May 9 is Lost Sock Memorial Day -- seriously! It’s a day to remember your favorite pair of socks – you know, the ones you put in the dryer together, but only one of them made it out. The age-old mystery of what happens to missing socks ranks right up there with what is the true cause of bunions. Sorry, but we have no idea where your sock is, however we can tell you what’s truly to blame for your bunion pain.
Many point a finger at pointy shoes, but the fact is, narrow shoes don’t cause bunions, they just make them worse! The real reason bunions form has to do with genetics. Some people are simply born with an inherited foot structure vulnerable to the progressive misalignment of their big toe joint. Check out your family’s feet. If bunions are present, you could also be prone to the problem. Heed the warning and take proactive steps to prolong bunion formation and slow the painful progression.
There are stretches you can do, and splints and padding you can wear, but the key to avoiding bunions and taming bunion pain is – you guessed it – your shoes!
Wearing high heels and narrow, pointy shoes squish your toes together and encourage your already vulnerable big toe to drift toward the others. This forces the joint to protrude outward, and the pressure placed upon it from your shoes causes pain and exasperates the problem. Solution: don’t wear narrow shoes (at least not all the time)! Instead, opt for styles with wide, deep toe boxes and low heels so your feet remain in a more natural position and your toes have plenty of wiggle room with no pressure placed against them. Slipping orthotics inside your shoes can also help by redistributing pressure away from your big toe joint and correcting the faulty foot structure causing the issue in the first place!
Knowing what’s to blame for your bunion pain will allow you to take steps toward preventing it. Learn more by visiting us online or by calling (303) 805-5156. If you already have a bunion and these conservative measures are not enough to provide relief, we can discuss whether bunion surgery is the right choice for you. As for that missing sock of yours? Good luck in your search.