Bunions Specialist

Isak Badalov, DPM

Podiatrist & Foot Surgeon located in Kew Gardens, NY & Middle Village, NY

Untreated bunions usually grow larger, until they’re quite painful and disruptive. Even more troublesome, bunions can contribute to other problems in your foot, like hammertoes, if you don’t seek treatment. At the office of top-rated podiatrist Isak Badalov, DPM, with locations in Kew Gardens and Middle Village, New York, you’ll find a wide selection of bunions treatments, all provided by a skilled expert. Call the office in your area or use online booking to arrange your appointment now.

Bunions Q & A

What are bunions?

A bunion is a bone deformity affecting the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint that hinges your big toe to the long metatarsal bone in your foot. Bunions develop when pressure on the MTP joint forces your big toe to lean over, and sometimes overlap, the smaller toe next to it.

As your big toe stays in this skewed position, your bone structure permanently changes, causing the bone to protrude from the MTP joint side of your foot. Bunions usually enlarge over time and can change the whole appearance of your foot. There are also a number of irritating symptoms.

What causes bunions?

You can inherit a weak MTP joint or other foot characteristics that mean your foot is more prone to bunions than it might otherwise be. Certain activities that stress your feet, for instance, ballet dancing in pointe shoes (dancing on your toes), can contribute to bunions as well.

Wearing restrictive shoes that encourage "toe walking," like high heels, may contribute to bunions. Foot trauma and neuromuscular diseases can also lead to bunions.

Sometimes, there's no clear cause of bunions.

What symptoms do bunions cause?

Along with the big bony bulge, bunions can cause other issues around the big toe, like:

Pain
Difficulty moving your toe
Corns or calluses where your big toe rubs your next toe
Inflammation and redness

Bunions can lead to other foot problems, such as hammertoes and neuromas, and they may make an issue like flat feet even worse.

How do you treat bunions?

Dr. Badalov evaluates your bunion and then gives you a few different treatment options that he tailors for your needs. For a mild bunion, simple treatments can reduce symptoms and stop the bunion from growing bigger. These include:

Oral anti-inflammatory medication
Icing (ice packs)
Taping
Padding
Custom orthotics
Physical therapy

If you have serious pain that doesn’t fade with conservative approaches, Dr. Badalov may recommend cortisone injections for longer-lasting pain relief. These nonoperative measures may effectively slow bunion progression for a long time.

If you have a very large bunion, or if the bunion causes additional problems in your foot, you could need corrective surgery. Dr. Badalov performs many different kinds of customized bunion surgery to reset your foot's bony structure for permanent relief.

To get the best bunion treatment, call the office of Isak Badalov, DPM, or click the scheduling tool now.

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