Living with a painful bunion can not only be an agonising experience, but it can also hinder your work and social life, too. With such a heavy burden on your day to day life, it is important to treat bunions as soon as possible. If knowing how to treat bunions and minimising pain sounds good to you, then read on for some home remedies.
Bunions can be fairly common, especially among women – high heels are said to be a common factor in the appearance of bunions – but it is a condition that affects men and women and can even be hereditary. Sourcing methods of bunion treatment without surgery is therefore quite popular. Whilst we offer a fantastic product – Bunion Sleeve® is a lightweight long term solution to bunions that is wearable all day – we are aware that there are home remedies out there that can reduce pain in the short time.
Home Remedies
The most common home remedies for treating bunions are:
- Olive Oil – Massage olive oil into the bunion and lower foot for fifteen minutes, twice a day. It is thought that massage will encourage blood flow and circulation which in turn promotes the synovial fluid to move around the bunion, easing the bone back into inversion
- Ice Packs – Holding an ice pack on the bunion for ten minutes, several times a day can reduce pain and swelling
- Castor Oil – Similarly, warming castor oil and soaking a cloth in it to wrap around the bunion like a bandage can relieve pain and promote increased blood flow. Repeat three times a day until the pain subsides
- Red Bell Pepper – cutting a red pepper in half, rubbing the juice directly on a bunion and massaging in petroleum jelly before bandaging with a thin cloth or gauze is said to help relieve bunion pain
- Epsom Salt – Epsom salt contains magnesium sulphate, which minimises pain and inflammation. Dissolve half a cup of salt in hot water and soak feet for 20 minutes twice a day, regularly to reduce the size of the bunion and decalcify the joint
Top Tips
Other ways to help aid bunion relief include: avoiding narrow, tight and high heeled shoes, wearing shoes that fit properly, taking NSAIDs and painkillers, elevating the affected foot whilst on ice, maintaining a healthy weight and using bunion pads/shoe inserts to redistribute weight, which eases pressure on the bunion.
Consult the Experts
Having exhausted all other possibilities, you may be thinking that you are only left with one option: surgery. That used to be true, but not anymore. Our unique, ultra-thin bunion corrector serves to aid bunion treatment while you maintain an active lifestyle – all the while reducing pain and other symptoms.