Hallux valgus is a condition in which the big toe deviates towards the other toes and in some cases cross over the second toe.  It often occurs in association with a swelling on the ball of the big toe called a bunion.  The causes of hallux valgus include

• Genetic makeup
• Poor fitting footwear – toe box is too small
• Flat feet – can be congenital or acquired
• Excessive pronation of foot in gait
• Secondary to rheumatoid arthritis

Symptoms of hallux valgus

• Pain and swelling around the ball of the first toe
• Pain aggravated by weight bearing and tight fitting footwear

What you can do

• Inserting a 10mm thick piece of foam between the first and second toes to separate the toes
• Protecting the bunion by making an ‘o’ shaped piece of padding to cover it

What we can do

• Massage, stretching and joint mobilisation to rebalance muscles controlling position of big toe
• Improve mobility of big toe
• Advise on use of orthotics
• Improve biomechanics of foot to reduce excessive pronation

Tags: Foot Pain, Pain around toes