Can You Shrink Bunions Naturally?

A bunion is a common foot problem . This physical deformity occurs when the big toe moves and points towards the second toe, causing a bony bump near the base of the big toe. Over time, this bump can worsen, making it uncomfortable or even painful to wear shoes, stand, or walk.

While bunions can't be resolved without surgery, it may be possible to help alleviate their symptoms with home remedies.

4 Nonsurgical Methods to Manage Bunions

Bunions don't go away without surgery. However, you can use many nonsurgical (also known as conservative) treatments to potentially help relieve pain and swelling and prevent bunions from progressing. Here are a few expert-recommended options:

1. Wear Proper Footwear

Wearing poorly fitting shoes can often lead to bunions, especially in women.

"That's most likely because women's shoes tend to not be as well-fitting or accommodating as shoes made for men," says Ali Rahnama, DPM , a foot and ankle surgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., and an assistant professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Many women's shoes - and some men's shoes - have a narrow toe box (the top part of the shoe surrounding the toes). "A narrow toe box basically causes the big toe and the big toe joint to deviate, just gradually. And if you're in that position for long periods of time or doing a lot of weight-bearing activity in shoes like that, then the foot will weaken and the toe will start to take on that position," says Adam Fleischer, DPM , a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon and professor of podiatric medicine and surgery at Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago.

Stay away from pointed shoes or any shoes that crowd your toes. Instead, opt for shoes with a square or rounded toe box that accommodates the widest part of your foot.

2. Use the Right Footwear Accessories

Dr. Fleischer notes that most bunion pain occurs when pressure is applied to the side of the bunion. Wearing shoes with a wider toe box that allows the toes to spread out can help ease the pressure, though many people may also benefit from the additional cushioning offered by footwear accessories.

Bunion gel or moleskin pads can be placed on your bunion to cushion it against the inside of your shoe. Bunion sleeves or correctors (a sock-like device that slides onto your big toe and the ball of your foot to cushion the bunion and keep your big toe locked in place) can also be helpful.

Bunion toe spacers and bunion splints are other footwear accessories that can help realign your big toe. "A lot of the time, the pain and discomfort caused by bunions is from the joint being in the wrong position," says Fleischer. "Repositioning the big toe to be in more ideal alignment with the foot can make a big difference."

Bunion toe spacers provide both support and cushioning. Their job is to put a wedge between your big toe and the second toe to make the big toe straight and prevent the bunion from worsening inside of a cramped shoe.

Bunion splints help to correct the deformity at the toe, bringing it back into its normal position, just like toe spacers. They can come in different forms, including with gel padding, so they can also provide protection over your foot and help to prevent the lump from rubbing against your shoe, says Allan Boike, DPM , dean of the Kent State University's College of Podiatric Medicine in Independence, Ohio.

Orthotics (a foot pad or heel insert placed inside your shoe) can be helpful, too, Dr. Boike says. "What happens is the foot flattens out, the orthotic helps keep the arch from flattening. We don't want the foot to flatten because it tends to splay more and widen, and that's what the bunion deformity is."

3. Try Hot and Cold Therapy

If your foot is in pain after wearing uncomfortable shoes, or if your bunion is causing discomfort, try cold therapy (also known as cryotherapy ), Fleischer says. Icing the bunion with an ice pack, for example, can help alleviate inflammation and swelling.

Fleischer recommends using cold therapy during the first 24 to 72 hours of feeling a flare-up of pain; avoid heat therapy during this time, as the area is already swollen. Apply an ice pack to the painful area for about 20 to 30 minutes (place a towel between your skin and the ice pack to protect your skin).

Once swelling improves, use heat therapies like a warm soak or heating pad to relax sore joints and muscles in your feet.

In general, stick to 20 to 30 minutes of heat therapy at a time.

4. Try OTC Medications

If your foot is in pain, you may turn to oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs ) like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen to relieve joint swelling and pain, per Dr. Rahnama. You can also apply topical NSAIDs (creams or ointments) directly to the skin around a bunion.

However, NSAIDs are only meant for short-term use - maybe a day or two, Boike says. If the pain isn't going away, visit your podiatrist to see what's going on - and if you're diagnosed with a bunion that's causing chronic symptoms that are limiting your life, consider if surgery is the way forward. "If you're having enough pain that you require a regular anti-inflammatory agent, it's probably time to get the bunion fixed," says Boike.

Limitations and Considerations

Nonsurgical or conservative approaches may help shrink inflammation associated with bunions, which may appear to make the bunion smaller. However, conservative treatments are likely to only help manage the symptoms of bunions and prevent the deformity from worsening - not eliminate the bunion itself. "There's no home remedy to realign the joint that's even remotely effective," says Fleischer.

In many cases, nonsurgical methods must be used consistently over the long-term to effectively manage bunions.

If conservative treatments don't relieve your symptoms or walking is painful, talk to your healthcare provider about bunion correction surgery.

"Strictly speaking, nobody absolutely needs to have their bunion corrected, just like you don't absolutely need a knee or a hip replacement," Rahnama says. "But if your bunion is preventing you from living the life you want to live and participating in activities that are important to you, then surgery is something to seriously consider."

The Takeaway

A bunion is a bony deformity of the foot that can make it uncomfortable to walk, stand, or wear shoes. Nonsurgical treatments like bunion pads, hot and cold therapy, NSAIDs, and proper footwear may help alleviate bunion discomfort, but they can't eliminate bunions altogether. Talk to your doctor about surgery if you don't see improvements from conservative methods or walking is painful.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

Sources

1. Bunions (Hallux Valgus). Cleveland Clinic . September 18, 2023.
2. McCallum K. Ice vs. Heat: When to Use Which for Aches & Pain. Houston Methodist . March 9, 2023.
3. HealthPartners. Bunion Treatment Without Surgery: 7 Home Remedies for Bunion Pain Relief. HealthPartners .

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