A bunion is a progressive deformity of the metatarsophalangeal joint in the foot. This joint connects your big toe to your foot. This joint helps in distributing your body weight equally on all parts of the foot while you are standing, running or walking. A bunion is the result of when the bones of the foot are pushed into a shape that is not natural. The base of the big toe protrudes outwards, and the big toe points towards the other toes. This condition is known as the hallux valgus deformity. If there is excess pressure exerted on the joint, it can lead to the enlargement of the inside of the foot. It can also affect the outside of the foot as well.
Small bunions usually go unnoticed as they are not painful. However, the bunions that result in pain are accompanied with other symptoms and problems such as the swelling of the foot’s soft tissues along with tenderness, pain, redness and swelling in the affected area. The pain is often relieved after resting, however, it can lead to chronic pain in the big foot if it develops into arthritis.