A bunion, according to MayoClinic.com, is a bony protrusion that forms at the bottom or the side of the joint on your first toe. Bunions are characterized by a bump on the side of the big toe joint that causes your big toe to turn in toward your second toe. The area around the joint also swells, causing pain and discomfort.
Causes
Jogging does not cause bunions, according to the National Institutes of Health. Arthritis can cause bunions, or they can be inherited or caused by wearing shoes that are too narrow and scrunch your toes together. Tight, high-heeled shoes particularly put pressure on the joint of the first toe so women are more likely than men to develop bunions. You're also prone to develop bunions if you have inherited irregularly formed bones in your feet.
Symptons
The big protrusion, or bump, on the outside of your big toe is the most obvious sign of bunions, according to MayoClinic.com. When the fluid under that bump swells, it causes the most dramatic symptom of bunions and the the one most likely to keep you from jogging: Pain. The pain might come and go or remain constant. Limited movement of your big toe joint is another symptom that might make exercising uncomfortable. Your doctor or podiatrist can usually tell if it's a bunion merely by looking at it. An X-ray can also diagnose the problem.
Joging with Bunions
Bunions don't always mean you have to stop jogging. According to the National Institutes of Health, if caught early symptoms can be relieved by wearing wider shoes for walking and running so some of the pressure is taken off your cramped toes. Special padding or devices can also help ease the pressure on the joint and are available over the counter or from your doctor, according to podiatrist Andrew Schneider. Custom-made orthotics can also be prescribed to realign your foot, and ease the pain and progression of bunions, Schneider says. (See Reference 3.)
Surgery
Wider shoes, padding and other treatment options only arrest the further development of bunions. They do not reverse bunions. "Bunions are permanent unless surgically corrected," according to MayoClinic.com. Schneider says surgery to realign your toes is common and, while not completely risk-free, has a high rate of success. If you're a jogger and you think you have bunions, whether they are painful or not, Schneider urges you to see a podiatrist to see whether your best option includes surgery.
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