Running Causing Your Bunion? What You Should Do
Bunions can be painful, especially if you are a runner. Running may be your way to exercise, relieve stress, or is just your hobby where you can be competitive and push yourself harder. With a bunion, it can make running more difficult for you, and you could end up having to give up this hobby because the pain may be too severe. To prevent having to give up running, you can try other things to alleviate the pain and to treat the condition. Read on for some helpful information to guide you.
Apply Kinesiology Tape
Apply kinesiology tape to your foot to help hold the bunion in place and to pull your toes back into position. The bunion is going to push your toes inward, so you have to pull them back out. Apply the tape around the big toe and between the big toe and the other toes to both separate the toes and to pull the big to back into position. Reapply the kinesiology tape when you go out for a run, and you can wear the tape daily when you are just walking about as well.
Change Your Shoes
Invest in a different pair of running shoes that don't squish your toes and offer more support. You can go to your podiatrist for help choosing the right shoes, or you can go to a running store to get fitted for just the right pair of shoes as well. If you're wearing an old, worn-out pair of running shoes that don't fit you properly, or you are too stretched out that they don't fit your feet any longer, you need to invest in new shoes. If you have too much movement, or your toes cannot move freely, it can cause a bunion, so get new shoes.
Adjust Your Gait
The way you are running may be causing your bunion. A visit to the podiatrist can help to adjust your gait and get you running in proper form to prevent injuries to your foot, and they can address issues such as bunions or other foot problems. Some therapy or other type of treatment may be necessary in order to change your gait.
If you have a bunion, and it's hindering you from continuing to run, or it interferes with other things in your life because the pain is too severe, you should get to a podiatrist for help and for some treatment options. Therapy and other treatments can help, or surgery may be required if other treatments do not work. Contact a foot doctor near you to learn more.
Share