Are high heels to blame for Posh Spice's Bunion?

Rich or Poor, high heels or tennis shoes, child or adult, bunions can afflict any person at any time in their life. Posh Spice and Lady Gaga are just two examples of celebrities suffering with this sometimes painful foot condition. Bunions are the resulting bony prominence just below the big toe when it is pushing towards the rest of the toes. The big toe pushes towards the other toes, but the bony joint beneath it pushes outwards causing the big “bump” on the inside of the foot. When the big toe pushes on the other toes, it may come to rest underneath the second toe, which begins to contract called a hammertoe. This toe can also become painful when it pushes up causing a blister as it rubs on the shoe. Symptoms of a bunion may include: redness, swelling and pain along the inside of the foot. Critics of Posh Spice may blame her high heels for the deformity, but bunions are found in all people, high heels or not. Hereditary and biomechanical factors can also be a major contributor. In these cases, choice of constrictive shoes can exacerbate the problem, but not be the cause.

So, what are Posh Spice and Lady Gaga’s options for relief of their bunion pain? In my professional opinion, this depends on many factors. Some people have no complaints of pain. If the patient is elderly or it is a mild bunion deformity, I would typically recommend conservative options include shoe gear modification, orthotics, anti-inflammatories, and other options in which we could discuss. In patients complaining of pain and worsening deformity, surgery may become an option if conservative attempts fail. There are many different surgical options, but the most common involves trimming of the bone and realignment of the joint, which does incur a 6-8 week healing period. However simple the procedure, all surgery have some inherent risk.