Bunions and Side of Foot Pain Treatment
Since the main cause of bunions is shoes that are too tight or narrow, it follows that the main treatment is wearing proper footwear. Try to find shoes that fit comfortably over your feet. Usually a shoe with a wide area for your toes will be the most comfortable, especially if you are already suffering from a bunion. Another option is to try on shoes that are a size larger than you normally wear. Avoid high heels or other shoes with a lift in the back. When appropriate, you can wear sandals or other open toed shoes to relieve, at least temporarily, all of the pressure on your big toe from shoes. Shoe stretchers can also be useful, and could well save you from having to buy a new wardrobe full of comfortable shoes.
Whenever possible, wear shoes that are comfortable and do not press on the base of the big toe or push the top of the big toe towards the foot. If you must wear high heels or other uncomfortable shoes for work or other activities, keep a pair of sandals or wide toed shoes in your bag, office, or car and wear them when you can.
Another treatment option is to use padding around the bunion to relieve pressure and alleviate the associated side of foot pain. Drug stores carry foam bandages with a sticky back made especially for bunions, corns or calluses. These can be found in the medical supplies area near the shoe inserts. You can try sticking the padding directly to the foot around the base of the big toe, or sticking the padding on the shoe in the area where the shoe rubs against the toe. Padded bandages come in sheets that you can cut to fit or precut horseshoe or donut shapes that fit around the pressure point.
Toe spacers are devices that fit in between the toes and spread the toes out. These are often sold as “yoga toes” and are similar to the separators used for pedicures. Using toe spacers can help to counteract the effects of pointy-toed shoes and may lessen the amount that the big toe leans in to the foot. Wear toe spacers any time it is convenient for you to be barefoot. For an extra stretch, you can walk around in the toe spacers. If you do not have toe spacers, you can mimic the effects by placing a rolled up washcloth in between your big and second toes.
To treat the inflammation that often results from bunions, including bursitis, you can put ice on the feet. An ice pack or ice wrapped in a towel can be gently held against the foot for fifteen to twenty minutes at a time. Remove the ice immediately if your foot becomes numb or irritated. Another way to treat inflammation and relieve the pain is to take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve). Take medications as directed.
If conservative treatment of bunions does not produce the desired results, talk to a qualified doctor or podiatrist to see if surgical removal of the bunion or remodeling of the foot and toe bones through surgery or casts might be an option for you.
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