How To Shrink Bunions Naturally

How To Shrink Bunions Naturally

Bunions, those painful, bony bumps that form at the base of the big toe, are a common issue that can significantly affect an individual’s mobility and quality of life.

While surgery is often considered a solution, recent studies indicate that the outcomes can be less than optimal, leaving over 30% of patients dissatisfied with the results. However, you may be able to shrink bunions naturally in several ways.

This guide will provide you with a comprehensive approach to managing and potentially reducing the size of your bunions right from the comfort of your home.

Let’s explore these methods and understand how they can help you alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with bunions.

What causes a bunion?

Bunions, called Hallux valgus, are typically caused by genetic factors and shoe-wear habits. The inherited structure of your foot can make you susceptible to developing bunions, particularly if your foot rolls excessively inward or your arches are too flexible.

These situations can lead to instability of the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ), resulting in a bunion.

It is considered abnormal if the metatarsophalangeal joint angle (MTPJ) or Hallux abducts angle exceeds 14.5°. 😯

source

Meanwhile, regular ill-fitting shoes, especially those narrow shoes, tight shoes, pointed-toe boxes and high heels, can cause pressure on the big toe, pushing it towards the others and potentially leading to bunion formation.

Can bunions be reversed?

The short answer is yes, bunions can be reversed. However, depending on the severity of your bunion and the development of any associated complications such as arthritis or tendonitis, restoring the normal appearance and function of your foot may not always be possible.

Fortunately, several nonsurgical treatments help reduce the size of your bunion, minimize any discomfort or pain, and improve the overall appearance of your foot.

Traditional Methods to Treat Bunions

  • Orthotics: Custom-made orthotic insoles can be beneficial in alleviating pressure on the MTPJ while also providing support for the entire lower body. This can help reduce pain associated with bunions and correct any abnormal foot motion contributing to the problem.
  • Bunion Surgery: In more severe cases, bunion removal surgery (osteotomy) can be used to realign the bones of your foot and remove the painful bump. This procedure is usually followed up with physical therapy exercises to help you regain strength in your feet and ankles.
  • Home Remedies: Resting and icing your foot can temporarily relieve pain and inflammation. Additionally, changing your footwear to those with a broader toe box and lower heel is recommended for long-term bunion prevention.
  • Acupuncture Help Shrink Bunions Naturally: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been used for centuries to treat chronic pain and inflammation, including bunions. Acupuncture is one of the most popular treatments for this condition, as it can help reduce swelling and relieve discomfort.

Did you know that over 64 million Americans grapple with bunions, causing discomfort while walking?

Source

Home Remedies to Shrink Bunions Naturally

While medical and surgical interventions are often necessary for treating bunions, there are also nonsurgical treatments, natural treatments or home treatment options that help minimize their size and ease related discomfort.

  1. Massage with Olive Oil: Regularly massaging the affected area with warm olive oil can help increase blood circulation and reduce the bunion’s size. It also helps in relieving pain and inflammation.
  2.  Massage and/or Wraps with Castor Oil: Renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties, castor oil, when used for massage or wraps, can aid in shrinking the bunion and soothing the pain.
  3.  Use Turmeric to Naturally Shrink Bunions: Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory and painkiller. Applying a paste of turmeric and water on the bunion can ease pain and inflammation.
  4.  Soaking Feet in Epsom Salt: Epsom salt foot soaks are beneficial in reducing pain and swelling. The magnesium in the salt aids in shrinking the bunion.
  5.  Ice Pack: Applying an ice pack on the bunion for 10-15 minutes can help reduce inflammation and relieve temporary pain.

Give your Feet both exercise and rest

Maintaining a balance between exercise and rest is vital in managing bunions and promoting overall foot health. Regular, gentle exercises can strengthen the muscles surrounding the big toe, improving alignment and reducing bunion discomfort.

Toe stretches, and resistance exercises are particularly beneficial. However, equally important is giving your feet adequate rest. Overuse or strain can exacerbate bunion pain and swelling.

Therefore, intersperse periods of activity with times of rest, elevating your feet to reduce inflammation. Comfortable, supportive footwear is essential during both periods, as it can alleviate pressure on the bunion and provide the necessary support.

