Bunion Self-Care Remedies for Fast, Natural Pain Relief—No Surgery Needed
Plus learn why women are more likely to develop these painful bumps
Bunions are more than just a nuisance they can be downright painful. And the embarrassing bump at the base of your big toe can make you think twice before slipping on your favorite strappy sandals. But before you turn to bunion surgery, which is often unnecessary and no walk in the park, check out these simple and inexpensive bunion self-care tricks from top podiatrists. They deliver powerful pain relief so you can get back to the things you love (hello, pickleball!).
What is a bunion?
A bunion (a.k.a. hallux valgus) is a bony bump at the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP) of the big toe. It forms when the metatarsal bone just behind the big toe joint shifts position over time and causes the bone to come out of alignment, says Michael J. Trepal, DPM, a podiatrist and a professor of surgery at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine in New York City.
“The bone can move towards the opposite foot or upwards, and the big toe can’t follow in that direction,” says Dr. Trepal. “Then a shoe pushes the toe over towards the second toe. That’s when you get that crooked configuration of the big joint.”
A bunion can cause redness, pain and inflammation. Other foot problems can arise as a result of walking differently to avoid bunion pain or rubbing. That includes the development of hammertoes, calluses under the ball of the foot, heel pain and corns or irritation caused from the overlapping of your first and second toes.
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Women are more prone to bunions
Bunions affect about a third of US adults, according to the National Institutes of Health. And a review in Cureus found women are up to 2.5 times more likely to develop the bumps, likely due to footwear like high heels and narrower shoes.
Age is another risk factor. “We start to see the development of bunions in people in their 30s, 40s and 50s, and it’s a progressive deformity,” says Luis A. Rodriguez Anaya, DPM, an associate professor at Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine in Miami Shores, FL.
Other risk factors include a family history (70 percent of people who develop bunions have a family history of the condition), being overweight, wearing shoes that crowd your toes and having rheumatoid arthritis.
Bunion self-care remedies for fast pain relief
Over-the-counter “bunion correctors and splints may reduce shoe irritation, but these products are unlikely to reduce the actual deformity,” explains Dr. Trepal. “There’s no good research that these will routinely correct a bunion.”
However, there are plenty of other bunion self-care strategies to try from the comfort of home.
Stretch your toes
Stretching is an important step for bunion self-care, and not something we do enough, says Dr. Rodriguez Anaya. “I tell all my patients to stretch the first thing when they get up,” he adds. “It’s especially important for the Achilles tendon, which, when tight, can cause more tension and pressure on the foot’s forefront.”
In the morning while still in bed, try ankle circles, pointing and flexing your feet, spreading and curling your toes and stretching your hamstrings. For a really effective stretch, place a towel under your foot and gently pull the ball of your foot towards you while keeping your leg straight, suggests Dr. Rodriguez Anaya.
Need a midday stretch to ease painful bunions on your feet? While standing, lift and spread your toes wide while keeping your heel and the ball of the foot on the floor. Then press your little toe down and outward and your big toe down and inward toward the inner side of your foot; hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. This activates the abductor hallucis, a muscle that helps pull the big toe back into alignment.
Apply a painkilling cream
“You can get some bunion pain relief with over-the-counter pain reducing creams or perhaps even one with cannabis compounds,” says Dr. Trepal. Topical cannabis oil or creams may have anti-inflammatory and analgesic abilities, he adds. One to try: Hemp Activ Relief Cream.
Another option is using a cream with capsaicin, the component that gives chili peppers their heat. When applied to the skin, capsaicin helps block a compound that transmits pain messages to the brain. In fact, a review in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy found people who applied capsaicin cream daily reported improvements in foot pain and its intensity within eight weeks.
Try orthotics
Orthotics are shoe inserts that help support and align your feet properly. In doing so, it can ease pain and may help prevent a bunion from getting worse. “Custom-made orthotics, following a comprehensive biomechanical evaluation by a podiatrist, is generally the best route,” says Dr. Trepal.
But if you’re not ready to splurge on a custom pair of orthotics, OTC varieties can still be a part of your bunion self-care strategy. The American Podiatric Medical Association recommends finding a pair that suits your planned level of activity, such as whether you’ll need them for running or for a work shoe. For the best bunion self-care, it’s important to look for an insert that fits the contours of your shoe, and if possible, try them on before you buy. (Check out our top podiatrist-recommended insoles.)
Pad your feet
Small, round bunion pad cushions help provide a buffer between your foot and your shoe, preventing any rubbing or pressure, says Dr. Rodriguez Anaya.
Also smart: toe separators. A study in Prosthetics and Orthotics International found that when women used an orthotic that separated the big toe from the second toe, they experienced 37 percent less bunion pain. The inexpensive device, which can be worn with or without shoes, reduces friction and helps the bones move more naturally with each step. Try: PediFix Visco-GEL Stay-Put Toe Spacers.
Swap your shoes
A top cause of bunions later in life is wearing shoes that cramp your toes between ages 20 and 39, according to a Dutch review. While we can’t undo the damage of the past, switching now to shoes with a wide toe box (designed to let your toes spread naturally) reduces pain instantly and may even put the brakes on bunion progression.
When to see a doctor for bunion treatment
If self-care doesn’t provide enough pain relief, or you want to get rid of a bunion for cosmetic reasons, surgery is a possibility. And while surgery is the only way to completely get rid of a bunion, it’s not foolproof. “A bunion can come back, even after it’s removed,” warns Dr. Trepal.
The type of bunion removal procedure you may need depends on the magnitude and severity of the bunion, says Dr. Trepal. “However, in just about all cases, the doctor will cut the bone and reposition it.”
Dr. Rodriguez Anaya says people should consider surgery if they have pain, are unable to wear shoes and are limited to what kinds of activity they can do because of their bunions. “If you don’t have pain or your bunion isn’t really a problem, we’re probably not going to do surgery,” he adds.
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