A bunion is a bump that forms in the joint area at the bottom of the big toe. When your big toe moves towards the other toes, the joint at the base of it is forced to stick out resulting in a painful bump. Bunions can get worse and too painful that sometimes wearing shoes is almost impossible.
For people with bunions, one of the most common question they ask is how to make it go away. Unfortunately, once you’ve developed a bunion, it won’t go away on its own unless you undergo a surgery to fix it. However, there are some things you could do to slow down its progress and alleviate pain as well.
Wear the Right Footwear
Bunions are caused by many factors. However, one factor that could make it worse is wearing the wrong footwear. If you noticed that your feet are developing a bunion, it’s time to change the type of footwear you commonly wear.
If you’re fond of wearing high heels or narrow shoes, switch to flats and those with wider room for your toes. This footwear lessens the pressure in your foot especially on the toes. Aside from that, be sure to choose the right fit for your shoe. You could also opt for bunion corrector shoes that are specially designed to feel more comfortable when worn by those who have this foot condition.
Ice and Topical Gels for Pain Relief
Your bunions could swell and become painful after a whole day wearing shoes. Upon getting home, you could reduce the swelling and relieve bunion pain with consistent ice therapy on the sore area. You could also try topical pain relief gel over the swollen area for instant pain relief. However, these steps are only to alleviate bunion pain; it doesn’t fix the condition altogether.
Use Bunion Pads
Bunions can swell or be painful when you’re wearing shoes. To lessen the discomfort, you could try using bunion pads to cushion the bumps. Bunion pads work by distributing the pressure away from the bump instead of being focused in one spot. Try it on first to see if it doesn’t constrict your toes more while wearing shoes.
Wear Toe Separators
On the early stages of the bunion development, wearing toe separators can help slow down its progress. This prevents the first and second toes from sticking to each other, preventing the big toe from getting fixed in an unusual position. Although it won’t heal or reverse the bunion, it generally slows it down from getting worse. Some people also claim that wearing toe separators actually provide pain relief by straightening their toe joint.
Try a Bunion Splint
Just like toe separators, bunion splints also work by preventing the first and second toes from abutting against each other. This helps reduce pressure on the joint and reduces pain caused by the bunion. It is more effective to wear bunion splints at night while you sleep to help your toes straighten up and get relieved from pressure and pain.
While those tips above won’t correct or treat your bunion, they surely deliver pain relief during those times that you needed it most.