Exercises to Shrink Bunions Naturally

  1. Foot Strengthening Exercises: These exercises focus on building strength in the foot muscles, providing better joint support and alignment. They can be as simple as spreading your toes wide and clenching them like a fist or picking up small objects with your toes.
  2.  Peroneal Muscle Strengthening: This involves exercises targeting the peroneal muscles on the lower leg’s outer side. Strengthening these muscles can help support and align your foot and ankle, reducing the strain on your bunion.
  3.  Spread Your Toes: This simple bunion exercise can be done anywhere and anytime. Just spread your toes as wide as possible, hold for a few seconds, and then relax. This helps stretch and strengthen your foot muscles, reducing bunion pain and size.
  4.  Stabilize The Hips: Exercises that stabilize the hips can help improve your overall posture and alignment, reducing the strain on your feet and bunions. Pilates and yoga poses, such as the warrior or bridge pose, can help.
  5.  Loosen Up Your Calf Muscles: Tight calf muscles can put extra pressure on your feet, potentially worsening your bunions. Calf stretches, and exercises can help to ease this.
  6.  Foot Intrinsic Exercises: These exercises target the more minor, intrinsic muscles in your feet. Strengthening these muscles can provide better support and alignment to your foot, helping to relieve bunion discomfort.
  7.  Modified Heel Raises: This exercise involves raising your heel while keeping your toes on the ground, and it can help to strengthen your foot and ankle muscles.
  8.  A mix of Hot and Cold Therapy: Alternate between applying a hot and a cold foot bath to your bunion. This can help to reduce inflammation and foot pain.
  9.  Soleus Muscle Strengthening: Exercises like calf raises can help to strengthen the soleus muscle, which is part of your calf muscle group. A stronger soleus can help to support your foot and reduce bunion discomfort.
  10.  Posterior Tibial Muscle Strengthening involves strengthening the posterior tibial muscle, which supports your foot arch. Stronger arch-supporting muscles can help to align your foot and reduce bunion pressure.

Maintain a healthy weight

Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial not only for overall well-being but also for foot health. Excess body weight contributes to additional pressure on your feet, exacerbating the discomfort from bunions. By achieving and sustaining a healthy weight, you reduce the strain on your feet and mitigate conditions like bunions. A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, combined with regular exercise, can effectively help in weight management.

Remember, every step towards a healthy weight is a step away from bunion pain.

Can Shoes Help Shrink Bunions

While shoes cannot shrink bunions, they are crucial in managing the symptoms and slowing the condition’s progression. Properly fitted shoes with a wide toe box, low heel, and adequate arch support can reduce the pressure on the bunion, minimizing pain and discomfort. Specialized footwear for people with bunions or orthotic inserts can also be helpful.

These provide relief and help align the foot to minimize the negative impacts of a bunion. However, remember that these measures are supportive and not curative; they can manage the condition but not wholly eliminate bunions.

Bunion-Fighting Footwear

Exploring the proper footwear is paramount when dealing with bunions. Here are some options explicitly designed for bunion relief:

  1. Bunion Correctors: These shoe inserts can adjust foot alignment, reducing the pressure on your bunions while walking or standing. They are typically made of soft, cushioned materials for added comfort.
  2.  Bunion Socks: These specially designed socks offer extra padding in the bunion area to minimize friction and pressure from shoes. They can be worn alone or under regular socks for added comfort.
  3.  Shoes for Bunions: These shoes have a broad, wide toe box to accommodate the bunion without squeezing or applying pressure. They often come with additional in-built arch support to help distribute foot pressure evenly.
  4.  Custom Orthotics: You can order Custom Orthotics here if you have flat feet, as these are custom-made shoe inserts designed to match the exact contours of your feet. They help reposition the foot and relieve pressure on the bunion.
  5. Bunion Splint: A bunion splint is a device worn at night to help reduce the pain and pressure associated with bunions. It works by gently stretching the big toe back into its correct position.
  6. Bunion sleeve: a bunion sleeve is a lightweight, breathable bandage that wraps around your foot to provide cushioning and support for bunions. It’s designed to help reduce friction and prevent the progression of your bunion.
  7. Bunion Splint: Bunion splints can be worn daily to help ease bunion pain and discomfort. The splint supports the big toe and helps realign it properly, reducing any grinding or soreness with bunions.
  8. Bunion Pads: Bunion pads are soft gel-filled cushions that you can stick directly onto your bunion or inside your shoe for immediate relief. They act as a barrier between your bunion and your shoe, reducing the friction that can cause pain and inflammation. Plus, their compact size makes them a convenient option for on-the-go pain relief and easy to apply and remove as needed.

When to See a Doctor for Bunion Treatment

While home management strategies, such as proper footwear and lifestyle modifications, can help manage bunion discomfort, it’s essential to understand when professional medical intervention may be necessary. Seek medical treatments for your bunion if:

  • You experience persistent and severe pain that isn’t relieved by over-the-counter pain relievers or changes in footwear.
  •  The bunion or the ball of your foot is consistently inflamed and swollen, despite resting and elevating your foot.
  •  You notice a decrease in your foot’s mobility, or you cannot perform daily activities due to the bunion.
  •  A visible bump on your big toe joint becomes more prominent over time.
  •  You have diabetes, which can lead to various foot-related complications, including bunions.

