Rappahannock Foot and Ankle Specialists, serving Fredericksburg, and Stafford, VA, and the surrounding area, treats patients who have bunions. But what exactly is a bunion? And how do we treat it? Dr. Stephen Carley, Dr. Rosemarie Rynkiewicz, Dr. Sunshine Brady-Thomas, and Dr. Alexander Standiford have a few options. We'd like to take a moment to answer some of your frequently asked questions about bunions to help you understand what to expect.

What Are Bunions?

If you look at your big toe and see a protrusion on either joint, you may have a bunion. With this issue, pressure causes a joint to become out of alignment with the rest of the toe. As a result, part of it will stick out. Sometimes, it even looks deformed. 

What Are the Symptoms?

Most often, you know you have a bunion by looking at your toe and seeing the misalignment. This issue can cause pain in the more serious cases. When you try to bend that toe, you might have difficult because it's out of the proper alignment. Continuous pressure on that area can lead to bunions or calluses. 

Who's Most at Risk?

Often, people develop bunions as they age. Although either sex can develop this problem, we tend to see more women at our Fredericksburg, VA, and Stafford, VA offices. This usually has to do with the fact that high heels are notorious for placing pressure on that joint and causing bunions. Besides high heels, poorly fitting shoes can also lead to bunions. Keep in mind, though, that these aren't direct causes. They just place a person more at risk. 

If you had a parent or grandparent with bunions, your chances of developing them are higher because there appears to be a genetic correlation. There isn't a genetic mutation that causes bunions, though. It happens when you have a faulty foot structure. For instance, you may inherit flatfeet or an abnormal bone structure. 

You also have an elevated risk if you have rheumatoid arthritis or another inflammatory disease. 

What Is the Treatment?

We'll first complete a thorough evaluation of the bunion to ensure that's what it is. We'll look at your medical history and discuss your lifestyle. We can then provide you with advice to help reduce it from worsening. We can provide comfort measures. If that isn't enough, we may recommend surgical correction. 

At Rappahannock Foot and Ankle Specialists, serving Fredericksburg, and Stafford, VA, and the general vicinity, Dr. Carley, Dr. Rynkiewicz, Dr. Brady-Thomas, and Dr. Standiford can provide care if you have a bunion. Once we diagnose, we treat bunions based on their severity. 

Contact one of our offices today by calling:

Stafford - (540) 720-0674

Fredricksburg - (540) 371-2724