RunningAHEAD - Topic: Bunions...Any advice?

Maniac

posted: 2/26/2008 at 6:04 PM

Anyone on here have bunions or know someone with bunions? I've had them for years (I come by them honestly...My grandmother used to cut part of the side of the toe box out of each of her shoes, so her feet would fit in there...Her bunions would be sticking out). Anyway...My feet are jacked up. At times, the bunions will hurt...Sometimes on runs (though it comes and goes), and other times when I walk after sitting for awhile. At other times, my feet are fine. They appear to be getting bigger (which would also fit with the genetics). Any thoughts? I'd like to avoid the surgery, as I hear that it is really painful and difficult to recover from.

Marathon Maniac #6740

Goals for 2015:

Run 3 marathons (modified: Run 2 marathons--Lost Dutchman 02/2015 and Whiskey Row 05/2015)

Run a 50-miler (Ran a 53.8 mile race 11/14/2015)

Run 1,500 miles (uhhh...how about 1,400?)

Stay healthy

Tchuck

SMART Approach

posted: 2/27/2008 at 12:16 AM

1. Buy running shoes with a wider toe box and mesh in bunion area. 2. Everyday shoes should all be loose and soft leather. Most issues in running occur from pain at other times of day. 3. Wear a cushion on bunion (especially if wearing tighter shoes) 4. Wear a spacer between big toe and second toe. Or tape big toe and 2nd toe together on long runs or races to act as a splint. 5. Orthotics could help, they may not. Made huge difference for me. You may not need surgery. Don't get cut unless you absolutely have to. I choose not to, but it does limit me to 25 miles per week.

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Mississippi

posted: 2/27/2008 at 8:08 AM

I have bunions, or actually, I have one and the other was removed when I was 12. The one remaining on my right foot was giving me a lot of pain. Over the course of two years as I increased my mileage and ran outside more often my foot bothered me a lot. I went to the dr. and he suggested the surgery if I felt that I couldn't tolerate the pain any longer. I went through that surgery on my other foot and honestly wasn't ready to put running on hold for that long while I recovered. So I decided to keep on running and icing my foot as needed. Then my foot stopped hurting. It's been months now since I've had any pain from my bunion. I'm not sure why it stopped hurting but I think that my foot somehow adjusted, if that is even possible. Confused

Michelle

azredbirds052

Maniac

posted: 2/27/2008 at 11:27 AM

Thanks for the information...I'll give the suggestions a try...

Marathon Maniac #6740

Goals for 2015:

Run 3 marathons (modified: Run 2 marathons--Lost Dutchman 02/2015 and Whiskey Row 05/2015)

Run a 50-miler (Ran a 53.8 mile race 11/14/2015)

Run 1,500 miles (uhhh...how about 1,400?)

Stay healthy

Mississippi

posted: 2/27/2008 at 12:01 PM
modified: 2/27/2008 at 12:01 PM

Quote from azredbirds052 on 2/27/2008 at 11:27 AM:

Thanks for the information...I'll give the suggestions a try...

I'm sorry that I don't have any suggestions. Years from now I may end up regretting not having the procedure done. If I were still in a lot of pain I would probably really consider the surgery since my left foot never hurts and that bunion was removed.

Michelle

Anya_

posted: 2/27/2008 at 1:13 PM

I wonder if those spacers work. I'm getting a big one on my right toe, and I just want to prevent it from getting worse.. Its like my big toe is now trying to overtake the other toes and they are going off to the right. Lovely !!!! I just pray they don't get as bad as my Mom's. However, she wore heels. I don't, Ever.

