Are you searching for non-surgical foot-care solutions to help alleviate Bunion pain?

I recently received these great Bunion foot-care questions from Rebecca.  Since I know there are others out there asking the same questions, and searching for solutions I thought I’d share her questions and my reply.

 “I have just begun to have bunion problems and would love to find a non-surgical option to alleviate this problem.  Are there specific exercises for bunions?  Is there any hope of an upcoming book for specific foot problems such as bunions?”  –  Rebecca.

Hi Rebecca, thanks for contacting Centerworks with your foot-fitness questions!  I know Bunions have the potential to create a lifetime of agonizing foot pain. While I don’t have a “Bunion” specific book out yet… there are definitely foot fitness exercises that you can do to help keep your Toes in better alignment to help alleviate Bunion pain.

A part of bunion issues for people can be genetic, and part of the problem can be muscle imbalance and lack of strength/flexibility in the right parts of your feet.

Exercising your ankles, arches, and toes might not make that Big Toe straighten up to where it belongs 100%, but you can IMPROVE alignment, and help keep it from drifting further.  It kind of depends on how much you’re willing to work on it to make a difference.  It’s possible that with exercise you may be able to postpone surgery for years, or avoid it altogether.

If your feet are bothering you, because of joint pain at the Bunion, I’m sure that without knowing it, you’ve changed your posture and gait to avoid pressure under that Big Toe joint.  This means when you stand and walk you’re probably not working correctly from the ground up.  To avoid pain at the Big Toe, may be shifting your weight more to the outsides of your feet, which means you’re actually creating more problems for the ankles, knees, and hips.

• The short-term fix to help alleviate Bunion pain is starting to add more toe and foot-specific exercises into your weekly workout routine.
• The long-term solution is to continue with toe and foot exercises, but also address your posture, core strength, and hip mechanics to keep your whole-body lined up and healthy.

I’d also recommend you consult with your Podiatrist or foot specialist and ask about using toe spacers.  Using a spacer in-between your Big and second toe, can help keep the Big Toe held in better alignment when you’re walking and wearing shoes.  It can be an external “prop” to help you, while your foot-fitness exercises are helping get the strength and flexibility you need in the right places in your feet to internally support your feet for better alignment.

It looks like you’ve already purchased the book Fantastic Feet! Exercises to Strengthen the Ankles, Arches, and Toes.  Congratulations!  Using the exercises in this book is the perfect place to start for better Big Toe health!

For your toes and bunion issues, the best exercises to start with will be the Terrific Toe Series.  Especially the Big Toe exercise and the Big & Little exercise (where you are using your hands to guide the Big Toe away from the rest of the toes to do your exercises.)  But it’s not just “working the Big Toe,”  it’s working the whole foot and teaching the Big Toe how to maintain better body alignment while you’re using the foot and ankle.  So ultimately ALL the exercises in the Fantastic Feet book will be great for you – and the challenge will be avoiding Big Toe “drift”, and keeping ALL your toes headed in the right direction while you point, flex, and move your feet.

Here’s a link to one additional exercise that I think will be good for you as you’re getting started.  This easy Toe Circles Exercise will be in the next “Toe” book I write because it’s great for starting to open the joints and get all your toes moving, Do this exercise first as a “warm-up.”   And when you start your Fantastic Feet – Terrific Toe series, your toes will be warmed up and ready to work on improving your foot fitness to alleviate bunion pain and keep your feet healthy.

If you have any additional questions, please let me know.  And do keep me posted on how your feet are feeling as you begin your Fantastic Feet training program!  You might take a photo of your feet now, and snap a photo a month for the next 6 months to a year – to see if you can visually start noticing the alignment of your feet changing.

Most people can start feeling the changes in posture and alignment for how they’re standing on their feet even after their very first Fantastic Feet workout!  But it can take time to replace your old habits with better ones to really change the alignment and fitness of your feet.  With a little time, dedication, and consistency you can improve your foot fitness to help alleviate bunion pain for better health.