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When I had my own natural bunion reversal, I had to change a couple of my habits.
For me, it actually didn’t take very long from the time I recognized that my foot pain was actually a bunion to the end goal of no pain and no problems. However, I tried a lot of things and as usual, some worked and some didn’t.
Luckily, I found great sources for natural bunion reversal so I was able to do this rather quickly. I have documented here exactly what worked as I want anyone in need to come here and refer to this list with no doubt they can reverse their bunion.
I cannot promise you any specific duration of time it will take to heal because that depends on the severity, but it is certainly better to start acting today rather than let it get worse. I wrote an article about The 3 Main Causes of Bunions already, so you might be interested in starting there before reading this article.
But other than that, let’s get into the 5 steps.
Natural Bunion Reversal Step 1: Wear Wide Toe Box Shoes
The first and most obvious place to start is with our shoes. The reason why is because our footwear is the primary cause of bunions.
Of all the detrimental features within shoes, the narrow toe box is likely the most harmful feature. What we have to do then is correct this feature by wearing shoes that offer a wide toe box.
The best example of footwear that not only offers a wide toe box, but also corrects the other detrimental features of conventional shoes, would be barefoot / minimalist shoes.
The best shoes I have found to help with this issue and get you started on your journey to a natural bunion reversal is Xero Shoes. These are the shoes that helped me eliminate my painful case of plantar fasciitis and have made my feet and ankles noticeably stronger.
I mention plantar fasciitis as well because it has the same root cause as bunions: the big toe being pushed in. People who get bunions tend to also get plantar fasciitis somewhere down the line, and I was no exception.
Conventional brands of footwear such as New Balance and Birkenstocks will not suffice because they are simply not wide enough and also too rigid in the sole. I tried wearing conventional brands like these until I realized no progress was being made and it wasn’t until I switched to barefoot shoes that I felt the pain subsiding.
Vibram FiveFingers are another phenomenal example of shoes that will help your toes spread. In fact, these have separated toe slots to make sure your toes do spread. I wear mine on a daily basis and they allow me to cover my feet without feeling cramped inside them.
Other great barefoot shoe options would be anything made by Vivobarefoot. All of their footwear is made with a wide toe box, among other great features. Xero Shoes and Vivobarefoot are my 2 favorite shoe brands, personally.
It is important to acknowledge that there is a transitionary period when switching to barefoot shoes. I’d recommend you follow this article on transitioning safely, as well as take your own precautions when easing into barefoot footwear.
Overall, barefoot shoes are going to allow your toes to spread wider than conventional shoes and over time, this is going to significantly reduce your bunion pain.
Natural Bunion Reversal Step 2: Wear Toe Socks
While we are wearing shoes, we might as well continue optimizing for better toe function. This is where toe socks come into play.
Regular socks are intended to be round-toed. However, they actually come to a point as most options are still too tight and constrictive on the toes.
When I realized this, I knew I had to find some kind of alternative, and the most obvious one was toe socks.
I bought a couple pairs and started mixing them into my routine and I honestly haven’t looked back since. I will not be switching back to round-toed socks anytime in the near future.
The noticeable increase in toe splay and the feeling of individual toe function has been too good to think otherwise. Pair your toe socks with wide toe box shoes and you will see exactly what I mean. The toe splay is unmatched and it takes so much pressure off the big toe from being pulled in towards the other toes.
Conventional socks often still pull our toes together while inside the shoe. This is in combination with the fact that toe boxes are always too narrow for our feet anyway. So you have two elements working against you and aggravating that big toe joint.
I have worn a couple different options with Injinji being my preferred brand. They are more durable than most other toe sock options.
I have also worn other basic Amazon options but they simply won’t last as long.
If you don’t like the idea of toe socks, Naboso is known for having great sock options, particularly their Foot Recovery Socks. (Use Coupon Code “VITALSAGE” for 10% off at checkout).
These have a wider toe box and are great for minimizing foot fatigue and improving foot circulation.
Natural Bunion Reversal Step 3: Wear Toe Spacers
Toe spacers are another obvious tool to utilize when dealing with bunions.
When you take your shoes off, it is not uncommon to feel like your feet have been stuck in a “foot coffin.” The need to stretch and spread the toes is completely natural and this is exactly why throwing on a pair of toe spacers after a day stuck in shoes is an excellent idea.
I typically like to do this at night while I’m laying in bed, relaxing. It’s a very easy activity to passively do while you work on your computer, watch a TV show, or read a book.
Toe spacers are an effective tool because they will realign your toes to be back in line with the toe bones that you should be able to see on top of your foot. If you can’t see them, flex your toes upward so they stand out. These are the bones your toes should follow in line with.
Your toes have been pinched together for years in constrictive footwear, teaching them to all cramp together without any separation between them. The toe spacers will teach them to resort to their old ways of remaining separated, yet strong.
There are very popular brands out there, such as Correct Toes, which is what I usually wear. However, there are also other options available, which are cheaper and have a similar effect as them.
