Take care of you feet
Pointy toed shoes may be back in style, but it doesn’t mean that your feet have to change shape too. We’ve seen the red carpet photos of celebrity bunions, but do we understand how we can be fashionable AND help the health of our feet?
The reality is, as many as 14.25 million women in the UK will experience an uncomfortable bump forming on the outside of their big toe called a bunion.
Once you have a bunion, the only way to have it permanently removed is with an hour-long operation that can take over a year to recover from. However, there are many ways to manage and help relieve the pressure of a bunion before looking to remove it entirely.
Lorraine Jones, member of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, says: “A bunion is a mild bone deformity that is caused by inflammation and swelling of the joint of the big toe, where the bone at the base of the toe moves towards your other foot and the big toe is forced sideways across the foot towards the other toes – making your feet appear as if they are pointing outwards.
The cause of a bunion is predominately down to genetics however, poorly fitting shoes will contribute to their development. Wearing shoes that are too tight can make the start of an existing bunion worse by rubbing against the big toe joint, further aggravating the affected area.”
Despite this, it’s unlikely that women will banish their high heels in the fight against bunions, but there are a number of ways to help safeguard feet from pressure and rubbing.
Lorraine Jones’s Tips for Managing Your Bunions:
- Don’t wear one pair of high heels all the time as they will apply pressure on the same parts of the foot.
- Find a heel that fits you properly, shoes that are too big will cause the foot to slide forward and put more pressure on your toes; shoes that are too small will rub. Shoes should feel snug, but not slip on your foot.
- When you do wear high heels, choose a heel that is thicker/chunkier. The higher and slimmer the heel, the more painful your shoes will be. Thicker heels create more stability, allowing your weight to be more evenly distributed, resulting in better balance and less pressure on the front of your foot.
- If you are suffering from a bunion, using bunion specific plasters to cushion and decrease rubbing of the affected area will help to make bunions more comfortable.
New Bunion Plasters, from the makers of COMPEED, are specifically designed to act like a second skin to support your skin’s natural moisture balance. The plasters fit around the foot to provide instant pain and pressure relief. Wearing a COMPEED Bunion Plaster also helps prevent blisters and further hardening of the skin around the area.
COMPEED Bunion Plasters – RRP £6.79. Available in Boots and selected pharmacies nationwide.