How Bunions Increase Your Risk of Other Injuries

You recently learned that the bony bump emerging at the outer base of your big toe is a bunion. It hasn’t been too bothersome yet, but it’s irritated by tighter footwear — and throbs when you’ve been on your feet a while.  

That can be a problem, whether you’re athletic and play sports or you simply want to stay active as you age. Even more troublesome? Bunions tend to worsen over time, and without intervention, they can increase your risk of sustaining other musculoskeletal injuries.  

As board-certified orthopedists who specialize in helping active people from all walks of life stay active and injury-free, our team at Sports Medicine Oregon is here to take a closer look at common complications of a worsening bunion — and how you can avoid them. 

A short tutorial on bunions 

A bunion is a structural deformity of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint that connects your big toe to your foot. It develops when long-term pressure on the joint pushes it out of place, forcing your big toe to angle inward — and your MTP joint to angle outward.

To compensate for this abnormal positioning, the joint grows an extra bony protrusion or bunion. Various factors often come together to cause a bunion, including:  

• Genetics (family history of bunions)

• Inherited foot structure irregularities

• Wearing shoes with a narrow toe box

• Having abnormal foot mechanics

• Joint inflammation (i.e., arthritis, gout)

• Regularly standing for long stretches

Bunions are common, especially among women. One in three adults in the United States has them, and about three in four people with bunions (70%) have a parent who has them, too. 

Common bunion symptoms 

The first stage of bunion development is typically the gradual appearance of a small, bony bump at the outer base of the big toe. The affected toe may feel stiff and painful at times, and totally normal at other times. As it progresses, you may experience:

• Joint and digit swelling  

• Redness 

• Difficulty bending the toe

• Numbness of the big toe

Over time, you may find it increasingly uncomfortable to wear certain footwear — such as high heels, shoes with a tight toe box, and narrow athletic shoes like cycling shoes.

Bunion injury complications 

It’s normal for a bunion to start causing a certain degree of discomfort as it grows, especially when you’re on your feet. That’s because your MTP joint bears a substantial amount of your body weight any time you stand, walk, run, or jump. 

Increased discomfort is just the beginning. As a bunion progresses, the big toe angles further towards the second toe, causing the MTP joint to protrude outward even more — and affecting how your foot distributes weight and absorbs shock. This can lead to:

Uneven pressure distribution

An advancing MTP joint misalignment can lead to uneven pressure on other parts of your foot, leading to the emergence of calluses, corns, and general foot pain. When bunion-related pressure changes cause pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot, it can lead to Morton’s neuroma or metatarsalgia.

Compensating movements

Unconsciously, you may adjust your walking pattern to avoid putting pressure on the affected area. This can strain muscles and ligaments, increasing the risk of overuse injuries and related structural deformities — like hammertoe. 

Greater stress on other joints

Altered foot mechanics can place added stress on other joints in the kinetic chain, too. When your bunion makes you limp, you might start feeling the painful effects across your foot, up your ankle, and even into your knee and hip.

Inflammation and degeneration

As a bunion worsens, the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the MTP joint can become inflamed, leading to bursitis. The constant increased stress on the joint in the middle of the foot and toe misalignment can also cause degenerative changes that set the stage for osteoarthritis. 

Persistent balance issues 

By changing your weight distribution and altering your gait, bunions can throw off your balance and make falls more likely — especially if you’re older or already have balance issues.

Keep your bunion in check

Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to keep your bunion in check and prevent the kinds of weight distribution, pressure, foot mechanics, and gait changes that can readily lead to injury complications. We may advise you to:

• Switch to bunion-friendly footwear

• Wear orthotics when you’re active

• Use pads to ease pressure

• Partake in regular physical therapy 

• Use cold therapy (icing) as needed

• Ease inflammation with injections

When conservative solutions no longer provide adequate relief, bunion surgery — which consists of removing the bunion, realigning your big toe joint, and rebalancing your foot structure — is often the next best step. 

Do you have a bothersome bunion? We can help. Schedule a visit at your nearest Sports Medicine Oregon office in Tigard or Wilsonville, Oregon, today.