The podiatric treatment of hallux abducto valgus and its associated condition, bunion, with Tagetes patula.

To assess the effectiveness of marigold therapy using Tagetes patula preparations, a double-blind placebo-controlled trial was designed to be carried out over a period of eight weeks. Sixty patients were entered in the trial. Twenty patients with bilateral hallux abducto valgus and its associated condition, bunion, were randomly selected from 37 subjects for group A. For group B, 40 patients with unilateral hallux abducto valgus and bunion were randomly selected from 69 subjects and subdivided into groups Ba and Bb. Patients with ulcerated conditions, those on medication and those who had undergone surgery for the condition were excluded. The results obtained were highly significant (P < 0.001), suggesting that T. patula preparations, plus protective pad, were effective in reducing the width of the lesion and level of pain of hallux abducto valgus.