What are Bunions and Their Causes?
The painful irritation on the joint of irregularly outward bent bone of big toe is normally known as bunion. There can be various reasons of this condition including inequality in the length of the limb, arthritis, and genetic reasons.
However, wearing conventional shoes that make your feet look pointy and small is also considered as the main cause of your bunion. The severe ache caused by the development of bunions can make it difficult even to walk on the plain surface.
These bunions can be cured through different methods including natural and home remedies, over-the-counter medication and surgery. In this write-up some of the non-surgical, natural home remedies are discussed to cure your bunions effectively.
10 Natural Methods to Fight off Your Bunions
- Epsom Salt: The swelling and severity of the pain caused by bunions can be relieved by treating your feet with the solution of Epsom salt in lukewarm water. Along with bunions, this solution can also cure various other types of disorders in the joints.
Epsom salt can easily soften your skin. For this purpose you should soak your feet in the Epsom salt solution. You will have to do this for at least half an hour once a day to get effective results for your problem.
- Warm Compresses: The pain caused by bunions can also be relieved by applying warm compresses. You can use heat pads to press over the irritating bunions. It will also help in reducing swelling on your feet by increasing the circulation of blood in it.
- Ice Packs: Alike hot compresses, cold compresses can also be used to relieve the pain caused by bunions. The problems caused by bunions can be healed just by applying ice pack on your ailing feet at least for 10 minutes a day. But if you are a diabetic person then you should avoid using ice pack for this purpose.
- Castor Oil: In case of bunions castor oil can be an excellent treatment. In order to heal pain and inflammation caused by bunions you should apply warm castor oil on your foot with the help of a cotton ball. You should use it at least for once a day to get effective results very soon.
- Foot Massage: The problem of bunion can also be cured by massaging the affected foot. It will reduce inflammation along with pain caused by bunions. While massaging the big toe should be pushed outwardly to bring it to its original position.
- Olive Oil: In order to cure the problems caused by bunion warm olive oil can also be used for massaging the toes and lower foot having bunion at least twice a day for 15 minutes each. It will not only increase the flow and circulation of the blood in your foot but also the movement of the synovial fluid around the bones to nourish and lubricate the joints. Olive oil massage will also help in reducing the size of bunion by dissolving excessive layers of the calcium accumulated around the bunion.
- Red Pepper: The capsaicin found in red pepper can help in eliminating pain and discomfort causing compounds in your nerves. You can rub the juice of red pepper, after cutting it into halves, directly on the bunion so that it can penetrate through your skin.
Then apply some petroleum jelly and wrap it with a clean cotton bandage. In order to get better results you should repeat it at least twice a day. But you should first of all apply red pepper on smaller part of your skin to observe its reaction on it. You should thoroughly wash your hands after applying it every time.
- Toe-Stretching Exercise: Another non-surgical way to cure bunions is to strengthen the affected muscles and nerves of your feet by doing some toe stretching exercises. It will help in reducing the discomfort caused by bunions along with restoring the flexibility and mobility of your big toe.
These exercises will also help in activating red blood cells, aligning the bones and improving blood circulation. You should do these exercises at least 2-3 times a day for minimum 15 minutes every time to get effective results.
- Anti-inflammatory herbs: There are certain herbs that can be used to cure the problems caused by bunions due to their anti-inflammatory properties. These herbal remedies may include chamomile and calendula. You can use either of them to reduce discomfort, swelling and pain caused by bunion along with reducing the chances of developing calluses and corns on the affected area.
You can drink Chamomile tea 2-3 times a day along with applying the used tea directly on the bunions for at least 10 minutes simultaneously. Chamomile can also be applied directly on the bunion in paste form with water twice a day for at least 15 minutes every time to get better results.
Similarly calendula based OTC ointment or the juice extracted from fresh calendula leaves can be applied, until it dries, 2-3 times a day on the affected area to eliminate the problems caused by bunion effectively.
- Change Your Shoes: The shoes designed especially for fashionable women as well as men, having boxes with tapered toe to give an inward push to big toes, are also considered the main cause of bunions. Along with tapered box, the arch support and raised heels of these shoes also help in the development of bunions.
The deformity in your feet caused by wearing these shoes consistently for long time can help in developing bunions. In some cases, the big toe actually bends and grows toward the second toe.
So to cure your bunions, caused due to such shoes, the best non-surgical method is to choose the right shoes for bunions. The shoes you choose for this purpose should have wide toe boxes to allow your feet to spread easily. They should neither have any arch support nor too much elevated heals.
On the whole, their design should be flexible and lightweight. Thus by wearing such shoes you can not only reduce the existing problems caused by the bunions but also prevent the risk of their development in future.
Thus you can use any or some of the methods discussed in this write-up to cure your bunions naturally, without any surgery.
