You’ve heard of bunions on adults, but what about bunions on children? If your child’s big toe doesn’t look quite right or they are experiencing pain, it may be time to get them in to see a podiatrist.
In the meantime, here’s your 101 introduction to children’s bunions:
Can Kids Get Bunions?
Yes, kids get bunions— these bunions are also called juvenile or pediatric bunions. A bunion is a foot deformity in which your big toe flexes inward, causing a bony bump to form at the base of the toe joint. It’s important to note that kids can also get the type of bunion that grows on the small toe, a tailor’s bunion.
Bunion Symptoms and Diagnosis in Children and Adults
The primary symptom of a juvenile bunion is a noticeable bump on the big toe, accompanied by similar foot pain that adult patients typically experience. For many, this foot condition creates a misshapen, jutting bone to one side of the big toe, which can occur on one or both feet.
Not only do many patients find the swollen, red formation unappealing, but the deformity often causes excessive discomfort. From the struggles of finding properly fitted shoes to pain when walking barefoot, frustration or irritation is often hard to avoid.
It May Not Be a Bunion
Though bunions are often characterized by the iconic bulge next to the big toe, oftentimes other conditions like misaligned feet or the early stages of hammertoes could be causing your child’s discomfort.
How Are Pediatric Bunions Different?
Although sufferers can have the same condition no matter their age, pediatric bunions differ from adult bunions in a number of ways and often involve varying treatment methods.
The Cause of Juvenile Bunions
While both adults and children are often born with issues related to the shape of their feet or deformities in the ligaments of the metatarsophalangeal joint, posture and the type of footwear can add to these issues and turn them into bunions.
Adults who wear heels— or other ill-fitting shoes that are too tight or staining— can form bunions (or hammertoes!) over time, whereas children with bunions likely don’t have this problem.
Adult cases of bunions are often the result of poor, chronic footwear choices, while juvenile bunions are mostly due to a genetic predisposition.
Less often, but in some cases, children’s bunions may be caused by juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or neuromuscular disorders like cerebral palsy or low muscle tone like Down Syndrome.
The Treatment Options for Kids
For chronic adult bunion sufferers, surgery is often the best corrective measure. Though custom-fitted shoes or inserts can help to relieve pain, they won’t “fix” the deformity.
Children, however, are a different story entirely, as not all bunion treatments will work for them.
The foot doesn’t stop growing until a child typically reaches 15 or 16 years old. Because children’s feet haven’t reached maturity, surgery is often not considered. A podiatrist will not want to risk affecting the bone’s growth or having to perform surgery again after the bones and joints fully develop.
For this reason, a foot care specialist will likely offer a few short-term solutions to see if the matter corrects itself as the child’s feet change and grow.
A podiatrist will advise fitting your child into roomier shoes or custom orthotics to match their foot shape, recommend wearing a splint at night to help straighten the bone, help establish a regular foot yoga and stretching routine to strengthen the muscles (and establish a better gait), and more.
Kick Juvenile Bunions to the Curb
Although your child’s foot structure needs time to develop throughout their teens, early diagnosis and preventative treatment can help to eliminate future foot problems.
If you suspect your child may have juvenile bunions, don’t wait. Schedule an appointment with Foot & Ankle Group today.
Categorized in: Blog
Comments are closed