You have probably already seen a foot with a bunion. The big toe points towards the little toe, and there is a bony bump at its base. The bump may be red and tender.
Bunions may be painful, but they don’t have to be permanent. Your doctor can help you find the cause of your bunion and treat it.
How to Get Rid of Bunions
Bunions don’t go away on their own. The first step toward feeling better is to go to a foot doctor (podiatrist). They will figure out what’s causing your bunion and how to treat it. You’ll probably get X-rays of your bunion. You may also get blood tests if your doctor thinks that a type of arthritis, such as gout, or an infection may be causing the pain. With the results, your doctor can decide what kind of treatment you need. For example, if the bunion formed because of the way you walk, your doctor might recommend physical therapy.
Some common treatments include:
Well-fitting shoes. A good pair of shoes will put less pressure on your toes, so they don’t hurt as much.
Pads and cushions. These put space between your foot and the shoe (or your big toe and second toe), helping relieve pain. You don’t need a prescription to buy them.
Shoe inserts. You can put these pads into your shoes. They help distribute your weight more evenly across the foot. This eases pressure on the bunion and keeps it from worsening. You can get inserts at the store or have them specially made by your doctor.
Ice. If your bunion is hurting, wrap an ice pack in a towel and put it on your foot for 15-20 minutes at a time. The cold will help soothe the pain. Talk to your doctor before trying this if you have poor blood flow or reduced feeling in your feet.
Medicines. Over-the-counter medicines such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen can help a painful bunion feel better. Your doctor can also give you a shot of corticosteroids.
Physical therapy. A physical therapist can give you exercises that help strengthen your foot muscles and promote good alignment.
Surgery. If your bunion is causing severe pain, you can have it surgically fixed.
Can Bunions Be Treated Without Surgery?
“You can find millions of at-home treatments that claim that they will get rid of your bunion completely. That is usually never the case,” says Priya Parthasarathy, DPM, Partner at US Foot and Ankle Specialists, and Spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical Association. But some things can help with the pain. She usually recommends toe spacers, silicon bunion sleeves, and night splints.
When your bunion is hurting, you can try putting an ice pack on it or taking an over-the-counter pain reliever. If you are having severe pain, your doctor might give you a cortisone shot.
What Are the Best Shoes for Bunions?
If your bunion doesn’t hurt all the time and you catch it early, you may just need to change to well-made shoes that fit you right. Look for options that don’t put pressure on the bunion — avoid pairs that have straps over the bunion or tight toe boxes (the front of the shoe). Stay away from heels, especially if they’re higher than 1.5 inches. Instead, buy wide shoes with deep toe boxes and soft material on the bottom.
Some over-the-counter aids can also help prevent pain, although they won’t fix the bunion itself. Doctors suggest you can try bunion pads, splints, or other shoe inserts, as long as they don’t put pressure elsewhere on your foot and worsen other problems.
In some cases, an orthotic specialist can prescribe shoes with specially designed insoles and uppers that take the pressure off affected joints and help the foot regain its proper shape.
When Do Bunions Need Surgery?
If your bunion is extremely painful or makes it hard to walk, you may need surgery. You shouldn’t get surgery just because you don’t like the way the bunion makes your foot look, as the risks can outweigh the benefits.
The surgery is called a bunionectomy. You may get it done in a hospital or a surgery center.
You may get local anesthesia, which numbs the area, with sedation. Or you might get general anesthesia so you’re fully asleep during the procedure.
Talk to your doctor about what you can expect and what the recovery will be like. It may take up to six months to recover fully.
There are several techniques your surgeon can use. Often, the surgeon can realign the bone behind your big toe by cutting the ligaments at the joint. They also might remove some swollen tissue.
For a severe bunion, the surgeon may need to cut the bone — a procedure called an osteotomy. The surgeon may insert wires or screws to keep the bones in line and shave off or remove excess bone.
You may have some problems after surgery, such as:
- The bunion may come back.
- The surgery may not correct the problem enough or overcorrect it so that your toe now points inward.
- The pain may continue.
- You may not move your big toe as well as before.
When to See a Doctor
“See your podiatrist for a bunion as soon as you notice it forming,” says Parthasarathy. This could look like:
- Foot or toe pain
- Trouble walking
- A bump below the base of your big toe
- Swollen toes
Parthasarathy adds that many nonsurgical treatment options can help prevent it from becoming painful. The sooner you get help, the less likely it is that you’ll need surgery.
Takeaways
Bunions don’t go away on their own, but many simple treatments can help relieve the pain they cause. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to fix bunions.
FAQs About Bunion Treatment
What is the fastest way to heal a bunion?
There’s no simple or fast way to make a bunion disappear. But well-fitting shoes and specialized inserts can help relieve pressure on the bunion, preventing pain.
What foods aggravate bunions?
Your diet doesn’t affect bunions.
How to stop a bunion from progressing
According to Parthasarathy, a good pair of shoes should be the go-to tool for stopping bunions from getting worse. She says, “The best advice is making sure you are in supportive shoes that are wide and have deep toe boxes. Also, over-the-counter or custom inserts can help.”
What is the best treatment for bunions?
“I think the most powerful tool is changing your shoe gear to accommodate the bunion,” says Parthasarathy. Well-fitting shoes can prevent your bunion from worsening.
