Bunions are a painful deformity of the big toe. In technical terms, a bunion is a lateral deviation of the big toe on the first metatarsal as the picture demonstrates.

There are many factors that contribute to the development of bunions.  For example, bunions can be caused by one or more of the following factors:

• congenital (inheredited) predisposition to bunions
• muscular imbalances
• flat feet
• ill-fitting shoes (for example, high-healed shoes).

The treatment for bunions involves removing the forces that caused the problem in the first place.  This treatment may include providing orthoses (arch supports) to correct the foot imbalances, and surgery may also be needed to eliminate the deformity.