What the FUCK is wrong with my foot? *picture attached*

[StripeySocks1234]

Sorry for cursing! It’s been a long day, made worse by an aching foot/toe.

I have a lump at the side of my foot, it’s solid and feels boner. I presumed it was a bunion because that’s what it looks and feels like. I went to the GP who agreed and sent me for an Xray but also wanted to rule out gout. When I went for the results, she said the blood test for gout came back absolutely fine, and from the x rays it’s not a bunion. She didn’t say what it was and didn’t offer any help or advice, and I was only 16 so I was relieved it was nothing and was just desperate to get out of the surgery. She just said take paracetamol or ibuprofen when I need to. She basically finished the consultation at that point and said there’s nothing else she can do for me I just have to manage it myself.

That was several years ago, and since then it’s definitely got bigger and more painful. If I took painkillers every time it hurt, I would probably be overdosing! It’s painful everyday but goes through periods where it’s unbearable. It’s like an intense ache up the side of my foot and down my toe. I’ve tried special socks, toe guards, separators, gels, pads, everything possible.

I should have spoken up and said I’m confused, but she clearly wanted me out asap and I was 16 so I was like oh ok cool and was fine with the lack of explaination about what it actually is, but now I’m so confused! What can look like a bunion, but isn’t actually a bunion?!

I was told in 2018 that they wouldn’t operate until I was at the stage of not being able to walk. They honestly could not have cared any less.

as for genetics - well, all the females in my family for 3 generations had identical shaped feet, with permanently curled toes and with bunions. As I wore splints and orthopaedic insoles (complete with clunky shoes) from childhood, mine definitely were not caused by footwear.

Your little toe doesn't look very happy either. What shoes do you wear? Apart from a medical opinion your feet look like they need some TLC. Poor feet.

My younger cousin had the op done on one foot two years ago at 18. It’s genetic in her case- our grandmother suffered with them as well, and cousin had them on both feet.

I don’t think she had to beg or over exaggerate to get referred for surgery, and she had the op at a private hospital on the NHS.

definitely worth seeing the Gp again.

I didn’t realise that until now 😂

My little toe is absolutely revolting! It’s fat, red, it sometimes hurts but not the nail itself, it’s sore at the outside edge of the little toe, where the toe becomes the foot. It’s definitely not an ingrown toenail but it’s just very ugly!

You could do worse than seeing a podiatrist, mine wouldn’t be good about the little toe problem. They could help with management of the bunion

Could be a tailor's bunion on your little toe.

I have bunions. They are almost definitely not caused by poor footwear as I very often don't wear shoes at all, and never have, and when I do, they're likely to be very sensible walking boots or sensible non-pointy lace-ups, definitely not heels. My mother, maternal aunt and sister all have/had worse bunions than mine, so I reckon genes has a big part to play,though ill-fitting shoes won't help where applicable.

I agree with those saying speak to your GP.

‘Would’ not ‘wouldn’t’ 😖

I'm sorry OP. That looks very painful. You should see a specialist as soon as possible and definitely get different shoes as soon as possible. Not a very easy prospect but you don't want it to throw off the rest of your ankle/knee/hip alignment.

I saw a podiatrist earlier this year for advice about a trauma injury to my big toe. While I was there I asked whether I should consider surgery for what I always thought was a bunion on the other foot. I was told it wasn’t a bunion, but an arthritic big toe. It has similar symptoms to a bunion, it’s painful if I try to wear shoes that are at all tight, and the prognosis is much the same - surgery is available if it gets too bad, but is complicated, and can cause further foot problems.

OP, what type of shoes are you wearing? Square toed? Pointed? Slip - on? Lace ups? I ask as the nails on your middle toed look squashed as though they're in shoes either too small or too narrow, or possibly if your wearing slip - ons, are sliding up and down the shoe bashing the nails as you walk.
I would go and get your feet properly measured and go for a square toe box with a lace up/buckle/velcro or whatever if you can to stabilise the foot when walking. Not glamorous I know, but neither is constant pain.

BUNIONS ARE NOT CAUSED BY POINTY SHOES OR HIGH HEELS!!!!!!!!
men get them. People who never wear shoes get them!! There is a strong hereditary component.
once you have them then wearing tight fitting shoes or high heels will make them more sore, but it doesn’t cause them in the first place!!!
The only fix is to have surgery. It can be done in the NHS but it’s probably a bit of a post code lottery as to how easy it is to access it. As a first port of call they will have expected you to seek help from a podiatrist (you can see one for about £60) and to have tried insoles etc first. If you can say you’ve done this and are still in pain then you are entitled to surgery on the nhs. As for if yours is ‘severe’ enough to qualify, you would need to have this assessed by the surgeon who would want to review X-rays. It cannot be determined just by looking at the foot from the outside.
just one more time…..NOT CAUSED BY FOOTWEAR!

I’ve had a bunion on my right foot since before I was 7yo. My mum and her mum also had a right foot bunion. I’ve worn flats mostly trainers for years and it hasn’t bothered me for a long time, I would prefer it not to be there of course as I have to get shoes a half size or a whole size bigger to accommodate it.
I was told by my GP that having it removed would weaken the foot. I did know someone who had two bunions removed and she certainly wouldn’t walk if she could avoid it, whether that was coincidence I don’t know. There are devices to remove them without surgery but I doubt they work and they look like torture to use.

Adding another "it's a bunion" to the chorus.

My dad had a bad case of it, DD has had it since early primary school, my brother has it, my sister has it.....

Is this your GP? That’s a bloody bunion

Another genetic bunion sister right here! 👋🏻

my grandmother had them, my mum has them and my daughter has them. We all have long toes and that’s something which makes you vulnerable to it.

my mum’s feet are horrendous to look at. Like, truly something you’d see in a Stephen King film. However they don’t hurt her! I’ve no idea how because her toes don’t point in the right direction.

mine don’t hurt either (yet!). I’ve never even seen a doctor about them! However if yours does then I’d absolutely recommend you get it seen to because they can be so incredibly painful.

the only problem is you could wait a number of years on the NHS.

I've got a bunion. Not all bunions are caused by poor footwear choices. Mine is because I overpronate when I walk.
I had it operated on but it's come back because I didn't correct my gait.

Agree with this. I used to have a Saturday job in a shoe shop and nearly every woman over 50 whom I served had bunions.

PS looks like a bunion.

Mine are genetic but I've never done anything about them because they don't hurt. You're on painkillers- see your doctor (apart from anything else, get good painkiller advice). Yes it will probably be a wait but as always with the NHS, chase and offer to do cancellations etc and the service is still there somewhere.

Both my feet are like that. They have got worse over the years and are not due to ill-fitting footwear - I get immediate pain from ill'fitting shoes so don't wear them! Definitely genetic because two of my kids look like they've inherited my feet. I also overpronate (as do my kids).

It is a bunion. See an orthopaedic surgeon. I had surgery on mine a couple of years ago, recovery much quicker than I thought and best thing I’ve ever done!

And your gait. I have a bunion (and now a hammer toe too 🙄) due to over pronation

You poor thing. Make an appointment and get a referral.

In the meantime do a search / run around Boots for bunion correctors. I don’t think they will “correct” but might help you with managing pain.

There is definitely a bunion deformity but there may be a bony spur or ganglion as well ( swelling full of synovial fluid coming from chronically inflamed joint) .

The issue with your big toe is causing your little toe to be squashed in shoes because of the width of the foot. I would ask a podiatrist to help with some footwear advice abs pressure relieving silicon moulds.