Bunions occur when the joint at the base of your big toe becomes misaligned. This causes the big toe to point towards the rest of the toes and the big toe joint to bulge outward, causing a bony prominence on the side of the base of the toe. Although this condition can develop in patients of all ages, it tends to be more common in older adults and seniors. With that in mind, we want to use today’s blog to share five things seniors should know about managing bunions.
What To Know About Bunion Management And Treatment
Here’s what we want all of our older patients to know about bunion development and treatment so that they can take steps to prevent and manage bunions as they age.
1. Your Shoes Are Your Biggest Friend Or Enemy – Correct shoe choice can significantly reduce your risk of developing bunions. Conversely, wearing overly tight or pointed shoes can greatly increase your risk of bunion development. Wear tight shoes or pointed heels in a limited capacity, because they have the ability to alter your joint position. It won’t happen over night, but regularly wearing ill-fitting shoes will certainly increase your risk of a big toe joint deformity.
2. Surgery Is The Only Permanent Fix – The biggest reason why we stress the importance of bunion prevention with seniors is that surgery is the only way to actually address the underlying problem. Shoe modifications, orthotic inserts and toe spacers can all help to prevent further joint shifting and may ease symptoms, but they’ll never shift your joint back into normal alignment. Only surgery can do that, and since most people want to avoid a procedure at all costs, you want to focus on preventing bunions from forming in the first place.
3. Bunions Aren’t Always Painful – In many cases, bunions aren’t painful in their earliest stage. If you notice a bump forming on the side of the base of your big toe, reevaluate your shoe choice and consider reaching out to a specialist. Treating the issue before it becomes painful can prevent or greatly prolong the eventual onset of symptoms. If you begin to notice a bony prominence on the side of your big toe, don’t ignore it just because it’s not yet painful.
4. Age Isn’t A Factor For Surgery – We’re not going to look at your chart and decide you’re too old for bunion surgery simply by looking at your age. Age isn’t nearly as important a factor for surgical risk and success likelihood as overall patient health. You may be a great candidate for surgery at 80, or there may be concerns about operating if you’re 60 with underlying health issues. Age is not a deterrent, and we’ll be more than happy to walk you through your risk profile and determine if a corrective operation may be right for your situation.
5. Dr. Silverman Offers Minimally Invasive Corrective Surgery – Should it get to the point where surgery is inevitable, know that Dr. Silverman is a great surgeon to perform the operation. He specializes in minimally invasive bunion correction, which not only limits the trauma on the patient, but also reduces your risk of certain complications, like bleeding or infection. We always want to prevent complications from arising, but this is especially important for older adults who may have a higher risk of surgical issues than younger patients.