- Anya

Maplefly

Hoping to Run Again :-(

posted: 5/12/2008 at 10:19 AM

I wanted to ressurrect this thread to share my experience. I have bunions on both feet (gee thanks, Granny) but the left one is more advanced, has a mind of its own and can cause severe pain whenever it chooses too, especially about 2 miles into my runs. I'm pretty much surgery-phobic, so I've learned to live with it, employing most of the suggestions here over the years. But a couple of months ago I finally started using a basic rubber toe spacer like the kind you see at the pharmacy (I also add some extra foam padding) and taping that in place to align my big toe before my runs. It has made a HUGE difference! I'm totally used to the feel of it now and wouldn't run without it. Someday with better insurance I may try orthotics. Take care and best of luck!

~ Fly ~
Only as much as I dream can I be.
veggies on the run

RunLuluRun

posted: 5/14/2008 at 11:36 AM

Last year I had bunion surgery on my right foot. I had tried everything, wearing only wide-toed comfortable shoes daily, putting dividers between my big toe and the other, nightime strappy thingees to straighten the toe etc. Thing is, it wasn't going to get better, only worst, and in runs over 12 miles it was downright painful and was swollen for hours afterwards and painful to the touch. I'm only 20 and I wanted to take care of this problem while still young. The surgery was incredibly succesfull, though a pain in the ---. I was 8 weeks in a hard cast up to the knee. They shaved down some the protuding bone and then fused the joint in the middle of the foot to keep that bone from wandering back the wrong way--there are two pins there. Bunions tend to return, and I did not want to have a second surgery when I'm 50. Now I'm set for life, on that foot at least. I lost a tiny bit of flexibility in my foot, but I'm not a ballerina so that's no problem. It did not affect my running other than the fact that there is no longer any pain and that that foot is much more stable. So I was 2 months in a cast and 2 months recovering slowly, walking, biking. So in 4 months I was back to running normally. 6 months later I ran a half-marathon on a treadmill. It was worth it, my doc was so great that my 4inch scar is pretty much invisible.

runner657

posted: 5/21/2008 at 5:38 PM

I have bunions on both feet, also inherited. I went to see a podiatrist a few years ago when the pain was getting worse. He said I should use a big toe spacer, and every night I should stretch the big toe, by pulling it in the opposite direction, towards your midline, to stretch out that tendon. And he also recommended orthotics, which I did get, but I got them from a chiropractor, not the podiatrist, because they were cheaper. I've since been told that they are probably not as good as the ones I would get from a podiatrist. In any case, my bunion pain is pretty much gone. The toe spacers are a great help, sometimes I forget to wear them, especially in the summer when I start wearing sandals, and I notice that the bunion pain starts up again. So I would definitely recommend the silicone toe spacers from the drug store, especially if you can't afford orthotics.

akwillis

posted: 8/3/2008 at 3:55 PM

It's been a while since anyone posted, but I have some important info I'd like to add here. I'm 30 years old, and I've been jogging since I could. The first steps I took as a baby I was jogging, not walking. Needless to say, I love to run. A few years ago though, my feet really started bothering me. So much so that I had to stop running, and at that time, I was in the middle of training for my first half marathon. I was so disappointed. I read up on foot pain and talked to some people and was pretty sure I had bunions. I made an appointment with a podiatrist who confirmed what I already suspected. He told me we could try non-surgical options, but that overtime, the bunions would just continue to get worse. I decided to have foot surgery, one foot at a time. I was 27 when I had surgery on my left foot and 29 when I had surgery on my right. While, the surgery for my left foot was a success, the bunion on my right foot has come back. It's only been a year since I had surgery, and it's already bothering me again. Obviously, I'm not anxious to have surgery again anytime soon, so now I'm looking into non-surgical options. I just want people who read this to know that surgery isn't necessarily a given for fixing bunions. They can come back, even just a year after surgery. Of course, surgery can work, too. My left foot feels fine. But while I don't have any pain, my big toe is not as flexible as it was prior to surgery. My advice to people with bunion pain, and mine was really bad pain. (I'm not one to complain; so when I decided to do something about it, the pain had gotten pretty bad.) I suggest you exhaust all non-surgical options before you consider foot surgery because you're not guaranteed it will work. As for me, I'll be trying the toe separater and taping method.

