pain. Orthotics help correct these issues, supporting better foot health and improved posture while reducing the risks of knee, hip, and lower back pain caused by poor posture.

That said, while custom orthotics can improve bunion symptoms for many people, they can't "cure" a bunion. Splinting and similar nonsurgical techniques may help reverse a bunion in its earliest stages; most people need minimally invasive surgery to restore the normal position of the big toe joint and prevent bunion recurrence.

Find relief for your painful bunions

Bunions can cause significant discomfort and reduce one's overall enjoyment of life. Fortunately, some solutions can help. To learn how we can relieve your painful bunion symptoms, request an appointment online or over the phone with the Forward Foot & Ankle team in Midtown Manhattan and Staten Island, New York, today.