Bunions

While many people in Singapore believe bunions are caused by wearing shoes such as high heels, but current research leans towards hereditary factors as being the largest risk factor for developing bunions. Those with certain types of foot type or conditions are at greater risk and so are those in occupations that require long periods of standing or walking.

One of the common questions we get in clinic is if the bunion will go away on its own. Bunions do not disappear or revert to their original shape without outside intervention and are likely to worsen over time.

As bunions do not go away on their own, neglecting a bunion allows it to worsen. Left untreated, a bunion can often develop to the point where the big toe totally overlaps the second toe and surgery is the only possible option. Early treatment of this issue is critical to avoid such developments.

Conservative treatment of a bunion without surgery focuses on two aspects, preventative and maintenance. As bunions are likely to worsen over time, the treatment for patients who have developed a bony growth is to maintain the situation and prevent it from worsening. If the bunion is sufficiently advanced, you may be advised to undergo surgery instead.

As the deformity can be highly intrusive or obvious, some patients may choose to have them removed for aesthetic purposes. The typical recommendation in Singapore and overseas is that surgery should not be a first option unless the patient is experiencing severe pain or that the deformity continues to progress despite conservative treatment.

If you frequently wear tight-fitting or poor-fitting footwear, changing your shoes could potentially help with slowing the development of the bunion. However, if the bunion has already started to occur, it is more likely to slowly worsen over time even when you have changed your footwear. This is because your foot may already be putting extra stress on that joint due to the current level of deformity.