How Our Idaho Foot Doctors Rely on Early Intervention to Minimize Your Adolescent’s Bunion Problem
Bunions are large bumps that develop along the side of the foot, near the base of the big toe. This development then shifts the metatarsophalangeal or big toe joint out of alignment, moving the base of the joint out and the top of the toe inward. Usually, there’s no pain associated with the initial stages of a bunion forming, but over time, the condition causes various problems, such as foot disfiguration, uneven gait, swelling, and more.
At Canyon Foot + Ankle, in Idaho’s Magic Valley, our podiatrists offer various treatment options for adolescent bunions so you can take control of your teen’s health and have confidence in their long-term mobility. Here’s what you should know.
Risk Factors for Adolescent Bunions ![teen-girl-on-floor-bare-feet-studying-possible-bunion]()
Overall, no one is quite sure what causes bunions. However, some general risk factors seem common in many of the young people we treat.
- A family history of bunions
- Someone between the ages of 10–15
- Young female tweens or teens, who seem to be more impacted with early onset bunions than young men.
- Adolescents with flat feet or high arches
- Toes that, instead of pointing straight, angle more toward the inside or outside of the foot
- Knock knees
- Tight calf muscles
- Discrepancies in leg length
- Medical conditions such as cerebral palsy and Down syndrome
- Young people with neurological and neuromuscular issues
Although adults are more likely to develop bunions if they wear shoes that squeeze their toes together, this isn’t usually a causation factor for young people. On the other hand, tight shoes can be irritating if a bunion is already present.
Symptoms of Adolescent Bunions
Bunions have varying degrees of severity. Some may not cause any pain at all, while others may result in:
- Redness and swelling at the base of the big toe
- A visible, sore bump on the big toe
- Difficulty wearing shoes
- Pain when walking
- A big toe joint that cracks
- Burning at numbness around the big toe joint
How Adolescent Bunions Are Diagnosed
At Canyon Foot + Ankle, we like to be thorough in our initial examination of your children’s feet to make an accurate diagnosis and rule out other conditions such as hammer toe, fractures, and other issues. We’ll observe:
- Your teen’s foot alignment
- How they bear weight
- How they walk and run
- The mobility of their toe joint
- Wear patterns on their shoes and information about which shoes they find painful to wear
- Which activities seem to cause your teen to feel pain
- It may also be helpful to utilize an X-ray to assess the extent of your adolescent’s foot issues.
Why Choose Canyon Foot + Ankle to Treat Your Teen’s Bunions
Juvenile bunions don’t require treatment unless they progress and become a problem, but they can be an early warning sign of foot structural issues, which may require treatment to avoid more complicated issues.
If our exam determines your teen has a bunion and shoes start to irritate the area, our podiatrists will start with the least invasive home treatment options first, such as:
- Recommending twice-yearly proper foot measurements and choosing shoes based on the size of the larger foot.
- Selecting footwear based on the roominess around the affected forefoot to reduce rubbing and irritation.
- Night splints or toe separators to reposition the big toe.
- Orthotic shoe inserts to help relieve pain.
- Applying a cold compress to the locations for 10 minutes each hour to help with pain and inflammation.
- Over-the-counter pain relievers.
- Toe mobility and strengthening exercises.
- Elevating the feet to relieve bunion pain and pressure.
When Surgery Is Necessary for Adolescent Bunions
Surgery isn’t recommended for teens with bunions unless less invasive options fail to address their discomfort. However, if they’re struggling with normal activities, our skilled foot surgeons offer several procedures you and your teen can consider:
- Traditional bunion correction to reposition the bones around the toe.
- Minimally invasive surgery to reposition the bones around the toe, but with smaller incisions.
- Repairing tendons and ligaments to ensure the toe isn’t being pulled to one side due to loose ligaments and tendons on one side and tight ones on the other.
- Removing the bump on their foot if the bone is enlarged but the position of the big toe is normal.
At Canyon Foot + Ankle, we work hard to stay current with the latest techniques, so that we can offer a procedure well suited to your teen’s specific circumstances and provide the shortest turnaround time to encourage proper structural development and a return to easy, pain-free mobility.