Anya_

posted: 8/6/2008 at 9:59 AM

Do you think running makes your bunions worse? Or if you have them, they'll just get worse anyway? My right toe seems to be getting worse, and my feet are generally looking more "boney". I am horrified to think my feet are turning into my mothers.

- Anya

Maplefly

Hoping to Run Again :-(

posted: 8/7/2008 at 7:31 AM
modified: 8/7/2008 at 7:31 AM

Quote from Anya_ on 8/6/2008 at 9:59 AM:

Do you think running makes your bunions worse? Or if you have them, they'll just get worse anyway? My right toe seems to be getting worse, and my feet are generally looking more "boney". I am horrified to think my feet are turning into my mothers.

I hear ya. My left foot at least, is turning into my Grandmother's - which I used to peek at wide-eyed and shocked as a child. I can't help but think increased mileage is hastening the progression, making it look and feel worse. I first started running 11 years ago with gaps in between and my bunion was slight and didn't hurt at all then. But it may have advanced regardless, I'll never know. And everyone is different on this. Some bunions don't even cause pain! It can be depressing. I can't afford the $ or time for the surgery, so my dreams of running a marathon some day are probably just that - dreams. Sad

For now I'll be glad to get my 20 mpw in. But some days I do feel I'm on borrowed time with my foot. Ugh. Don't mean to be a downer. Hopefully yours will stay as it is for a long time.

~ Fly ~
Only as much as I dream can I be.
veggies on the run

lakerunr

posted: 10/4/2015 at 8:38 PM

I'm a 63 y.o. male. Just ran my 20th marathon today, 3:44:58, I was on pace for sub-3:40 up to 20 miles, then my forefeet, especially left with worst bunion, hurt so bad, I had to take walk breaks. I believe I had bunions before I started running distance races at age 50, but they may have gotten worse. I have Correct Toes, but I can't find a shoe with a wide enough toebox to wear them in, with or without toe sox. I saw a podiatrist about it. He was not too concerned, said I should stick to shorter races if marathons bother me, not advice I wanted. He didn't think orthotics would help. Said I could have surgery, but my 30 y.o. daughter had the surgery and was laid up 6 months, and off running for a year, had a lot of pain and a few complications.

I do have some orthotics a chiropractor got for me, uncomfortable, but I may have to give them another shot. I am currently wearing neutral shoes. I naturally supinate. Used to wear stability shoes, but they over-corrected and caused a series of metatarsal stress fractures in both feet. Neutral shoes seem to agree with me better. Usually don't have any foot pain on runs under 15 miles.

Anyway, after the race, putting on Correct Toes seems to help right away. I guess I'll try the single toe spreaders mentioned above. Also, "bunion pads" were mentioned. What are these, and would they stay in place for 26.2 miles?

Thanks!

JanaLamb

posted: 11/18/2015 at 10:24 PM

Each day, you should give your feet a break. I don't have one, but I know that it can be really painful, so, during the day, take your shoes off and just let your feet breathe. You can also cover your bunion with a pad to lessen the friction against the shoes you are wearing. You can get these pads from drugstores.

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Mouses232

posted: 10/25/2018 at 11:37 PM

I also have a bunions and to be honest, it is soooo painful and I cant even wear any high heels as same as the girl who doesnt have any trouble with their feet. The surgery is kinda expensive though, so I did my own research and I found out that some celebrities are using cannabis cream. I have read many articles about medical cannabis and how it can help you in terms of chronic pain, bone injuries, eating disorder/anorexia, anxiety disorders and panic attacks, inflammation, even cancer and a lot more. Like this article www.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com/faygo-red-pop/. Cbd and thc are also new to me and I don’t even smoke. Alternatively, they’ve also found new ways to infuse cannabis on food and beverages. If this is true I can’t find any solid conclusive evidence that speaks to its efficacy. Any personal experience or testimonial would be highly appreciated. Thanks

Bunions...Any advice? (Read 1975 times)