Bunions are caused when the big toe presses inward and the base of the big toe becomes bigger and presses outward.
Wearing shoes with plenty of space for your toes and avoiding high heels can help reduce bunions or keep them from getting worse. Putting padding on the inside of the shoe where the bunion is may be helpful, as can wearing toe spaces or other pads to help keep the big toe aligned.
If over-the-counter inserts don’t help, custom orthotics may be tried.
Over-the-counter anti-inflammatories and steroid injections may help relieve pain.
If non-surgical treatment doesn’t work, surgery is available.