Bursae bags lubricate and reduce irritation caused by muscles or ligaments passing over bones. Inflammation of these sacs can cause bunions, which result in pain, swelling, and weakness in the foot. Rest, ice, exercises, and changing shoes can help, and surgery may be needed in rare cases.
Bursae bags are fluid-filled sacs that lubricate and reduce the amount of irritation caused by a person’s muscles or ligaments as they pass over the bone. Bunion occurs when these sacs become inflamed. Inflammation can be due to age, overuse of joints, twisting or repetitive motion.
In the foot, there is typically a bursa sac, found at the back of the heel. This sac is generally responsible for protecting the Achilles tendon from being rubbed by the heel bone as a person walks. Many more bursa bags can form in other areas of the foot, depending on where the body feels the cushion is needed. If the bag experiences excessive trauma, the result could be a bunion of the foot.
Pain, swelling, and inflammation generally occur with this condition, with an increased amount of pain upon waking up or after sitting for a while. A person with bunion may not be able to move the affected joint easily, and the muscles in the foot may become weak. The inflamed area may also be warm to the touch. Many times, people with bursitis will find that they don’t feel as much pain when they don’t have shoes or socks on.
Resting your feet will help ease the pain caused by this condition. A person can also apply ice to the swollen, painful area for about 15 minutes at a time. The person’s doctor may recommend doing some range-of-motion exercises and some stretches to improve muscle strength in the foot.
The shoes that a person wears are often the reason that the bunion has occurred. Switching to different shoes can sometimes help prevent the bursa sac from recurring. If the inflamed sac is behind the toes, a person may need to size up the shoes they wear to give their toes more room. An orthotic or arch support may be placed in your shoes to help reduce the pressure of the bunion located on the bottom of your foot.
Sometimes over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications can help reduce swelling and inflammation. If this doesn’t help, a doctor may be able to prescribe stronger medications that will help get rid of any bunion symptoms. Although rare, surgery is sometimes needed to remove a bursa sac that continues to become inflamed.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
