Bunion Treatment in Seaford & Millsboro, DE

Southern Delaware Foot & Ankle Bunion Treatment

Bunions are often an uncomfortable, painful problem on your feet. A bunion, or hallux valgus, is often a bump at the joint of the base of your big toe. This bump forms when the bone or tissue at the big toe joint is forced to move out of place. The big toe leans toward the second toe instead of being straight. Bunions are progressive and often become increasingly prominent, leading to pain, inflammation, and swelling. Southern Delaware Foot & Ankle provides bunion treatment in Seaford and Millsboro, DE to help alleviate your issues. We'll help you reduce pain and eliminate the deformity with new, advanced treatment options.

Causes of Bunions

About one in three people have bunions. Bunion causes often stem from many years of pressure on your large toe joint. The metatarsophalangeal eventually falls out of alignment, leading to the bump. Over time, the bump grows as the toe starts to lean towards the other toes.

Types of Bunions

A bunion on your big toe is the most common type. Other types of bunions include:

Juvenile hallux valgus – Children between the ages of 10 and 15 with bunions have adolescent hallux valgus.
Tailor's bunion – This type of bunion forms on the outside base of your pinky toe.

Risk Factors for Bunions

Risk factors for bunions include:

Foot injuries
Inherited foot structural issues
Age
Obesity
Rheumatoid arthritis

What Are Symptoms of Bunions?

Bunion symptoms include:

Pain when wearing regular shoes
Pain with activity
Thickened skin
Numbness
Inability to bend the toe

Management & Bunion Treatment

Our experienced team will examine your foot to evaluate the bunion's degree, and determine the best form of treatment for your needs. Our most common bunion treatments include:

Orthotic devices placed in your shoes to control alignment
Physical therapy sessions to focus on breaking up soft-tissue adhesions to reduce inflammation
Steroid injections for pain and swelling reduction
Switching footwear to shoes with wide, deep toe boxes
Bunion pads and medical tape to ensure your foot is in the correct position
Surgery to remove the bunion and realign bone

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Bunions

Our physicians are highly experienced in working with bunions. We welcome your questions and concerns. The most common questions to ask us about bunions include:

What is the best treatment for my bunion?
Why do you believe I got a bunion?
What can I do to prevent bunions in the future?
How can I lower my risk of calluses or ulcerations?
If I must get surgery, what does bunion recovery look like for me?
What happens if I do not get bunion treatment?

Schedule an Appointment Today

The Southern Delaware Foot & Ankle team is committed to treating foot problems. While bunions are a common foot issue, we understand many people have concerns about addressing them. We're here for you every step of the way. Our bunion treatments will help reduce your pain and get you back to an active lifestyle. Since 2000, we've helped thousands of people heal their foot and ankle issues. Southern Delaware Foot and Ankle was the first practice in the state to offer new minimally invasive bunion surgery! Contact us today.

Learn More About Our Providers

Our team of podiatrists has a wide range of experience treating many different foot and ankle issues. We’re fully trained and knowledgeable about treatment for sports injuries, skin conditions, trauma, and other foot and ankle problems.

have a wide range of experience with different foot pain causes, conditions, and injuries. Learn more about the background of each of our providers:

Bradley T. Lemon: Dr. Lemon completed his education in 1995 and went on to train at the Kern Hospital. When he opened Southern Delaware Foot & Ankle in 2000, he did so with a commitment to the community and comprehensive foot care.
Allen Mirzaei: Dr. Mirzaei specializes in a variety of conditions and foot treatments, including hammertoes, tendinitis, ingrown nails, and bunions. The physicians at Southern Delaware Food and Ankle have been recognized as top doctors in Delaware Today and other local publications.
Christopher M. Heisey: Dr. Heisey has extensive training in surgical procedures. His patients look to him for joint replacements, fracture care, and advanced reconstructive surgeries of the foot and ankle. Dr. Heisey's work has been published in several well-recognized medical journals.

To learn more about foot and ankle conditions, visit the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons’ patient education website, FootHealthFacts.org