Quite often, I see patients in clinic who either think they have bunion or their family doctor does - but it actually isn't a bunion.
A bump around the big toe area is commonly assumed to be a bunion but is often growth of ‘bone spurs’ related to an arthritic process and not a bunion. The two conditions are very different as can be seen from the table below:
| Problem | BUNION | BIG TOE ARTHRITIS (BONE SPURS) |
| Prominence | On the side of the big toe | On the top of the big toe joint |
| Pain | On the side of the big toe | On the top of the big toe joint |
| Movement | Normal and pain free | Stiff and painful |
| Big Toe Angle | Towards the second toe | Usually straight/normal position |
The images below show a patient with large bone spurs in an arthritic big toe; a photograph and x-ray of the same patient.
Luckily, there are minimally invasive (keyhole) solutions for both conditions!
If you're suffering with a bunion, or what you think might be, I would be happy to see you for a consultation. Please contact my office on or email info@thebuniondoctor.com to book an appointment.
We also run regular Bunion Patient Information Webinars. Find out more and book your place here.