Bunions are an enlargement of the big toe joint on the foot which is invariably associated with the change in the position of the big toe or hallux. They are very prevalent. The bunion may or may not be painful and it hardly ever appears good and generally creates a challenge for the fitting of shoes. They do have a tendency to be hereditary and could be a result of using shoes which can be too tight. These are more common in females and this could be because of the choice of shoes. They can be painful within the joint as a result of arthritis like symptoms and they also can be painful from pressure from the footwear on the bunion.
Can exercises help bunions? They might be capable of, but they are not going to help make the bony enlargement go away but they could help improve the angle of the great toe or hallux somewhat. The best way to make the lump go away is with surgery. No level of exercising is going to make that go away. The amount of pressure creating the bunion and causing the big toe or hallux to deviate way surpasses what any exercise is likely to change. However, having said that, the exercises that you often see suggested are still probably worth doing as they should help keep your joint mobile as well as flexible which is a positive thing. That improvement in the range of motion of the joint can go a long way to helping pain that frequently occurs inside the joint. The sort of bunion exercises which are most useful are those which stretch and move the joints through its full range of movement in all directions. There are even bunion exercise belts that can be used. Often exercises that can strengthen the arch muscles of the foot can also be helpful. Even if surgical procedures are used, the exercises before and after the surgery will benefit the treatment.