Bunions can be a real pain, literally. This happens when your big toe starts aiming itself towards your second toe. You may at first think that it’s due to something you’re doing wrong, but alas, it’s mostly hereditary. So it’s a bit of good news and bad news.
You probably want them gone because of the pain or irritation they’re causing you, or just because you don’t like the way your feet look and want to be able to wear open toed footwear again, or sandals. There’s nothing life threatening about having bunions, but they are definitely on people’s list of things to get rid of.
Most people with bunions are aware that surgery is one of the few options available, but don’t want to have an operation done either because of the cost or the pain and recovery time involved with the procedure. This is understandable, so we looked for alternative options in addition to going under the knife.
Best Way to Get Rid of Bunions Answer: Surgery
Surgery is really the only solution that gets down to the cause of the problem: the deformity in your toe. What people refer to as bunion is usually just the symptoms. But if you’re talking about really getting rid of it, you need to fix the reason behind its formation. Surgeons will be able to not only get rid of the bony mass that is protruding outward and causing the primary problem, they can also line things up right again so your toe points north and you can wear normal shoes without incident.
Runner Up: Orthotics and Exercises
If you don’t want to get surgery, your next best bet is to go to a foot doctor and have them create some orthotics for you. They’ll take imprints of your feet and use them to craft inserts that you can place in your shoes, or might even give you special shoes entirely. You can also get them without seeing a foot doctor. Several online retailers sell things like bunion splints, so it’s just a matter of finding one that sounds good to you.
There are also exercises you can do that can help strengthen some of the joints of your feet, making it harder for them to be lazy and go back to their old ways. This is a good way to either prevent surgery, or at least prolong the need for it as long as possible. You can perform these nightly, or whenever you find the time to dedicate to your feet and the bunion problem you are experiencing.
Best Orthotic We Found: Bunion Aid Hinged Splint
This thing is getting great reviews and most people that have tried it have said that it does wonders for their bunion. It is designed not only to provide a cushion to relieve pain and pressure, but it also helps keep your toe lined up properly, and prevents it from crossing over to the dark side. So it really has multiple functions, both providing relief right when you put it on, and also making it so you experience less pain going forward.
Honorable Mention: Keep Treating the Symptoms
If you can’t justify the surgery, for whatever reason, then you’re just going to have to get by with taking good care of your bunions, and not letting them get out of hand. Adding special padding to the inside of your footwear is one way to make sure that they aren’t being constantly rubbed up against your shoe.
When your feet are out of your shoes, you can use things like ice to calm down any swelling caused, and lie on your back with your feet raised higher than your head to reduce the swelling as well. There are also medicated creams and ointments that you can rub onto them to make sure that they don’t get infected, and to provide an immediate cooling effect.
How the Problem Starts
Remember, the symptoms you are experiencing and calling bunions are due to your big toe jutting off east and west instead of north. This pushes your metatarsal bone out where it shouldn’t be, and that’s what ends up rubbing on things. That abnormal rubbing leads to things like blisters, redness, and general pain while walking. The
Preventing a Recurrence
Once you get surgery or find a way to manage your bunions without it, you’ll want to prevent them from coming back again. This can be harder than it sounds because your toe will naturally try to find its way back towards your other toes, as if that’s where its home is. This is something you’ll have to be diligent with, because as soon as you start slacking and taking it for granted you might find that the problem is resurfacing.