How Does Physical Therapy Work to Correct Bunions?

A bony bump beside your big toe, known as a bunion, can make it difficult to go about your daily life. Severe bunion pain can interfere with your mood, sleep, and ability to stay active.

Physical therapy (PT) provides a non-surgical means of easing moderate to severe bunion symptoms. While PT can’t correct a bunion, it can bring meaningful benefits — including less foot pain.

At Babak Kosari, DPM, in Northridge and Santa Clarita, California, board-certified foot and ankle surgeon Babak Kosari, DPM, FACFAS, provides conservative and surgical bunion care to improve your well-being. Read on to learn how PT might benefit you.

How bunions form

Bunions are one of the most common foot deformities. They develop when the ligaments and bones in the front of your foot shift out of alignment. Your big toe gradually leans toward your other toes, pushing the long bone at the joint of your big toe outward. 

Bunions can affect anyone, but your risk is heightened if you:

• Have a family history of bunions 
• Have flat foot or low arches
• Have an inflammatory disease, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
• Wear high heels or narrow shoes

Spending lengthy amounts of time on your feet or having past foot injury may also contribute to bunion development.

Bunion symptoms

Not all bunions cause bothersome symptoms, but as they progress, many do eventually cause pain and mobility problems. People often describe bunion pain as an intense ache or shooting nerve sensation that worsens during or following time on your feet. 

Bunions can also cause redness, swelling, and skin irritation, including calluses from friction against your shoes.

How physical therapy helps bunions

Physical therapy can’t correct your bony bump, but it can help minimize various symptoms. The exercises, both during your PT sessions and conducted at home, can relieve bunion pain and restore mobility in the joint. By improving your walking patterns, PT may also slow down your bunion’s progression.

A recent analysis of 18 studies showed that non-surgical bunion treatments, including physical therapy, bring a clinically significant reduction in the bunion angle. So, while your bunion won’t “go away,” PT may prompt the deformity to “reverse course” somewhat. 

Other bunion treatments

Through an exam, Dr. Kosari can determine your best course of bunion treatment. Aside from physical therapy, he may recommend bunion pads or taping, custom orthotics, corticosteroid medication, or footwear changes.

In many cases, PT lowers the need for other treatments, such as pain medication. If you’re a candidate for bunion surgery, appropriately timed PT can enhance your healing process.

Bunion care in Northridge and Santa Clarita, California

To learn more about physical therapy for bunions or get started with expert care, call 818-831-1000 to reach your nearest Babak Kosari, DPM, office in Northridge or Santa Clarita, California, today. You can also use our online booking feature to make an appointment anytime.