Table of Contents
What are Bunions?
It is the term to describe a bony and unnatural bump which appears at the big toe’s base and attached to your foot [1].
What cause Bunions?
It starts to develop when there is uneven pressure of body weight onto the tendons and joints in the foot persistently, thus make the joint from big toe to increase in size and eventually stick out [2][3].
Bunions do not spare anyone; however, women are more vulnerable to this kind of deformity of bone compared to men.
It is believed that over-narrow, high-heeled and tight shoes are the factors which contribute majorly to the appearance of those bony bumps.
Some other factors which can possibly contribute are injuries at feet, feet type as well as deformity of feet since birth. Also some particular arthritis types can also raise the risk for you to incur bunions.
Symptoms of Bunions
As bunions happen in joint, it can create extreme pain during walking while decrease the flexibility of the big toe.
Some other symptoms can be irritation of the skin surrounding the bunions, pain and redness at joints, calluses or corns, blisters on the affected area as well as shift of big toe in direction toward other toes. Moreover, they will make it hard for your find shoes that fit nicely.
Bunions can get progressive and tend to worsen over time.
Here are the top 15 most effective home remedies for bunions which are easy for you to apply at home in order to alleviate the symptoms of bunions as well as restore the shape and flexibility for your feet.
1. Ice
The simplest tip in the list of home remedies for bunions is ice. Due to the soreness and inflammation of bunions after prolonged time of using feet, you might need to apply ice for some instant relieve. Cold temperature will numb the endings of nerves temporarily as well as provide some relief from pain [4].
How to use:
- Take some crushed ice into a towel and have it wrapped.
- Apply directly onto the affected area for about 10 minutes.
- Have a 10-minutes break and do it again for 2 to 3 times.
- Perform more if needed.
2. Massage
This tip from the list of home remedies for bunions has been proven effective in alleviating as well as preventing bunions. It is able to increase circulation of blood toward the affected area and relieve the discomforts [5].
Massage regularly can help you bring down the bunion’s size as well as reduce the chance of calluses and corns developed on the affected area.
How to do:
- Take some warm coconut, olive or castor oil to apply onto the affected area.
- Have it massaged using deep friction with your fingers for about 10 minutes.
- Perform 2 to 3 times every day.
Also you might seek out the help of professional therapist of massage in order to decelerate as well as inhibit the bunions’ formation.
3. Foot Exercises
This tip is the one from the list of home remedies for bunions which you must follow definitely. Have your feet exercised will encourage flexibility and alleviate the pain. Furthermore, it can decelerate the progression of bunions which can help you avoid surgery.
Exercise daily also supports the strength of muscles in legs as well feet, thus prevent the bunions from forming.
How to do:
- Take a seat on the chair and place the affected foot on the other thigh. Take either a golf or tennis ball to roll under the toes’ mounds and then roll it on anywhere at the sole which feels tight. Perform for about 10 minutes every day.
- Take a seat on the chair and hold the affected foot in the palm. Have your fingers interlaced with the toes and have the toes bended up and down, back and forth for about 10 minutes.
- Take a straight standing position and have your toes point straight for about 10 seconds and then have them curled for another 10 seconds. Perform couples of time.
4. Epsom Salt
In case you are suffering bunions because of arthritis, then Epsom salt is your perfect tip from the list of home remedies for bunions. The high content of magnesium will help you regulate the level of pH in your body which is significant in fighting against pain and inflammation.
Take a soak in warm Epsom salt can also treat calluses and corns effectively which are also the bunions’ symptoms.
How to use:
- Take some Epsom salt into a warm bath and dissolve thoroughly.
- Have your feet soaked until the water becomes cold.
- Have your feet dried carefully and then have them massaged using warm coconut or olive oil.
- Perform 3 times per week.
5. Turmeric
The famous curcumin compound from turmeric is capable of blocking pain as well as alleviating inflammation. That is why turmeric is presented in the list of home remedies for bunions [6][7].
How to use:
- Take ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder into some olive oil to form a paste. Use the paste to apply directly onto the bunions. Perform 2 to 3 times every day for couples of day.
- Take a teaspoon of turmeric into some warm water or milk and consume twice every day.
- Also you might take supplement of turmeric for 400mg in 3 times per day but only after consulting the doctor.
6. Chamomile
This popular herb is also an effective ingredient in the list of home remedies for bunions due to its anti-inflammatory property which is excellent at alleviating inflammation and pain. Even better, it is capable of shrinking the bunions [8][9].
How to use:
- Take chamomile tea bag to brew some tea and consume warmly. Then take the used bag of tea to apply directly onto the bunions. Perform 3 to 4 times per day.
- Have your affected area massaged using the mixture of chamomile oil and any other carrier oil before bedtime. It will support the toe’s alignment.
