Bunions

Bunions

Baby Those Bony Bumps

Does your foot resemble a triangle, with the tip of your big toe angling inward and your joint jutting outward? If so, you have a bunion. And it probably hurts.

The pain of bunions occurs when the knobby lump that forms at the outside of the big-toe joint becomes sore and swollen, irritating nearby nerves. This is most likely to happen when your feet have been encased in shoes that press against the bunion.

Some of us inherit bunions from our parents. And wearing pointy shoes that squeeze our toes together--as many women do--doesn't help.

DO-IT-YOURSELF RELIEF

Here's what to do for immediate relief--and how to help prevent bunions from getting worse.

Try ice. If your bunion feels hot and swollen, it may be inflamed. Cool it down by applying a cloth-covered ice pack, suggests Marika Molnar, P.T., director of West Side Dance Physical Therapy in New York City. "I like to use a Ziploc-type resealable plastic bag half-filled with water and crushed ice and wrapped in a damp cloth," she says. Apply for 10 or 15 minutes, then remove for a few minutes to let your foot warm up before applying again.

If you have circulation problems in your feet or diabetes, you're better off avoiding ice for any foot problems.

Exercise your toes. Work the muscles that control the side-to-side movement of your big toe with the following exercise, says Molnar.

Sit with your feet flat and straight out in front of you. Try to move your big toes toward each other, then bring them back. If you can't manage this at first, use your hand to help move your toes. "The muscle that you are using is under the inside anklebone, about one inch down. You can feel a little bulge at this spot as you contract the muscles."

"This exercise helps properly align the joint by rebalancing muscles and stretching contracted tendons in your foot," Molnar says. "Unless your joint is very deteriorated, it will help keep your bunion from getting worse."

She suggests that when you're sitting, try to do five or six repetitions of the exercise every few hours. "This is a difficult exercise to do," she admits. "It takes time to begin to get it, and this muscle fatigues quickly." Keep at it however, and it will get easier.

Measure your foot. Experts advise selecting footwear that gives bunions plenty of space. "You must get the pressure off your bunions with properly fitted shoes," says Cheryl Weiner, D.P.M., a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio, and president of the American Association for Women Podiatrists.

To do that, always get your foot measured when you buy shoes, says Nancy Elftman, a certified orthotist/pedorthist (a professional shoe fitter) in La Verne, California. Make sure that the width of your foot is measured at its widest point--from your big toe across to your baby toe--while you're standing barefoot or in socks.

Look for a full or softly rounded toe box. The toe box is the front of the shoe where the toes sit. The toes of any shoes you wear should be round or square, not pointy. Certain sport-shoe makers, such as New Balance and Avia, sell models with lots of toe room. Among dress shoes look for Easy Spirit and Nine West, Elftman recommends.

Stick with flats. Heels shift your weight forward to the ball of your foot, which is something that you don't want if you have bunions, says Kathleen Stone, D.P.M., a podiatrist in private practice in Glendale, Arizona. "You want no more than a 1½ inch heel to distribute your body weight evenly across your foot."

Try men's footwear. If you're having trouble finding shoes wide enough in women's sizes, try men's shoes, which are generally cut wider, says Dr. Weiner.

Get arch support. This also helps distribute your body weight evenly across your entire foot surface, says Dr. Stone. Running shoes usually fit the bill.