Bunion Treatments

Of all the foot conditions out there, bunions might have the most stigma attached to them. When most people think of who might have a bunion, they’ll more than likely imagine a woman who has crammed her feet into too many pairs of tight heels over the years. This isn’t always the case, though!

While it’s true that most bunions are found in women, men are not immune from them, either. They can even begin developing in young people before “high heel age” is even reached!

Bunion Surgery is NOT Always the Only Option

A bunion is a structural deformity, so it’s never going to go away on its own. It’s like expecting your creaky front door to just stop creaking someday!

But it also doesn’t mean that surgery is the only way to take care of a bunion, either. If conservative treatments can bring relief to bunion pain and help keep a bunion from getting worse, they will often be utilized first. Most times, it is considered the better option.

Conservative treatments that may be available for a bunion include:

• Orthotic devices to help support the joint and redirect pressure away from it. These may be custom-made or over-the-counter, depending on the situation.
• Protective padding to be used within shoes to ease friction and pressure points against shoes, reducing inflammation and the buildup of corns and calluses.
• Exercises to build and maintain joint mobility and strength. This is especially helpful if arthritis is also in the picture.

If these types of treatment don’t provide the results we are looking for, or if the bunion is simply too large, misaligned, or painful to make conservative treatments useful, then bunion surgery may be considered.