Assessment
A full history and a thorough examination of the skin, nails, circulation and, where relevant, your gait. You leave with a working diagnosis you understand and a plan agreed with you, not handed to you.
What We Treat
Bunion Treatment in Canary Wharf, London
A bunion (hallux valgus) is a bony bump at the base of the big toe that forms as the toe drifts towards the second toe and the joint protrudes, and it tends to progress slowly over years, making shoes harder to wear and the joint more painful the longer it is left. We will tell you plainly: only surgery can straighten a bunion. What bunion treatment in Canary Wharf, London with our HCPC-registered podiatrists does is ease the pain and protect the joint through footwear advice, padding, offloading, and orthotics, and tell you plainly when an orthopaedic surgical opinion is worth seeking.
What you're seeing
The concern
A bunion (also known as hallux valgus) is a bony bump that forms at the base of the big toe. It occurs when the big toe moves towards the second toe, causing the joint to protrude at the inner border of the foot, and this misalignment can lead to pain, swelling, and difficulty finding comfortable footwear. Bunions are more common in women and can be exacerbated by footwear choice, genetics, and abnormal foot mechanics. A bunion is generally a progressive deformity, and the NHS is clear that you cannot get rid of a bunion yourself and that surgery is the only way to correct it; podiatry's role is to manage symptoms and slow progression, not to straighten the toe. At Canary Wharf Podiatry our HCPC-registered podiatrists assess your gait, footwear, and foot mechanics, then use footwear advice, padding and splinting, offloading, orthotics, and where helpful physiotherapy or anti-inflammatory medication to redistribute pressure and reduce pain. Left unmanaged, a painful bunion can lead to chronic pain, joint damage, ongoing difficulty with footwear, and deformities in the other toes such as hammertoes. Where a painful deformity keeps limiting you despite good conservative care, corrective surgery such as a bunionectomy (removing the bony bump and realigning the toe) or an osteotomy (cutting and realigning the bone) is carried out by a foot and ankle surgeon: we do not perform it, but we can advise plainly on when an orthopaedic referral is appropriate. Self-referral is welcome at our Canary Wharf and City Dock (Wapping) clinics.
Excellent
From 4 five-star Google reviews
Source: Google
Christine is the feet whisperer, she is marvellous! I should have gone to her before I actually did. If you have any issues with your feet, do not hesitate — book an appointment to see her. Highly recommended!
Had been in pain for many weeks. As soon as I went to Canary Wharf Podiatry I was taken care of excellently and sorted out, by the kindest staff. This was my best ever medical experience. Thank you so much!
Had a great experience with Hinson the podiatrist — extremely patient and thorough in explaining the different treatment options. I really appreciated how professional and reassuring he was throughout the appointment.
Christine was very gentle and took the time to answer all of our questions. She explained everything clearly and educated us with so much patience. We will definitely be coming back.
Our bunion care can help to:
Ease the pain over the joint
A bunion hurts most where the bump rubs and the joint is loaded. Footwear advice, bunion padding, and offloading take pressure off the big-toe joint so it is more comfortable in shoes and after you have been on your feet, even though the deformity itself remains.
Redistribute load with orthotics
Custom or off-the-shelf orthotics support the foot mechanics that overload the big-toe joint, such as overpronation or flat feet, and spread pressure more evenly across the foot. They cannot straighten the toe, but they can reduce pain and help protect the joint.
Protect the joint and slow progression
A bunion is generally progressive. By addressing the footwear and foot mechanics that aggravate it, we aim to keep it comfortable and slow how quickly it worsens, rather than promising to reverse a deformity that only surgery can correct.
Manage rubbing, corns, and callus
The prominence often develops corns, callus, or thickened skin from friction inside shoes. Painless skin work over the bump, plus advice on footwear and padding, keeps that rubbing under control and stops secondary skin problems building up.
Know when surgery is worth it
Where a painful bunion keeps limiting you despite good conservative care, corrective surgery such as a bunionectomy or an osteotomy is carried out by a foot and ankle surgeon. We do not perform it, but we will tell you plainly when an orthopaedic referral is worth seeking.
Why it happens
What drives it
- Genetics: bunions frequently run in families through an inherited foot shape and joint laxity that let the big toe drift
- Abnormal foot mechanics such as overpronation (rolling in) or flat feet, which increase load on the big-toe joint
- Footwear that is tight, narrow, pointed, or high-heeled, which crowds the toes and can aggravate an existing tendency
- Arthritis, including inflammatory types such as rheumatoid arthritis, affecting the big-toe joint
- Hypermobility or generalised joint laxity, allowing the first metatarsal to splay over time
- Increasing age, as a bunion is generally progressive and cumulative joint changes make it more pronounced
What does a podiatrist do at your first appointment?
Your initial consultation covers a full history and a thorough examination of the skin, nails, circulation and, where relevant, the way you walk. We explain what we find in plain English and agree a working diagnosis with you.
Where it is safe to do so, treatment starts the same day, and you leave understanding the plan and the options in front of you.
