How to relieve bunion pain?

On our journey to find relief to many foot issues, we find ourselves at the topic of bunions. Bunions are a common problem across the globe. They can be painful and prevented in some cases. There are treatments for them, which involve both trying things on your own and also get help from a medical professional. Let’s discuss some of this today!

What are Bunions?

A bunion is a bumps that forms on the side of your big toe. Its bone that protrudes outward. While the bunion sticks out of the side of the toe, your big toe will in turn, begin to get pushed in against your other toes. Over time, this creates pain or redness when you wear shoes and the bunion rubs up against the inside of your shoes.

Cause of Bunions

Doctors speculate what the exact cause of bunions are. Some of the causes listed are:

1. Genetics. Just like many other things in life, our family history and genes may have a bearing on what happens to our feet. Its not just about diseases.
2. Certain types of foot injuries have been said to cause bunions.
3. Being born with it. The human body is very in depth and having a bunion could be akin to having a deformity at birth.
4. Wearing ill fitting shoes. I’ve heard many times from an older relative how they never had proper fitting shoes growing up, which is why now they have bunions on their feet. Many doctors disagree on how accurate this information is, but hopefully one day they will come to a conclusion.
5. Finally, just like any other issue dealing with bones in your body, arthritis may play a hand in why bunions form.

Symptoms of Bunions

There is obviously a clear indicator of a bunion once you have it. The fact that you can see it is one of the main symptoms. Being able to see it won’t be the issue as time goes on, however.

It shows as a bulging bump on the side of your big toe. Since it is like a large bump on the side of your toe, it sort of shifts how your other toes sit. Meaning there could be some rubbing up against your second toe, which could cause calluses. Even more, that second toe could shift enough to turn into hammer toe. Hammer toes and bunions are very common together. Its not a sure fact that you will get both, but having a bunion makes it highly likely you’ll get hammer toe.

Redness and swelling could also occur as a result of the bunion. Think about the shoes you wear. Is that bunion rubbing the inside and making it difficult to walk?

Pain that is long lasting or comes and goes is also associated with bunions. In a worse case scenario, you may have limited movement in that toe. In any case, its always best to seek help of your health care provider or podiatrist when you are unsure or are in any pain.

Treating Bunions

There aren’t many ways to treat a bunion once it has shown its there. There are ways to live with it and ways to make your life more comfortable if you have them. As we discussed, wearing the right shoes will always be the easiest solution. There are also shoe inserts that may help with pain and discomfort. Buying a pad that goes on the side of the bunion can help with rubbing while in the shoe. If they are sore apply ice. Finally, when necessary, taking over the counter meds may reduce swelling and help with pain.

In some cases, if bunions begin to cause to much of a problem, surgery may be involved. Some procedure could include shaving tissue in the foot, straightening your toes and removing some of the bone, or realigning the toe so it sits at a normal angle. Every person is different and require different interventions. It’s up to you and your doctor.

Preventing Bunions

The best way to prevent a bunion is to wear the proper fitting shoes. Shoes that squeeze your toes or touch the tips of your toes can cause numerous foot problems. High Heels come to mind of shoes that can wreak havoc on your feet. Shoes should fit comfortably around your feet and be squeezing. Here you can find a guide about how to find the best shoes.

Also, look at our Resources page for many types of help for your foot health and overall health!