Painful bunions can make it difficult to walk or wear shoes. Bunions occur when the joint that connects your big toe to the rest of your foot swells and bends outward. People born with abnormal bones in their feet and women who wear narrow-toed, high-heeled shoes are more likely to develop bunions, according to MedlinePlus. While surgery may be needed in severe cases, non-surgical bunion treatment can reduce pain in milder cases.
Changing Shoes
Irritation from shoes that are too tight can cause swelling and redness in the toe joint. Ignoring symptoms can cause the eventual development of a bunion. Changing the type of shoes you wear when you first develop symptoms can reduce the chance that a bunion will form or can reduce the severity of a bunion. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests buying shoes with wide insteps, broad toes and soft soles and avoiding shoes that are short, tight, sharply pointed or that have heels higher than 2 1/4 inches. Look for shoes that are roomy enough to accommodate your bunion without putting pressure on your joint if you currently have a bunion. If the shoes you normally wear are too tight and you can't find shoes wide enough to accommodate your bunion, you may be able to have them stretched at a footwear or shoe repair shop.
Padding And Taping
Providing extra cushioning for your bunion can help alleviate painful bunion symptoms. Bunion pads, available at drugstores, surround the bunion and reduce pressure on the joint when you walk. Spacers may also be used in conjunction with padding during the night. A spacer fits between the big toe and second toe and keeps these toes apart. As a bunion worsens, pressure from the big toe may force the second toe out of normal alignment. Wearing a spacer helps prevent this from occurring. Your doctor may also suggest that you tape your big toe. Taping keeps the toe in a more normal position, reducing stress on the joint.
Pain Medication
Even if you are careful about the type of shoes you wear, pain may still be a problem if you have a bunion. Using over-the-counter pain medication, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium, can help relieve pain and inflammation. If pain is severe, your doctor may recommend injecting cortisone into your toe.
Orthotics
Orthotics are special inserts placed in the shoes that keeping the foot in a more natural position, decreasing pressure and pain. Daily use of orthotic use can help prevent bunions from worsening. Some people may be helped by non-prescription shoe inserts found at drugstores, while others may benefit from custom-made orthotics made especially for their feet. Podiatrists use molds to determine the exact measurement of the feet and send the molds to laboratories for construction of the orthotics.
