Use Physical Therapy to Treat Bunions
If you act early, you can prevent bunions from worsening by counteracting their growth through physical therapy and other corrective treatments, such as orthopedics and proper footwear. Physical therapy can also help manage post-operative foot pain and prevent bunions from reappearing after surgery. Read on to learn use physical therapy to treat bunions.
Instructions
1. Ask your physical therapist to show you use toe exercises to stretch out the muscles, joints and tendons that are constricted by the bunion. This can be an effective way to treat the stiffness and pain bunions cause, and can prevent the bunion from getting worse.
2. Get a deep-friction massage from your physical therapist, or have your physical therapist recommend you to a massage specialist who can perform the technique. This type of massage works by stimulating circulation while moderating inflammation and soft-tissue buildup in your toe and foot.
3. Know that your physical therapist may be able to use ultrasound techniques to halt, retard or, in exceptional circumstances, turn back the clock on the growth of your bunion. Be aware, though, that some bunions are in too difficult a location or have grown too large to benefit from ultrasound techniques.
4. Get your physical therapist to use special taping and bandaging techniques to treat your bunion. These techniques--which your therapist can help you master--can mitigate the friction that irritates bunions and, in some cases, can even help reposition your toes into a correct alignment.
5. Use a special surgical band, with the instruction of your physical therapist, to help correct your foot if you have undergone surgery to correct your bunion. These bands work to strengthen your foot and ankle while helping to improve toe mobility.
6. Understand that special foot exercises are also commonly prescribed by physical therapists to patients who have undergone bunionectomy procedures. While surgery can remove a bunion, there is no guarantee that the condition will not recur. You must be diligent about correcting the imperfections that contributed to your bunion in the first place.
7. Follow your physical therapist's instructions closely. Do not attempt more repetitions of an exercise than are suggested. Doing so may cause potentially serious muscle, joint and bone complications.
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