5 Ways to Slow Down Your Bunion

Did you know that bunions are a progressive condition—meaning that they will continue to get worse, not better, without treatment? At NY Foot Health we know many patients with this common condition believe it’s just something they have to live with. There are, however, ways you can slow the progression of a bunion and good reasons to do it.

1.       Get a bunion evaluated as soon as you notice it forming. Too often by the time a patient comes to the podiatrist for bunion care the deformity is severe and the pain quite debilitating. When a bunion is diagnosed in its earliest stages, the foot doctor has many treatment options which can be employed to keep the condition from inhibiting your active lifestyle. Need to find a podiatrist in your area? Use our online directory.

2.       Choose your shoes carefully. Although at the root cause of a bunion is faulty foot mechanics, wearing shoes that are too tight and narrow or high heels that force the toes downward and together can speed up the process of moving the big toe joint out of place. Look for styles that have a wide and roomy toe box, low heels and are made of soft, flexible material whenever possible.

3.       Don’t ignore other foot problems. Patients with flat feet or low arches are more likely to develop a bunion. You should always wear shoes that have good arch support. If you have flat feet, the foot doctor may want to prescribe a custom orthotic device to help correct the arch problem and head off potential bunion issues.

4.       Try a toe spacer. There are commercial products available that you can wear between your toes to help them maintain proper alignment.

5.       Protect a bunion with padding. A major source of pain for patients with bunions is the rubbing of the bunion up against a shoe. Use padding to cushion the bunion and create a barrier between the skin and the shoe to reduce friction and pain.

Although the only way to correct a bunion is through surgery, there is much that can be done to allow you to continue to walk comfortably and delay an invasive procedure. To learn more about bunions and other podiatric conditions, contact us.