Foot Pain: Dealing With and Preventing Bunions
Foot problems like bunions can be as annoying as they are painful. No one wants to deal with foot discomfort throughout the day and bunions can cause intense pain, which is why it’s important to not only understand what they are, but how to prevent them from forming.
Bunions occur when the tissue at the base of the big toe becomes swollen, forming a large bump on the side of the foot. Bunions can cause intense foot pain and can even lead to arthritis.
Here are some tips for preventing bunions from ever occurring:
- Monitor the shape of your feet — The best way to prevent bunions from occurring is to know when to visit a podiatrist. Keeping track of the shape of your feet as they develop over time is a great tip for combating bunions from forming.
- Strengthen your feet — Exercising your feet will help strengthen them. Simply try picking up small objects like pencils and pebbles with your toes.
- Wear comfortable shoes — Make sure you’re wearing shoes that fit and don’t cramp or pinch your toes. Since women are 10 times more likely than men to develop bunions, they should avoid wearing shoes with high heels or pointed toes if they are at risk of developing bunions.
Unfortunately, foot problems like bunions aren’t always 100% preventable. If you do end up getting bunions, there are at least a few exercises you can do to at least limit bunion pain from becoming too severe. Here are some exercises you can do to improve foot health:
- Toe stretches — Stretching out your toes will help keep them limber and offset your foot pain.
- Toe flexing and contracting — Press your toes against a hard surface and hold the position for 10 seconds.
- Resistance exercises — Wrap a belt or towel around your big toe and use it to pull your toe toward you while simultaneously pushing forward, against the towel, with your big toe.
If you’re dealing with bunion pain and other foot problems, make sure you contact a medical professional as soon as possible in order to rid yourself of that pain. Give Dr. Richard Moy a call right away to find out more about painless foot surgery!