6 Simple Tips to Ease Bunion Pain Without Surgery

Do you have a bunion that is causing you constant and severe pain? Here are 6 simple tips to follow to ease bunion pain without surgery.

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A bunion forms when the bone or tissue at the joint at the bottom of the big toe moves out of place. Years of abnormal motion and pressure on the joint forces the big toe to bend toward the others, which sometimes causes a painful bunion on the joint.

This can then lead to a number of symptoms, including:

• Swelling around the joint
• Restricted movement
• Pain when moving the affected toe
• Soreness or numbness
• Corns or calluses

How Do You Treat Bunions?

In the short-term, there are several different conservative treatment options available to relieve the uncomfortable and painful symptoms of bunions, including maintaining a healthy weight, using NSAIDs prescribed to you by your podiatrist, and physical therapy.

However, in the long-run, bunion surgery is the only option that will completely resolve your foot problem.

Get The Best Bunion Treatment and Surgery From Our Award Winning NYC Podiatrists

At To Healthy Feet Podiatry, a leading foot clinic located in midtown and downtown NYC, our award-winning foot doctors offer best-in class foot and ankle services, including bunion care and surgery. Whatever your needs, we can provide customized and successful treatment plans that will resolve your ailment and get you back on track to healthy living.

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Ease Bunion Pain Without Surgery: Best Tips From an NYC Podiatrist

Bunions are permanent unless they are surgically corrected. The good news? There are certain measures you can take to ease your pain, feel more comfortable, and slow down a bunion’s progression.

Here are 6 simple tips to help ease your bunion pain without surgery:

1. Buy Well-Fitting Footwear

In many cases, bunion pain can be managed by switching to shoes that are roomy enough to accommodate the bunion and allow you to wiggle your toes. A square toe box is the most desirable shape, but a round one is still better than a pointed one.

You should try to wear low heels (no more than 1 inch high), but if you want to wear higher heels, find a pair that has a relatively wide heel.

2. Ice Your Bunion

Apply ice wrapped in a thin cloth to the toe joint for approximately 10-20 minutes at a time. Ice constricts the blood vessels, which numbs the pain and helps relieve any swelling that you may be experiencing.

3. Talk To Your Foot Doctor About NSAIDs

Topical or oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help control the pain of a bunion. For severe bunions, a cortisone injection into the right joint can work to relieve any swelling and pain. Because the injection is localized, it does a more effective job than a pill. However, because the inflammation will build up again, the results are likely to be temporary.

4. Consider Custom Orthotics

Custom orthotics work to correct the mechanics that caused the bunion to form in the first place. By limiting abnormal pronation, they will stabilize the big toe joint and bones in the foot. So besides eliminating pain, they can also keep your bunions from progressing.

5. Wear Protective Pads

If your shoes have enough space to accommodate them, you can cushion your bunion or protect it from friction with a gel or moleskin pad. Talk to your NYC podiatrist as they can best advise which type of protective pad is best for your specific needs.

6. Stay at a Healthy Weight

If you are overweight, your foot and big toe joint are under more pressure than they need to be. The higher the pressure the toe joint is under, the higher the chance of it developing into a bunion, or the existing bunion becoming inflamed and sore.

Bunion Surgery As a Last Resort

If conservative forms of treatment, such as NSAIDs, custom orthotics, and injections, fail to control the pain associated with your bunion, then surgery may be necessary to restore your bone to the proper alignment. There are many different bunion procedures and your podiatrist can help select the proper procedure to address your specific needs.

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