- Also you might use some OTC ointments which have chamomile ingredient in them to apply directly onto the affected area to alleviate inflammation and pain.
7. Calendula
Another valuable herb from the list of home remedies for bunions is calendula. It contains anti-inflammatory property which is brilliant for alleviating inflammation and pain [10][11].
Moreover, this herb can also help you avoid calluses and corns developed on the affected skin area.
How to use:
- Take some calendula leaves to crush using hands to extract juice. Use the juice to apply directly onto the affected area and let it dry out. Perform 2 to 3 times every day.
- Also you might use calendula ointment which is available at the herbal store and use it to apply onto the affected area 2 to 3 times every day in couples of day.
8. Aspirin Foot Soak
The mighty aspirin is also included in the list of home remedies for bunions because it can soothe the stinging pain of the inflamed area. Moreover, it can maintain the softness of the affected area in order to help you avoid calluses and corns [12].
How to use:
- Take 2 to 3 aspirins to dissolve in a small warm bath.
- Have your feet soaked in the solution until the water turns cold.
- Have your feet dried and massaged using warm olive oil.
- Perform 1 to 2 times every day.
Note: Due to the side effect of aspirin is allergies and skin irritation, it is necessary to perform a patch test before applying.
9. Proper Footwear
This is the profound tip from the list of home remedies for bunions which you must comply absolutely if you want avoid surgery.
How to do:
- Always go for footwear which has soft soles, broad toes and wide front.
- Apply some padded inserts for shoes in order to make sure the pressure is distributed evenly during movement.
- In case you are having bunions, go for shoes which have deep and wide toe area. Sandals are recommended.
- Avoid wearing shoes which have heels that are more than 2 ¼ inches high.
- Avoid putting on high-heeled shoes for more than 3 hours at a time.
- Go for footwear which can conform to your feet’s shape.
- Never have your feet forced into shoes which do not fit.
- Besides shoes, keep out of tight-fitting stockings or socks.
- Have your shoes removed couples of time during daytime in order to let your feet take a break.
10. Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Diet is an extremely important tip in the list of home remedies for bunions if you want to ease the inflammation and pain. There are plenty of foods which contain anti-inflammatory property that can help you combat as well as prevent the inflammation.
How to do:
- You can consume more foods such as salmon, olives, garlic, turmeric, ginger, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, tart, sweet potatoes and tart.
- Also you need to keep out of foods such as processed meat, red meat, eggs, corn oil, whey protein, refined grains and sugar as well as salt.
- Besides anti-inflammatory foods, you should consume more protein together with vitamin A, B, C and E.
11. Castor Oil
With anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, it is not hard to see why castor oil is included in the list of home remedies for bunions [13].
You can take some castor oil and heat it up. Then take a cloth to soak and apply directly onto the affected area. Use a thick cloth to cover the soaked cloth in order to retain the heat longer and fix its position. You can perform as many times as you need in order to alleviate the pain as well as inflammation from bunions.
12. Cayenne Pepper
Considered a remarkable reliever for pain as well as containing various compounds with positive properties, this spice can efficiently ease the swelling as well as inflammation extremely well. The well-known capsaicin from cayenne pepper can help you eliminate compounds of bunions which trigger pain [14][15].
You can take a cayenne pepper to slice into half. Then apply directly onto the affected area. There might be some irritation due to the hotness of cayenne pepper. However, pain can be relieved almost instantly. Also you might use creams which are made of extracted capsaicin and market available for applying on the affected area as well.
13. Ginger
With the capability of soothing inflammation as well as improving circulation of blood toward the affected area, thus helping reduce the bunion’s size as well as making it softer and smoother, ginger cannot be excluded from the list of home remedies for bunions [16][17].
You can use ginger oil for massaging bunions daily for at least 15 minutes. Also you might include ginger in your daily diet as well.
14. Clove
This herb can provide significant support for the treatment of bunions. You can use clove oil to to apply directly onto the affected area and then use the bandage to to cover for about 5 hours. Another way is using some paste made from crushed cloves with honey to apply onto the affected area.
15. Aloe Vera
The last tip in the list of home remedies for bunions is the popular Aloe Vera. It is best to use its gel to apply directly onto the affected area. Also you might consume some juice from Aloe Vera as well as use the juice to cleanse the affected area [18][19].
Extra Tips:
- In case bunions are appeared and inflamed, have your feet elevated for about 15 minutes every couples of hour.
- Apply acupuncture as it is a useful treatment for many bunions’ symptoms.
- Remember to have your feet especially areas between toes dried completely after washing.
- In case you are having corns, take some OTC corns plasters to eliminate them promptly.
- Remember to make sure the footwear for children is always fitted properly.
- Use OTC arch supports for relieving the symptoms.
- In case you are prescribed orthotic devices specifically, you need to use accordingly.
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