Do You Have a Bump on your Little Toe?

Many people have a bump on their little toe that doesn’t cause them any trouble at all, but for others, these bumps can cause them a lot of pain. These bumps are called tailor’s bunions because in the past tailors would sit with their legs crossed and would form bumps on the sides of their little toe. Due to the pressure that your shoe puts on the side of your feet, these bunions can cause a great deal of discomfort and limit people’s time they can spend on their feet.

So, what are bunions, and what is the treatment for bunions? Well, to put it simply, a bunion is due to your bone moving farther to the side of your foot and so it pushes against your skin and forms the bump that you can see. This bump is what is pushing up against your shoe and causing you the discomfort. So, what can we do for them? The conservative treatment is always the best avenue to travel down first and consists of padding the bump to separate it from your shoe and cushion it from the pressure. You can also buy wider shoes to provide more room for the bump. You can also avoid sitting in positions that put pressure on that side of your foot.

The next option is surgery for bunions. These procedures are done very quickly and you are able to go home the same day. However, you will need to be in a boot for a couple of weeks to protect the stitches and to cushion your foot. The surgery will remove that bump that is causing you the pain though and will relieve the pressure.

So, what can you expect if you have a tailor’s bunion? Well, when you come into the office we’ll want to see what kinds of things you have already tried for your bunion and get a feel as to how much pain it is causing you. X-rays will probably be taken of your foot to determine exactly what part of the bone is contributing and what the best course of treatment is for you.

If you or someone that you know has a tailor’s bunion that you would like to have looked at, please call our office at (978) 794-8406 and we can schedule you an appointment at one of our four offices. We serve the Bradford, Methuen, Lowell and North Andover, Massachusetts areas and would be more than happy to see  you and help you get back up on your feet.