If you notice a small bump on the inside of your foot that won’t go away no matter all the home remedies and creams you try — well, it’s a bunion. Bunions are a common hereditary deformity that causes bones in your foot to shift around and stick out, giving it a prominent, rounded appearance, according to Dr. Anne Sharkey, a board-certified podiatrist. While bunions can affect your daily life, at-home treatments can manage and minimize their symptoms.
To help you make the right choice, I spoke to podiatrists about the best options to consider and got their top picks, along with highly-rated options that align with their advice.
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Experts recommend the following treatments to help reduce pain and manage symptoms of bunions.
If you’re looking to help temporarily realign your bunion, consider using this corrector recommended by Sharkey. It helps relieve discomfort, pressure, and inflammation by constantly applying gentle pressure when on. For the best relief and effectiveness, wear the corrector for 20 minutes each day and gradually increase your usage until you can comfortably wear it for two to three hours. Since the breathable and adjustable splint has a non-slip design, you can wear it while walking or sleeping, according to the brand.
Sharkey recommends these toe separators because the silicone loop helps ease the pressure of the bunion by straightening the big toe. Reviewers say these separators are extremely comfortable; they forget they’re wearing them and have even used them for post-bunion surgery recovery. These toe separators are also available in a bundle with Zentoes’ bunion guards.
These clear gel cushions help protect your bunions and alleviate discomfort from them rubbing against your footwear. Reviewers say they love how effective they are at preventing pain from friction, which allows them to walk and run easily and for longer periods of time. They also enjoy how thin these cushions are compared to other alternatives because they don’t take up too much room in their shoes. Some reviewers say the adhesive doesn’t last very long, so they suggest buying packs to replace them.
Although this product is formulated to help topically combat arthritis, this is great for bunion relief, according to Sharkey. This non-greasy cream-gel hybrid can help reduce joint pain and improve mobility and inflammation with the help of ingredients like diclofenac sodium, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), according to the brand. For significant results, apply the gel four times a day to your joints, according to Voltaren.
Hoka makes some of our favorite running shoes and walking shoes. This option has a wide toe box, allowing enough room for your feet without causing unnecessary rubbing on your bunion, which can worsen the issue. It’s also made with breathable mesh, an important aspect when shoe shopping since it’s not as tight on the bunion, experts say.
This NBC Select Wellness Award winner for best walking shoe is great for daily activities and exercise and has a wide toe box. “These are the most comfortable walking shoes I’ve tried and they make me feel like I’m walking on clouds,” says Rebecca Rodriguez, NBC Select editorial projects manager who has bunions and hasn’t experienced discomfort or tightness while wearing them.
The podiatrists I spoke to say that while over-the-counter options can’t fully rid bunions, they can alleviate pain and offer temporary relief.
While you can’t rid yourself of your bunions at home, great over-the-counter options can help those with mild symptoms. The effectiveness of these treatments depends on each individual’s bunion deformity, biomechanics, lifestyle, and more, but according to Sharkey, they are always worth a try.
Bunion correctors are devices that you wear over the bunion or big toe joint to try to reduce the deformity over time, says Spangler. While they can hold your toe in proper alignment while on your foot, they cannot correct the underlying cause of your bunion, so as soon as you remove it, the bunion will shift back out of alignment, says Sharkey.
However, while they may not offer actual correction, they may offer some temporary relief, according to Spangler. “In the end, I tell my patients, if it makes their foot more comfortable, feel free to use it but use it knowing that it is symptom management and not correction of the bunion,” says Sharkey.
Sharkey says these can be quite helpful for symptom management. This is because they are meant to alleviate pressure caused by the bunion deformity. “Most commonly, I find that patients are using spacers between the big toe and the second toe to reduce pressure occurring at this location,” she says.
Gel cushioning helps alleviate pressure at the inside of the big toe joint (over the bunion bump) to help with discomfort from shoe rubbing, according to Sharkey. While this may help with common symptoms for some, others may find little to no relief because the added layer over the bunion can make your shoes feel even tighter, says Dr. Alexandra Spangler, a board-certified podiatrist .
Some changes that can mitigate the effects of bunions include changing shoe gears, such as wearing wide-toe box shoes. By switching to a larger box or shoes with a more accommodating and flexible material (like mesh), those with bunions may feel more relief. If you have bunions, you may experience more pain and have less tolerance for narrow, more rigid materials like dress shoes, says Spangler.
Soak your feet in Epsom salt baths to reduce swelling, pain and inflammation. This can help your bunions temporarily and alleviate the symptoms, according to Sharkey.
A bunion is a three-dimensional deformity caused by an unstable foot joint. Because of this, the bones in the front of the foot move out of place, and the big toe is pulled toward the smaller toes. According to Sharkey, this pulling causes the bone at the base of the big toe joint to become prominent and stick out. In some more severe bunions, you may even see the second toe crossing over or under the big toe, says Sharkey.
Bunions are hereditary, so because you tend to inherit foot structure, some individuals are more prone to bunions than others, according to Sharkey. This includes hypermobile joints and is found more commonly in those with flat feet and low arches. Because bunions are inherited, you cannot prevent this cause, says Spangler.
According to Spangler, we can perhaps control how fast they progress with supportive shoes and orthotics, and avoid factors aggravating bunion formation, including narrow shoes, pointed shoes and prolonged high-heel use.
According to our experts, bunions are a progressive deformity, and the rate at which they progress differs from person to person. Some develop bunions as early as their late childhood and teenage years while others don’t develop them until later in life, according to Sharkey. “I usually tell my patients that most are the result of your biomechanics and foot structure, meaning that it has been slowly happening since you started walking,” she says.
Looking at family history (since bunions are hereditary) can help you see how fast bunions have previously progressed in your family (although this is not always the case.) However, certain factors can speed up the process, such as improper shoe gear and certain activities, according to Sharkey.
Bunion pain can be mild, moderate or severe, making daily tasks like wearing “normal” shoes difficult, according to board-certified podiatrist Dr. Alexandra Spangler. The big toe drifting laterally can also put pressure on the second toe, which can be a source of pain, she says—more on how bunions affect day-to-day life is below.
Unfortunately, some bunions can cause discomfort and be bothersome during daily activities. Below, Sharkey breaks down a few effects.
“Surgery is the only way we can properly restore the alignment of the unstable joint that has rotated out of place,” says Sharkey. “We have other ways to help control symptoms but nothing that can correct the bunion outside of the operating room.” Luckily, in the past decade, there have been changes and innovations to help correct bunions and make recovery easier, according to Spangler.
A foot and ankle surgeon would need to evaluate the foot to select the right surgical procedure based on the patient’s age, activity level, and the degree of the deformity, Spangler says. Now there are many different procedures to fix a bunion deformity, and most procedures require making cuts in the bone and using screws or hardware to realign the joint, she says.
At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Bianca Alvarez is a former NBC Select associate reporter who covered skin care, hair care and gift guides. For this story, she interviewed two podiatrists, shared their recommendations, and researched highly rated bunion treatments that met their guidelines.
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