If you’re dealing with bunions or hammertoes, here’s what to do...

Everything from wearing shoes to walking around can be uncomfortable or even downright painful when you’re dealing with common foot deformities such as bunions and hammertoes. It’s important to turn to our Philadelphia and Huntingdon Valley, PA, podiatrists for a diagnosis and to discuss the right course of action to prevent these foot deformities from getting worse. Here are some of the most common ways to treat bunions and hammertoes,

Lifestyle Changes and Home Care

While bunions and hammertoes are progressive, the goal of our Philadelphia and Huntingdon Valley, PA, foot and ankle team is to make sure that we catch and treat these issues early on when we can slow the progression of this deformity. By making certain lifestyle adjustments we can help you get your bunion and hammertoe symptoms under control. These conservative treatment options include,

• Taking anti-inflammatory medications to ease pain and swelling
• Wearing properly fitted footwear that doesn’t put pressure on the toes or your bunion
• Wearing custom orthotics crafted by our Philadelphia and Huntingdon Valley, PA, podiatrists
• Stretching and strengthening foot exercises that can retrain and rebuild the muscles, ligaments and tendons around the deformities

Turning to a Podiatrist

When home care isn’t providing you with the relief you need, it’s time to turn to our podiatric team for an evaluation. When a bunion or a hammertoe has progressed enough that it’s impacting the function and structure of the foot, this can lead to additional problems when standing, walking, running or performing any type of physical activity. We can provide you with more advanced treatment options and also determine when you may require surgery to correct your bunion or hammertoe.

When to Consider Surgery

You’ll be happy to hear that you can go your whole life with a bunion or hammertoe and never need surgery. Surgery is considered the last resort when all other non-surgical treatment options have been exhausted and just haven’t worked well enough. Surgery may be necessary if,

• Your hammertoe is rigid, which makes it impossible to straighten out
• You’re in severe and persistent pain that impacts your daily routine and activities
• Your bunion causes your big toe to lean in or cross over the other toes
• Your bunion is so large that it doesn’t fit in your shoes
• Your deformity is impacting the health and overall function of your feet, leading to other foot complications

Are you living with bunions or hammertoes and want to find a podiatrist in the Philadelphia, Germantown or Huntingdon Valley, PA, area, call Chestnut Hill Podiatry Associates at our Germantown Ave location at (215) 247-0879, or our Huntingdon Valley location at (215) 379-5112 to schedule a consultation with our team.