Michael J. Trepal, DPM
Michael J. Trepal, DPM, vice president for academic affairs, New York College of Podiatric Medicine, New York City. Alice Flaherty, clinical director, Alpha Orthotics Corporation, San Francisco.
“My bunions are so bad that I have to plan how long I can stand in shoes.” That’s my cousin talking… since she was a teenager, she has had problems with bunions. She’s suffered for years, attempting to avoid surgery. Now there is a new option that may provide relief without an operation.
Normally, the bone of the big toe lines up straight with the big toe joint (metatarsophalangeal joint). But foot problems, such as flat feet, weak foot tendons or nerve damage can wreck that alignment, leading to a condition called hallux valgus, causing the big toe to angle toward the other toes. When you add the pressure of movement and tight-fitting shoes to this structural problem, you have bunions… and a lot of discomfort.
Once a bunion starts, it is very hard to correct. People with bunions have to limit themselves to practical shoes… no one likes that. If the bunions are mild, they may be helped somewhat by wearing toe pads over the bunions to keep them from rubbing directly against the shoes. Another option is to wear toe separators, which may help keep the big toe straight during the day. At night, people with severe bunions may wear rigid splints to hold the big toe in place, but these are uncomfortable and not terribly helpful. All of these over-the-counter remedies serve merely to ease the discomfort somewhat… and, it is hoped, keep the bunions from getting worse, but they’re not a solution.
In severe cases, where people can’t or don’t want to live with their bunions, surgery has been the only option, according to podiatrist Michael J. Trepal, DPM, of New York College of Podiatric Medicine. However, bunion surgery requires recuperation of a month or more, and in a small percentage of cases it’s not a permanent solution.
Now, however, there’s a new non-surgical option that may correct the problem — comfortably and without requiring recuperation. Thanks to the recent development of a super-strong, super-thin plastic, German doctors have designed a hinged splint that can be worn inside a shoe, even while walking or running. Called the Bunion Aid, this splint has a thin wand of plastic with a strong hinge where toes bend. It is held in place by a thin band that wraps around the big toe, plus a band around the top of the foot. When worn with sneakers or loose-fitting Oxfords, it can’t even be seen.
In a recent German study, the Bunion Aid was tested against a rigid night splint on 20 feet from 15 people who had mild to moderate bunions. Whereas the toe joint normally angles only about 10 degrees toward the other four toes, the average angle for study participants was 28.4 degrees. The Bunion Aid was able to bring the angle to 11.6 degrees (close to normal), while the night splint only got the angle down to 18.4 degrees — though as yet, there is no information on how long the correction lasts.
The Bunion Aid works because “it aligns the toe joint and allows available range of motion of the foot while walking,” says Alice Flaherty, clinical director of Alpha Orthotics Corporation, the company that distributes and markets Bunion Aid. This is good news for my cousin and the millions who have bunions. The Bunion Aid, which costs $59.95, is available at www.alphaorthotics.com/Store.html.