Bunions Can Affect Quality of Life Study Shows People With
Bunions Report Poorer Mental and Physical Functioning Feb. 24,
2011 -- Bunions -- deformities at the base of the big toe that
can cause pain and disability -- are common and can really slow
a person down, a new study shows. The study, which is published
in Arthritis Care & Research, found that more than one in three
older adults has at least one bunion, a hard bony bump that
forms at the base of the big toe. Bunions are thought to have a
hereditary component in that they tend to run in some families.
It has also been suggested that wearing shoes with elevated
heels and a narrow toe-box may contribute to bunion development.
Study participants with bunions were more likely to experience
pain in other parts of their body, including the hip, knee, low
back, and foot. And those with the most severely deformed big
toes, a condition known as hallux valgus, also had the poorest
scores on measures of life quality, like social and physical
functioning. "Our fin