Bunions are an enlargement of the big toe joint on the foot that is in most cases involved with the deviation in the angle of the big toe or hallux. Bunions are very common. It may or might not be painful and it hardly ever looks good and in most cases poses a difficulty for the fitting of shoes. They do have a tendency to be genetic and could be the result of wearing shoes that happen to be too restricted. These are more prevalent in females and this may be as a result of the type of shoes. They can be painful inside the joint as a result of arthritis like symptoms and they also can be painful due to pressure from the shoe on the bunion.

Can exercises help bunions? They might be capable of, however they are unlikely to help make the bony enlargement disappear and they could help improve the angle of the big toe somewhat. The best way to make the lump go away is with surgery. No level of exercising is going to make that go down. The level of force producing the bunion and causing the big toe or hallux to deviate way is greater than what any exercise is going to change. However, having said that, the exercises that you often see recommended are still probably worth doing since they can help keep your joint mobile as well as flexible which is a beneficial thing. That increase in the range of motion of the joint will go a long way to reducing pain that frequently occurs inside the joint. The sort of bunion exercises which are most beneficial are those which stretch and move the joints through its full range of motion in all directions. Often exercises that can strengthen the arch muscles of the foot may also be useful. Even when surgery is used, the exercises pre and post the surgery will help with the recovery.