Bunions and Hammertoes
A bunion is a large bony protuberance on the side of the foot by the great toe. Bunions are usually associated with the great toe moving over and pushing on the second toe. Hammertoes are toes that are contracted or bent in such a way that they literally stick up.

Symptoms
These are "progressive" problems, in other words they get worse over time. At first they may be a minor annoyance, but after a while they can make the wearing of any shoe painful, if not impossible. Initially the pain is on the outside of the foot or toe and is usually described as an aching, but over time they will become painful in the joints and hurt both in and out of shoes. Unfortunately only surgery can change the shape of the foot and toes, but Active Feet Custom Orthotics can provide significant relief of the aching in the joints affected by this condition.

Cause
While there are several different medical conditions that can cause these "deformities," by far the most common cause is an improper walk that results in a muscular imbalance. Over time, this imbalance will result in joints and toes changing position, resulting in these deformities. It is for this reason that Active Feet Custom Orthotics can slow down and even stop the progression of these problems, by restoring the foot to its ideal function during walking.

Ideal Walking
As we walk (gait) our feet ideally move in different directions, supination and pronation. Our arches rise up and lock into place (supination), when we are preparing to step off a firm platform, our foot. When we land our arches unlock and start to lower (pronation), allowing us to absorb shock. Ideally our foot should go through both these motions in normal walking. Unfortunately not everyone is built perfectly and often our arches unlock excessively or fail to lock properly. This is sometimes referred to as a "flat foot" or "fallen arches" or "collapsed arches." This flexible or pronated foot results in an unstable foot, one that has difficulty keeping all the joints in proper alignment. Also, there are a tremendous number of muscles in the foot and leg that are no longer in balance, resulting in improper pulling on the toes.

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