"I wish I had known about you sooner." We hear it constantly. Feet are easy to ignore until they hurt, so we treat podiatry the way a dentist treats teeth: a regular check and a little maintenance keeps small problems from becoming big ones.
- Two London clinics: Canary Wharf, inside LycaHealth at 1 Westferry Circus, and City Dock in Wapping.
- Rated 5.0 on Google, with an HCPC-registered team and evidence-based care led by an Oxford-trained Clinical Director.
- Founded in 2021 and grown almost entirely by word of mouth across two London clinics.
Bunion care fees and insurance
You can self-refer and book online, with no GP referral needed. Many patients claim treatment back through private health insurance: cover varies by policy, and some insurers ask for a GP or consultant referral first, so please check your plan before booking.
- Self-referral: book directly online, no GP letter needed
- Detailed invoices and procedure information provided for insurance claims
- Claimable with insurers such as WPA, Aviva and Vitality, subject to your policy
- One transparent price list across both London clinics
Your journey
with us
Everything starts with an accurate diagnosis. We find what is really causing the problem, treat it, and help you keep it from coming back, so you can stand, walk and train on comfortable feet.
Treatment
The care your foot problem actually needs, from painless skin and nail work to nail surgery under local anaesthetic, using sterile technique. Where a procedure carries real risk, we talk you through it and take consent first.
Advanced care
Where it helps, we draw on on-site MRI and X-ray, custom orthotics made in our own lab, and treatments such as laser and shockwave, so the right tool is matched to the right problem rather than a one-size-fits-all fix.
Maintenance
We address the underlying cause, footwear, pressure or load, so the problem is less likely to return, and offer routine reviews and medical pedicures so your feet are looked after before there is a problem, not only once there is one.
What our podiatrists and chiropodists treat
- Nail surgery for painful, recurrent ingrown toenails
- Skin and nail conditions: verrucae, corns, callus and fungal nails
- Evidence-based fungal nail treatment, including laser
- Biomechanics and custom orthotics made in our own lab
- Musculoskeletal and heel pain, with shockwave therapy
- On-site MRI and X-ray for same-day diagnosis
- Medical pedicures and routine foot-care maintenance
- Prescribing podiatrists: medication started promptly when it is needed
Treatment approach
How Christine treats it
Biomechanics & MSK
Price on enquiryA biomechanical assessment identifies the gait pattern and foot mechanics driving the joint load, such as overpronation or flat feet, and guides footwear advice, padding, and offloading to redistribute pressure away from the big-toe joint, ease pain, and help slow progression.
See treatment detail →Custom Orthotics & Insoles
Price on enquiryCustom or off-the-shelf orthotics redistribute pressure away from the big-toe joint and support the foot mechanics that aggravate a bunion. They cannot straighten the toe, but they can reduce pain and protect the joint as part of conservative care.
See treatment detail →Initial Podiatry Consultation
Price on enquiryA first consultation lets our HCPC-registered podiatrists examine the joint, review your footwear and symptoms, set realistic expectations about conservative care, and advise whether an orthopaedic surgical opinion, such as a bunionectomy or osteotomy, is appropriate.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
Can a podiatrist fix or reverse my bunion without surgery?
No. Conservative podiatry cannot straighten a bunion or reverse the deformity: only corrective surgery realigns the joint. What we can do is reduce pain and pressure with footwear advice, padding and splinting, offloading, and orthotics, and help protect the joint. The NHS is clear that non-surgical care manages symptoms rather than curing the bunion.
Does Canary Wharf Podiatry perform bunion surgery?
No. Bunion correction is a surgical procedure carried out by a foot and ankle surgeon, not by the podiatrists at our clinic. Depending on the deformity that can mean a bunionectomy (removing the bony bump and realigning the toe) or an osteotomy (cutting and realigning the bone). Our role is conservative management, with an orthopaedic referral if pain persists.
Will wearing different shoes or a bunion splint cure the deformity?
Roomier, wider, lower-heeled shoes, bunion padding, and splinting can genuinely reduce friction and pain. However, the evidence does not show that splints, spacers, or shoe changes straighten a bunion or stop it progressing; the NHS frames these as relieving symptoms, not correcting the deformity. We will help you choose footwear and devices that protect the joint.
When should I seek urgent or same-day medical help for a bunion?
Seek same-day care if the joint becomes hot, red, swollen, and increasingly painful, especially with fever, as this may signal infection, or if you have sudden severe pain. People with diabetes, peripheral arterial disease, or neuropathy should see a podiatrist promptly for any skin breakdown, ulcer, or non-healing sore over a bunion, as these need urgent assessment.
Do I need a GP referral to be seen for a bunion?
No GP referral is needed. You can self-refer and book directly through our online booking system, and one of our HCPC-registered podiatrists will assess the joint, your footwear, and your gait. We will explain what conservative care can realistically achieve and, where a surgical opinion is warranted, advise you on an orthopaedic referral.
Related What We Treat
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in Canary Wharf.
Canary Wharf Podiatry • 1 Westferry Circus, Canary Wharf, London E14 4HD
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