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Bunion Pain Relief Exercises (Hallux Valgus)
Body Part:
Foot
Equipment:
Mini Foam Roller
Level:
Beginner
Hallux Valgus? Try Our 5-Minute Bunion Pain Relief Exercises
Bunion comes from the Greek word for turnip. And just like the root vegetable, that bump on your big toe is round, red and lacking aesthetically. But while tasty turnips grow quickly, painful bunions develop slowly. Bunions are also called hallux valgus, which comes from Latin. (Hallux meaning “great toe,” valgus meaning “deformity.”) They develop when your big toe joint is misaligned. Bunions can hurt and reduce your toe’s range of motion. Our 5-minute bunion treatment may help alleviate your discomfort. All you need for these exercises is our Mini Foam Roller. If you don’t have our tool, try using a rolling pin. Jump to our routine to start relieving bunion pain or keep reading to learn more about the condition.
How Do Bunions Develop?
Hallux valgus occurs when the bones in the forefoot are misaligned. The big toe is made up of three bones and two joints.
The bones are:
- the distal phalanx (at the top of your toe),
- the proximal phalanx (in the middle),
- and the metatarsal (the longest bone in your big toe).
The two joints are the proximal interphalangeal joint, which connects the top and middle bones, and the metatarsophalangeal joint (or MTP), which connects the middle bone to the long bone. Constant pressure on the toes – which can come from the structure of your foot or how you walk – can change the alignment of the foot bones; the tip of the big toe is pulled toward the other toes, the metatarsophalangeal joint begins to stick out, and a bunion slowly forms. In some cases, a bunion may grow so large that the big toe moves on top of or under the second toe.
What Causes Bunions?
The exact cause of bunions is under debate. 1) It’s thought that bunions may form because of:
- wearing tight shoes or high heels,
- a foot deformity,
- genetics,
- a foot injury,
- rheumatoid arthritis.
The most obvious sign that you have a bunion is a bump at the base of your big toe. Other symptoms of hallux valgus are:
- Constant or infrequent pain. The discomfort may occur when you walk, put weight on or try to move the affected foot. You may also experience pain when you are not moving your foot.
- A reduced range of motion.
- Corns or calluses.
- The area around the affected joint is red and feels sore or stiff.
If you have a bunion, you may be at risk of developing:
- bursitis (inflammation of the bursa, which is a fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion for the bones),
- metatarsalgia (inflammation and pain at the ball of the foot),
- a bunionette (a.k.a. a tailor’s bunion). These small bunions develop at the base of the pinky toe.
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Exercise 1: Toe Stretch
- Start by standing in a neutral position.
- Step forward with your affected foot and kneel.
- Shift your upper body forward so that your weight is over your toe.
- Slowly bring your knee forward until it touches the floor, and your affected foot is vertical.
- You’ll feel a stretch in the ball of your foot.
- Intensify the stretch by coming onto your toes.
- Hold the stretch for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
- Finish, and repeat on the other foot if necessary.
Exercise 2: Foam Roll Foot Massage
You’ll need our Mini Foam Roller for this exercise. For maximum results, roll slowly for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
- Stand in a neutral position and point your toes straight ahead.
- Place the Mini Foam Roller under the toes of your affected foot.
- Apply as much pressure as you can to the foam roller and slowly move it forward keeping your heel on the floor.
If you need to, change your stance slightly so that the pressure is constant.
- When you reach the arch of your foot, slowly tilt your foot inward and roll the edge.
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Continue rolling over your inner heel.
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When your toes touch the floor, shift your weight over the roller and claw the floor with your toes.
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Roll to the edge of your heel and finish.
- Repeat on the other foot if necessary.
Keep Your Feet Healthy and Free of Bunion Pain.
Perform our bunion exercises 6 days a week for 3 weeks. As soon as you notice your foot pain going away, you can adjust how frequently you exercise.
Our Tip: Nix the narrow shoes. Choose footwear that supports the natural movement of your feet. In addition to being uncomfortable, wearing tight shoes can cause other foot problems.
Sources & Studies
- ↑1 Ray, J. J., Friedmann, A. J., Hanselman, A. E., Vaida, J., Dayton, P. D., Hatch, D. J., Smith, B., & Santrock, R. D. (2019). Hallux Valgus. Foot & ankle orthopaedics, 4(2), 2473011419838500. https://doi.org/10.1177/2473011419838500.
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