Remember, early intervention can prevent the condition’s progression and reduce the risk of surgical treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider when in doubt about your symptoms.

When Should You Get Bunion Surgery?

Bunion surgery, also known as a bunionectomy, is generally considered a last resort after all nonsurgical options have been exhausted, and the condition significantly impairs your quality of life. You should consider getting bunion surgery if:

  1. Nonsurgical treatments, like pain relievers, custom orthotics, or bunion shoes, fail to relieve your bunion pain or slow the progress of the deformity.
  2.  Your big toe joint is so stiff that it’s hard to move or bend, affecting your foot mobility and making everyday activities, such as walking or standing, difficult or painful.
  3.  The bunion has led to other foot conditions, like bursitis or hammertoe, that cause additional discomfort or disability.
  4.  The pain from the bunion is chronic and severe. It disrupts your daily life, including your ability to wear regular shoes.

Although approximately 85-90% of bunion surgeries are successful, doctors cannot guarantee the complete elimination of the bunion or the straightening of the toes through surgery. 😕

Source

Bunion surgery can effectively realign the bone, ligaments, tendons, and nerves so your foot can function normally again. However, as with all surgery, it has potential risks and complications. These include infection, blood clots, and the potential for the bunion to return. Thus, a thorough discussion with your healthcare provider or medical professional is essential to understand the potential benefits and risks and decide whether surgery is the right option for you.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it’s entirely possible to shrink bunions naturally. It can correct bunions without surgery through home treatments, lifestyle changes, and the correct use of footwear.

However, it’s critical to remember that results can vary depending on the individual and the severity of the condition. Consulting a healthcare provider is necessary for persistent, severe bunions causing significant pain and mobility issues.

Although a serious step, surgery can be a valid option. As always, a balance between natural home remedies and professional medical advice can often lead to the most effective management of bunions.

Reader Also Asked:-

  1. Is Walking Good For Bunions?

    Yes, walking can be good for bunions as it helps keep the joints in your feet flexible. 
    However, it’s crucial to wear properly fitted shoes and avoid high heels or shoes with narrow-toe boxes that can exacerbate the condition. 
    Consider using orthotic inserts or bunion pads for added comfort during walking.

  2. Does Walking Barefoot Help Bunions?

    Walking barefoot can help bunions by allowing your feet to engage in a natural stride and spread out more freely. However, this should be done on safe surfaces to avoid injury and is not a guaranteed cure for bunions.

  3. Does Hot Water Help Bunions?

    Hot water can temporarily relieve bunion pain by enhancing blood circulation but does not necessarily shrink bunions. It’s best used as part of a broader approach to bunion management, including proper footwear and lifestyle changes.

  4. Is Vaseline Suitable For Bunions?

    Vaseline itself does not have the properties to shrink bunions naturally. However, it can lessen the discomfort by providing protection and reducing friction between your bunion and shoe.

  5. Is Saltwater Good For Bunions?

    Salt water doesn’t have any specific properties to shrink bunions naturally. However, soaking your feet in warm salt water might help alleviate some discomfort and swelling associated with bunions.

  6. Do Bunions Get Bigger With Age?

    Yes, bunions can get more prominent with age. This is due to the progression of wear and tear on the joint at the base of the big toe, especially without proper care or intervention.

  7. Do Flip-Flops Help Bunions?

    Flip flops can temporarily relieve bunions by offering more space for the toes than narrow shoes. Yet, they don’t help to shrink bunions naturally. However, prolonged use of flip-flops without adequate arch support can lead to other foot problems.

  8. Can You Pop A Bunion Back Into Place?

    No, you cannot pop a bunion back into place. Bunions are bone deformities and require medical treatment or surgery, and attempting to force them back could cause further damage.

  9. Can Shoes Correct Bunions Without Surgery?

    Special shoes designed for bunion relief may help manage bunion symptoms and prevent them from worsening, but they cannot wholly correct bunions.

+ posts

Hi there! I'm Sarah Williams, a medical practitioner and passionate blogger with over a decade of experience in the blogosphere. For more than 10 years now, I've been dedicated to helping people achieve optimal health and wellness through my writing.

But that's not all - I have a passion for beauty and women's fashion too. I truly believe that looking good on the outside can help boost one's confidence and self-esteem, leading to a happier and healthier life overall.

So come along with me on this journey towards better health and style. Let's learn and grow together!