Hello Feet, Hello Bunions
Thanks to heredity and the type of shoes I wore in my younger years, I find myself with bunions on both my feet. A bunion is a bump formed on the side of the big toe and it is a deformity of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint at the base of the big toe. It is a common foot ailment and usually progressively gets worse over time.
Preventing the growth of my bunions is my priority. I also have flat feet which is a common cause of bunions. Not only are the bunions uncomfortable they are unsightly too. I did some research that suggests surgery can be avoided if I get the bunions treated before my tendons and ligament contract irrevocably. I am not ready to get bunion surgery which could take me out of commission for several months. Instead I am getting by with a nonsurgical approach to help me remain relatively active.
My conservative approach involves wearing orthotics and proper fitting shoes (with a wide toe box), and doing foot exercises and stretches.
By doing so, I have relieved some of the pain and slowed down the progression of my bunions. These gentle stretches also helped increase my flexibility and my range of motion.
The following exercises and stretches have provided me with pain relief.
Stretch toes apart
Seated in a chair with both feet flat on the floor, hip width apart and with heels on the floor, lift all toes up and spread toes as far apart as comfortable. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat several times.Assisted toe abduction with fingers
Using your fingers, gently pull the big toe forward to align the big toe with the toe axis. Manually move the big toe outward away from the rest of the toes and move in a clockwise direction several times. Repeat counterclockwise.Assisted toe abduction with an exercise band
Seated in a chair with both feet flat on the floor, hip width apart and with heels on the floor, lift all toes up. Using a small exercise band, wrap the band around both big toes. With the band tight, pull both big toes away from one another. When fully extended, hold for 5 seconds and release. Repeat.Toe exercise with 20 marbles
Seated in a chair with both feet flat on the floor, hip width apart. Leave one foot on the floor and use the toes on your other foot to pick up 1 marble (or anything around the same size). Use your toes to grip the marble, move one marble at a time from one bowl to another. Repeat with other foot.Tennis/Lacrosse ball roll
Seated in a chair with both feet flat on the floor, hip width apart. Leave one foot on the floor and place the other foot on top of a tennis or lacrosse ball. Roll your feet over the ball to massage the bottom of your foot. Using your weight press down on the ball to increase the pressure. Roll for 2-4 minutes on each foot.
I try to do these stretches every other day, or more often if I have time. I do them while watching TV or working on the computer.
Keeping my feet strong and flexible has reduced my foot pain and improved my overall foot health.
Now that I know the importance of stretching my feet, I stretch out my toes alot. Stretching is a much more gentle and simpler option to surgery.
I don’t think these exercises and stretches will reverse my bunions but I could certainly say bye-bye to the pain caused by my bunions.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/bunion-exercises#relief-and-prevention
Photo credit: Unsplash user Christian Newman @christian_newman