Acupuncture for Bunions

A bunion is a red swollen area of tissue located over a joint, which can be painful and can get worse over time. The joint that is mainly affected by bunions is on the big toe and may be a precursor to suffering from gout. According to western medicine bunions mainly occur from wearing tight fitting shoes that put to much pressure against the joints of the toe, which irritates the tissue and causes it to protrude outward.

Other causes of bunions can be attributed to:

1. Birth deformities
2. Structural Inheritance
3. Arthritis
4. Occupation that puts a lot of stress on feet

According to chinese medicine there are branches and there are roots, in other words symptoms and their root cause. In this case the bunion is the symptom, which is made worse from tight fitting shoes. The original root cause is indicated by its location on the body. The outside of the big toe joint is part of the spleen meridian and organ system, which means there is a direct correlation to the formation of the bunion and the spleen.

In chinese medicine the spleen is part of the digestive system, its role mainly helps transform and transport nutrients through out the body after the stomach breaks down food. This transportation and transformation helps the body assimilate food into energy(qi) and blood for the body. If the spleen is weak, symptoms like anemia, fatigue and lack of appetite can occur. Bunions can be seen as another sign of a weakened spleen showing as a poor sign of transportation occurring in the body, in fact it is a sign of accumulation of dampness. 

Diet is a major factor over the spleens ability to transform and transport, it likes warm and dry foods, foods that are too dampening and cold can weaken it. Sugar and dairy are probably the biggest culprits that weaken the spleen, they are very dampening. Bunions, in most cases, are originally caused by to too much sugar consumption and are nicknamed sugar hills. Reducing or eliminating sugar from ones diet can greatly reduce the discomfort and underlying cause of bunions.

When it comes to acupuncture the way to get rid of a bunion is basically to warm it, drying up the build up of dampness.  Also, invigorating qi and blood flow to the area and through out the spleen meridian to move the accumulation and help the spleen organ strengthen its ability to transform and transport nutrients through out the body and to dissolve any built up accumulations.

Heat therapy and acupuncture needles are used locally over and around the bunion, along with points that can address the underlying cause, which is usually from a weakened spleen. Although, bunions can be stubborn and take time to go away acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment, which is usually better then the alternative to having surgery, which doesn't address any underlying causes.

So in general when it comes to bunions,  its good to find a comfortable pair of shoes that won't aggravate them and also consider paying closer attention to your diet, reducing sugar and dairy consumption. If sugar and dairy aren't really part of your diet, you might want to consider getting acupuncture to help boost your digestive system and to discuss with your acupuncturist what part of your diet could be causing the bunion.

I hope this has been informative and helpful information, if you have any questions of concerns please leave them below. Thank you for visiting Acuthink.