Bunions Are No Fun-yuns: Dealing with Bunion Pain
Bunions can affect your life in a multitude of ways. Surgery is the only ways to cure bunion pain, but it can take a while before you get to the top of the list for bunion surgery. Here are some of the options to deal with bunion pain until you can get proper treatment.
Bunion pads and comfortable shoes
One of the easiest ways to temporarily relieve bunion pain is to limit friction on the bunion site. This can be done by placing gel filled pads or moleskin pad over the site of the bunion to relieve the friction. This can also be a good time to bring out the looser, flat shoes such as sandals or sneakers to relieve pressure on the foot. It's particularly important for the shoes to be loose around the inflamed area, to allow room for the gel pad or moleskin. High heels are particularly aggravating to bunions as they place much more pressure on the front of the foot. Some bunion sufferers also benefit from wearing light orthotics, which correct the foot positioning and adjust the pressures on the foot.
NSAIDs
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen are very useful to give some temporary relief from inflammation and pain. You can obtain the right NSAIDs from your local pharmacy or supermarket. These drugs can relieve pain in a temporary sense but should not be used on an ongoing or regular basis without doctor's advice due to the possibility of serious side effects.
Warm foot baths and whirlpools
Many people with bunions find that whirlpools and warm foot spas provide a lot of relief from foot pain. You can try adding Epsom salts for additional relief. You can also try alternating warm baths and cold packs for additional relief when your bunions are particularly inflamed. You can often find such temporal relief from home.
Steroid injections
If your bunions are very inflamed but you are not able to get in for surgery, or find relief from at home methods, you can try steroid injections from your GP or podiatrist. This is a short-term option to deal with extremely inflammation and pain and cannot be relied on for long term pain relief.
The only long-term proven cure for bunions is through surgery. In order to manage your pain and decide on the best course of action to manage your bunions you should have regular checkups with your GP and podiatrist.