Bunions are common, but in many cases, they’re preventable. The trick is to catch them before they develop or as they’re developing because, once bunions form, this structural issue doesn't go away on its own.
While we offer surgical treatment for bunions here at Neuhaus Foot and Ankle, our team of podiatric experts wants our patients to avoid the issue in the first place.
Here are four tips that can go a long way toward keeping problematic bunions at bay.
One of the leading contributors to the formation of bunions is shoes that throw the balance in your feet off, namely shoes that crowd your toes together instead of allowing them to spread out.
There’s a good reason why women are more susceptible to bunions — those high heels with pointy toes put women at an increased risk.
If you want to avoid bunions or prevent existing bunions from progressing, do your feet a favor and slip on some shoes that have plenty of room for your toes.
Another great way to prevent bunions is to outfit yourself with custom shoe inserts that better balance your feet. This can be especially important for people who may be genetically predisposed to bunions.
With custom orthotics, we can take the pressure off of the joint in your big toe and spread it out to other areas of your foot.
Targeted exercises for your feet are another great way to avoid bunions or to halt existing bunions. By strengthening the muscles in your feet, you can prevent the bones in your big toe joints from shifting.
Here are a few great exercises to get you started:
You can perform these exercises a couple of times a day while you’re seated at your desk or watching TV.
As we mentioned, once your bunions begin to form, there’s nothing you can do to reverse the shift in your bones. The moment you start to see a bunion forming, we urge you to come to see us so that we can take X-rays to determine the extent of the problem and design an appropriate treatment plan to halt the progression of your bunions.
To get started, please contact one of our conveniently located offices in Hermitage, Brentwood, Nashville, Mount Juliet, Waverly, Smyrna, Gallatin, Columbia, Pulaski, and Lebanon, Tennessee.
