Bunions and Menopause????Help

[Hiffodorgotut]

Hi,
I am studying the AOR reflexology course and very near completion yippee!!!! I recently did a one offobserved case study and the lady was in immaculate health hence I struggled to find anything out of sorts with her. All this aside I noted that there were bunions to both feet. I know that this can indicate postural defects etc and is not always due to ill fitting shoes! She is 62 and has really only got a bit of a clicky knee. I handed the rough write up in for a perusal and the tutor suggested i research the link between bunions and menopause???What???

I have wracked my brains, trauled the books and searched the engines to find nothing! Can anyone help? Am I missing something obvious? How would a 62 year old be suffering so badly with this now if she went through the change at 53? Help I'm going mad!!!

Thanks

Claire

 

[oyezpuqtiebirveyz]

Hmmmm, it isn't obvious is it? I wonder if your tutor is referring to possible changes in your client's bones/bone density due to hormonal changes. Maybe you'll have to ask for a clue! I will watch this thread with interest to see if anyone comes up with any brilliant ideas.

 

[Sassy]

wow, and that your tutor, life never fails to amaze me. Have you thought of reporting it to watch dog???


I will try to explain for you in simple terms. A bunion is called in medical terms, Hallux abductor valgus it is a diavation of the hallux at the metatarsal phalangeal joint. It might be hereditry acording to research. What makes it worse is debatable but it can progress quicker with pronation at the subtaler joint. it will may go on to develop 2nd mpj capsulitis hammer toes retracted toes. lot more too it but unless you understand annatomy and pathomechanics of the foot it would be difficult to explain.

best of luck with your course.

 

[Daniel S]

I'm am now looking at my husband in a whole new light...... he has had bunions since he was in his 30's.......... Does your tutor do home visits??????

 

[Rusty]

From a reflexology point of view, bunions can often signify problems with the thyroid gland.

 

[Swinno]

Bunions can also be heridtary. I have had once since I was 16 and always wore good shoes - my nan has them on both feet.

Bunions are also an indication of congestion along the spleen/pancreas meridian which ends on the outer edge of both big toes. This meridian is linked to menstruation so I suppose could also be linked to the menopause. Does your client have any menopausal symtoms?

The meridian also runs through the knee and imbalances in the meridian can cause knee pain too!

One of the reflexology books (Complete Reflexology by Inge Dougans) I have says "Most people with bunions also have problems along the spleen/pancreas meridian or pancreatic disorders, such as problems related to sugar metabolism such as a sweet tooth; cravings for stimulatants such as tea, coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol; and constant hunger."

Pain caused by bunions can be helped a lot with Reflexology.

 

[Bad Example]

Thats really interesting, this must be where the 'sugar legs' description comes from.

 

[bmapzkpa]

sorry that won't make any sense as I thought I was on the Restless Legs thread. Brain has taken a holiday, I've just done a treatment using chamomile and I think it's safe to say it's had an effect on me ! It's still a really interesting thread though.

rhubarb rhubarb
Lou xxx

 

[RedStar]

May I join in?

Bunions and bony growths or protrusions on any joint can be an indication of calcium/magnesium imbalance, acid constitution due to low vegetable and fruit intake and too many refined foods, lack of micronutrients like boron, etc., low level general inflammation in the body which when there is a site (toe joint) under pressure will often make it worse.

It is thought that low oestrogen levels after menopause changing the body's metabolism may make things worse, but it takes a while to happen. Also if that meridian is under pressure too then another reason why the joints may become inflamed. Bunyons usually start in childhood with ill-fitting shoes and it is important to wear sensible footwear.

A few ideas there to look into!

All the best

Caroline

 

[~Tabitha~ :)]

I had bunions by the time I was about 14. My mother always bought me properly fitted Clarks shoes. Apparently the distance between the end of the shoe and the base of my toes was too short (I've always had long toes) and so the shoes literally bent my feet out of shape.

Of course, I also started my menopause when I was 38, so maybe I just did everything early

 

[Nurse For 20 Years]

It is known the bone growth is due to presure on a bone that is abducted, so the presure is hitting the bone during the gate cylcle this is causing exotosis (bone growth) maybe from pronation or shoe presure. What is not known is what causes the bone to move out of position (abduct)

 

[pinky]

This thread inspired me to write a post on my blog about bunions from a reflexology point of view if you'd like to check it out - http://balance-holistics.blogspot.com/2009/04/bunions-from-reflexology-point-of-view.html. Some of it you will recognise from my post in this thread but there's lots of new stuff too.

scoobylw, while I was doing some research for this article I found that bunions are often called "sugar toes" due to their link to spleen/pancreas meridian imbalance and people craving sugar or not metabolising it properly so it does make sense!