Effective conservative treatment for managing Painful Hallux valgus

Abstract

Hallux valgus (HV) is a foot disorder manifesting by lateral deviation of the great toe and medial deviation of the first metatarsal. HV not only affects foot appearance, but also causes functional disability, including foot pain, impaired gait patterns, balance disorders, which further lead to easily falling and impaired quality of life. It affects approximately 23% of adults, but so far effective conservative interventions are limited. Patients generally receive conservative treatments when having a mild (<30°) HV angle, including night splints, foot exercises, and orthotic application. But previous studies suggested that the effectiveness of orthotic devices and night splints were no superior to no treatment at all for mild-to-moderate HV patients. In recent studies, conservative treatment such as using foot insoles with fixed toe separator and managing with Botulinum toxin type A (BTA) could lead to sustained relief of symptoms. The procedure was less invasive than surgical intervention and relatively easy to perform.