Beyond Wearing Toe Spacers….
Once you’re comfortable wearing the toe spacers frequently and your toes have stretched out a bit, I would start to incorporate some manual toe stretches.
I recommend 3 toe stretches, 2 of which are shown in my YouTube video here.
The 3rd stretch I recommend is to simply pull the big toe laterally (the opposite direction of where your shoes push it). Use these 3 stretches daily and you’ll start noticing steady improvement.
I use all these stretches daily and I incorporate them into my life because they were a significant factor in my natural bunion reversal.
If I’m sitting on the floor barefoot, I might just start messing with my toes out of habit. Or if I’m sitting in a chair, I’ll curl my toes under using the floor like I am in the video.
Natural Bunion Reversal Step 4: Strengthen the Foot Arch
My last article about the causes of bunions discussed how flat feet, specifically from collapsed or fallen arches, is another huge contributor to bunion formation.
When the foot arch collapses, your bodyweight goes from resting primarily on the outside of the feet to the inside of the feet.
This is a major change in foot stance because in the natural outside of the foot stance, the big toes are pushed towards each other, keeping them spread wide. In the new inside of the foot stance, the bodyweight pushes the big toes away from each other, therefore cramping them against the little toes.
This is an uncomfortable position to be in when you already have a bunion or one is starting to form on your big toe joint.
Now, the foot has no choice but to overpronate. Pronation is a natural process of the foot used for shock absorption, however, overpronation occurs when the foot cannot regulate this natural process.
When the foot is overpronating, the big toe joint is exposed to side-loading. Side-loading is going to put increased pressure on that joint because so much of the force from the impact with the ground is being pushed directly into the joint. (See Picture Below).
When you have a bunion, this area is already highly sensitive and cannot take much more pressure.
To strengthen your foot arch, you need to do 2 things: free your big toe and let your feet be feet.
I am not a fan of these weird exercises people recommend for flat feet and plantar fasciitis like toe touches, foot crunches, and rolling over frozen water bottles. You don’t need that nonsense.
What actually works is good footwear, being barefoot often, and practicing your balance, which will lead to a natural bunion reversal.
We already talked about getting better footwear that will free your toes and let the feet behave normally, and my recommendation is Xero Shoes. I have worn 6 pairs of shoes from them for a reason.
Next is being barefoot and it’s as simple as that. You need to “stop the bleeding” by letting your big toe joint get pushed in by narrow footwear. Take the tight shoes off as much as possible and let your toes spread and reacclimate with the ground.
I have a popular article that explains how to Build Strong Arches by being barefoot. Your big toe is what helps create the arch of the foot, but it has to have the strength and allowance to do so, so get out of its way!
The last point here is to practice your balance. Why balance of all things? Because when you’re trying to balance, you have to engage lots of small muscles to remain upright and stable, this includes all the tiny muscles in your toes, feet, ankles, etc.
This will rapidly teach your toes to engage with the ground and form the strong foot arch you’re looking for so you can have a natural bunion reversal. I have articles that tell you how you can optimize your balance like this one and this one.
Beyond these, I would highly recommend investing in something like the Kinesis Board from Naboso, one of the most innovative, functional podiatry companies around. The Kinesis Board has a built-in micro wobble system and sensory stimulation to help you constantly practice your balance. (Use Coupon Code “VITALSAGE” for 10% off at checkout).
Natural Bunion Reversal Step 5: Improve Ankle Mobility
As I discussed in the last article, a lack of ankle mobility can quickly accentuate the severity of a bunion.
When we lack ankle mobility, particularly dorsiflexion, what the body does is turn our feet outward to compensate for the lack of mobility we have going forward and back.
I like to call this stance “duck feet” because it has us standing walking, running and squatting with our feet turned out. This position creates what is known as side-loading as it loads the foot unnaturally, putting pressure on the big toe joint.
As you can see from the picture above, this is a very aggravating position when you already have a bunion because it creates even more pain.
What you need to do is fix this lack of mobility in the ankle by restoring more dorsiflexion. There are several different ways of increasing your ankle mobility so I will go through the best options that I have found here and I would encourage you to use all of these as regular practices to remain mobile.
First is wearing shoes that do not compromise the height of your heel or position of your ankle. Problem is, shoes almost always are built with heel elevation, so your heel sits higher than the rest of your foot. This disrupts your ankle mobility, so you need to look into zero drop soled shoes.
Luckily, barefoot shoes should always come zero drop, so refer to the shoes I’ve linked earlier in this article.
Second and very potent, is myofascial release. This is the targeted releasing of tight muscle tissue in an area that is in pain or not getting enough mobility.
I have used myofascial release to improve my own ankle mobility using this exact technique so that one would be my first choice.
My next choice is one that would normally be used for plantar fasciitis, but the gastrocnemius controls the ankle after all, so might as well release it!
When done correctly, these releases will have you feeling the blood flow through your ankles and into your feet again like it was before the impingement. You should be able to bend your ankles noticeably further after these.
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