Many people associate a bunion with a painful big toe joint and a big bump. Did you know you can also get a bunion on the outside of your foot? In what’s called a Tailors bunion, the fifth metatarsal deviates laterally away from your foot. This causes your fifth toe to deviate medially or inwards toward the other toes. This can cause a painful bump on the outside of your foot along with pain with 5th digit motion. The deformity can cause destruction and loss of cartilage in this joint along with difficulty finding comfortable shoe gear due to a wider than normal forefoot. Patients also may develop a bursa at the lateral aspect of the joint due to constant rubbing.
Treatment:
- Appropriate shoe gear with a wide toe box
- Padding of the area to decrease stress and friction
- Icing the area
- Anti-inflammatory medication to decrease inflammation in the joint
- Injection therapy to reduce inflammation
- Surgery to fix the deformity, after conservative treatments have failed
If you are concerned about your Tailor's bunion, request an appointment - we will get you back on your feet!
