Understanding Hallux Valgus (Bunion): The SBM Perspective
Understanding Hallux Valgus (Bunion): The SBM Perspective
Hallux valgus — commonly known as a bunion — is a condition in which the big toe gradually drifts toward the smaller toes, while the joint at its base pushes outward, creating a visible bump along the inner edge of the foot. Over time this can lead to pain, inflammation, and difficulty finding comfortable footwear.
Conventional explanations tend to focus on the foot itself — narrow or high-heeled shoes, genetics, or the natural shape of the foot. While these factors can play a part, through the SBM (Self Body Make) approach we understand hallux valgus differently: we believe it begins with distortion of the pelvis.
When the pelvis is misaligned, that imbalance travels downward through the entire lower body. The legs may rotate out of their natural position, body weight is no longer carried evenly across the foot, and the arch begins to collapse inward (over-pronation). As the foot loses its proper support, excessive load is forced onto the joint of the big toe. Repeated with every step, day after day, this pressure slowly pushes the big toe out of alignment — and hallux valgus takes shape.
In other words, the bunion you can see at the foot is often the final expression of an imbalance that began much higher up, at the pelvis. This is why approaches that focus only on the toe — pads, splints, or even surgery — may ease the symptom locally, yet leave the underlying postural cause untouched, allowing the problem to return.
The SBM approach works in the opposite direction. By gently restoring correct alignment to the pelvis and re-educating the body to bear weight as it was designed to, we address the root of the distortion rather than its end result. As alignment is recovered, the pressure on the big toe is relieved naturally, and the body is given the opportunity to heal itself from within.
Talk with Mika
Lily and Gold London
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