Our Services / Bunion

If your bunion causes serious discomfort or pain, the NYC Footcare PC team, including Paul Drucker, DPM, and Jarret Drucker, DPM, AACFAS, offers the full range of conservative and surgical treatments to help. There are conveniently-located offices on the Upper East Side at 60th and 70th Street in New York City, with additional offices in Jamaica, Queens; Plainview, New York; and a surgical center in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Schedule your appointment online or call the office for help now.

What is a bunion?

A bunion is a bumpy growth made of bone and swollen skin. Bunions usually develop at the base of your big toe as the two bones in that joint move apart. This pushes the big toe inward, and it may even rest atop the next toe with severe bunions. 

Bunions can be painful. They often cause the skin above the affected joint to grow red and irritated, and you may develop a callus there because of constant friction with your shoe.

Additionally, you may develop a corn or callus where your big toe rubs against your next toe.

Bunions usually grow more pronounced over time without treatment. This can potentially lead to serious problems, including difficulty walking comfortably. But, fortunately, diagnosis and treatment can solve your bunion problems and prevent more damage to your foot.

What causes bunions?

Genetic factors play a significant role in bunion formation. While bunions aren’t technically inherited, you do inherit foot type from your parents, and unfortunately, certain foot structures are more likely to develop a bunion. 

Although wearing high heels doesn’t cause bunions, it can make them develop faster if you have a foot type vulnerable to bunion formation. Sometimes foot trauma can cause bunions. 

Bunions and inflammatory arthritis (for example, rheumatoid arthritis) often occur together, although the specific relationship is uncertain. 

How are bunions diagnosed?

The NYC Footcare PC team can expertly assess your foot structure and biomechanics to diagnose bunions and recommend a solution. Usually, diagnosis includes a radiological exam, typically an X-ray, to evaluate the affected joint and the foot’s overall bony framework.

How are bunions treated?

Bunion treatment generally depends on how severe the bunion is and how it’s affecting you. In many cases, for mild-to-moderate bunions, the treatment focuses on preventing symptoms and stopping the bunion from growing larger. 

Some effective methods of relieving bunion pain include wearing wider shoes, wearing custom orthotics, and anti-inflammatory medication. If pain is more severe, you may need a corticosteroid injection around your bunion. 

While these methods offer symptom relief, they can’t realign your joint. So, if you have severe ongoing bunion pain that doesn’t improve with nonoperative care, the NYC Footcare PC team may recommend surgery. 

Bunion surgery generally involves:

• Removing the bony overgrowth
• Fixing the joint in place
• Restoring positions of the tendons and ligaments around your toe

After surgery, it’s important to take precautions to avoid bunion recurrences like wearing wide-toe shoes and custom orthotics. 

Have a bunion and need relief fast? Call the nearest NYC Footcare PC or click the scheduling tool now.