I’ve been asked where bunions fit into the title.
For those who don't already know a bunion is a localised painful swelling at the base of the big toe. The joint itself may become enlarged (due to new bone formation) and the toe can look out of line, i.e. pushed across and angled closer to the next toe. The joint can then be very tender and uncomfortable in shoes. Women are much more commonly affected, but men aren’t immune.
Essentially anything that puts undue pressure on your feet can lead to bunions forming, e.g. ballet dancers and those who wear very narrow and tight fitting high heeled shoes. In addition, if your parents suffered you may also be more vulnerable, particularly if you wear restrictive footwear.
Bunions are often associated with older age groups but they can affect younger people as well, particularly if systematic footwear abuse has occurred from an early age.
A registered podiatrist or chartered chiropodist can give specific advice and treatment options, but what is the back pain connection?
As an example,one of the students at Mill Court had noted that a patient with back pain also had a particularly large bunion on her big toe. The bunion had been present for a long time, but the back pain had only recently developed. The human body is amazingly adaptable and if it becomes uncomfortable to put too much pressure or movement through the big toe, little adjustments will be made in the movement of the whole leg, e.g. in this case the patient's bodyweight had subtly shifted across to the other side. This in turn had increased the pressure going through the joints on the opposite side of the pelvis and spine. The spine was able to cope up to a point, but after a whole weekend of wearing high heels at a wedding and subsequent party, the back had decided that enough was enough, leading to irritation and pain. Fortunately with rest and some advice on footwear, together with specific treatment and exercise the back quickly felt better, although the bunion still remains as a reminder to ration the wearing of those killer heels!