Freehold NJ Bunion Care

Do you have pain and stiffness in your big toe? That may not have seemed like a terrible problem at first, but as it persists, toe pain can be a real concern. If you’ve been diagnosed with a bunion in Freehold NJ, you likely also have a bony protrusion on the side of your foot, at the base of your big toe. The big toe is then pushed against the inner toe.

It looks like this because there is a misalignment of one of the bones in your feet. Specifically, a bunion is caused when the first metatarsal bone bends so it points outward. This causes the big toe to point inward. Now, the joint for the metatarsal bone is pointing outward, bent awkwardly, and causing pain.

Treatment Options in Freehold NJ for Bunions

In extreme cases, surgery may be needed. It isn’t indicated for aesthetic reasons, but only to correct the issue of pain if you are having a difficult time walking and participating in daily activities. This is a solution people turn to only when at-home treatments have failed to ease the symptoms enough for them to live their daily lives.

Let’s look at what you can do with the help of a podiatrist for treatments on your own.

Avoid standing on your feet for prolonged periods, if at all possible. If you’re on your feet for a while, attempt to schedule healthy breaks when you put your feet up to relieve the pressure.

You can find a gel-filled pad to wear inside your shoes. They sell these at most pharmacies or shoe stores but are also easy to find online. This will better cushion the foot, which will ease any hard movements against the joints.

Get shoe inserts that will keep your foot in a healthy position. There are over-the-counter inserts you can buy, or meet with your podiatrist to get a custom-made orthotic. This will always give you the best results since it will be shaped to your individual needs.

You can wear a splint at night to hold the toes straight. This can lead to some relief during the day, as the foot has used the night to better recover. You’ll need to talk to your podiatrist before doing this.

You can take over-the-counter pain relief medication, like ibuprofen.

Pain relief habits like a foot massage, ice packs, and soaking your feet in warm water for ten minutes in the evenings can all help you take care of your foot pain.

If your weight has gotten high, maintaining a healthier weight can relieve some of the pressure on your feet.

The most important thing you can do for bunion care is to wear roomy footwear. While we know that bunions tend to run in families, women indeed suffer from bunions at a much higher rate than men. They tend to have a history of wearing shoes that are too tight, putting pressure on the bones in the feet. Wearing a shoe with a lot of room in the toe box will relieve pressure, which will cause you less pain and prevent the misalignment from becoming worse.

Your best guide to taking care of your bunions, preventing them from getting worse, and supporting you whenever you have pain problems, is a podiatrist. They are specialists in everything that happens inside your foot and ankle. With Lemberger Podiatry on your side, you will always have someone you can consult when you have a new issue and you will have someone who can track the progress of your bunions over time. Check in with your Freehold NJ podiatrist if you have questions about your foot health.