Having A Bunion? Here Is How to Keep It from Getting Worse

Have you noticed a bump outside your big toe that is getting bigger as years go by? You are at the right place. A bunion is a bony thump at the base of your first leg toe causing it to bend towards the smaller toes.

If you are struggling with The Woodlands bunions, you may wonder if it can go away on its own. While it, unfortunately, won’t, there are remedies that can relieve the pain and prevent the bunion from getting bigger. Here is a look at nonsurgical bunion remedies to help keep your bunion from worsening.

Wearing Wide Shoes

Most bunion symptoms result from the pressure of the shoe against the bunion. This causes pain, redness, swelling, or blistering over the bunion. Wearing a wide shoe instead of a narrow one will effectively help relieve the pressure on your bunion.

The perfect shoes for bunions have a wide toe box, a firm and cushioned sole, and no heel. Avoid tight, short, or sharply pointed shoes and high heels over a few inches high. Instead, go for flat shoes with adequate room in the toe box.

Custom Orthotics and Bunion Splints

A shoe orthotic is an insert that enhances arch support, alignment, and comfort. Orthotics help stop or slow bunions’ progression by improving movement patterns and foot mechanics. They also help evenly distribute weight on your foot, which can decrease pressure on your big toe.

On the other hand, bunion splints help prevent the big and adjacent toes from pushing against each other. This decreases the pressure between the toes, relieving the pain caused by a bunion. It is recommended to use bunion splints when sleeping at night.

Icing The Bunion

Another remedy to alleviate the symptoms of bunions is to ice the bunion for a couple of minutes each night. This remedy helps to prevent the swelling that happens when you have been on the feet throughout the day and exert pressure on the bunion.

You can decrease the inflammation around your toe joint with regular ice therapy. Cold therapies constrict blood vessels, helping to reduce swelling. An alternative to icing is soaking your bunion in cold water.

Wearing A Protective Pad or Sandals with Arch Support

Bunion pads are designed to redistribute pressure away from the affected joint. Test the pads briefly to ensure they decrease pressure effectively instead of constricting the toes even more and making the bunion bump more severe.

Also, wear sandals with arch support rather than wearing slippers at home. This is because narrow slippers might push the big toe inward, causing extra friction in the bunion area. Arch support can also decrease pressure on the bunion.

Give Your Feet Exercise and Rest

You can perform some exercises to increase flexibility, relieve pain and boost your muscular strength. These bunion exercises can help enhance your foot mobility and gait. However, exercises need to be combined with other treatments to correct bone misalignment.

Also, it’s essential to note that rest is also vital in managing your bunion pain. Often give your feet breaks and modify particular activities to get relief. To balance exercise and rest, stay as active as possible without causing pain.

These are some of the effective nonsurgical treatments for bunions. For most patients, these treatments effectively relieve inflammation and pain. They also help to stop their bunion from growing further. This is particularly true for patients with small or new bunions.

However, if your bunion is more prominent or is not responding to these treatments, you should consider surgery. If you have been experiencing bunion pain for years, it’s likely the bunion has become severe, and the above-reviewed treatments will have a small impact.