Bunions can be ugly and painful. Most of the time, they are caused from splaying of the forefoot. This is a term used to describe widening of the forefoot. Running from the middle to the front of your foot, are 5 bones called the metatarsal bones. The base of them starts high in the arch of your foot and they slope down and end just behind your toes. They are like short pencils with round heads that rest behing the toe bones. You should be able to see them like knuckle bones if you clench your toes as if trying to pick something up with them. However, womens hormones make this a problem, which is why more women suffer from bunions than men. Female hormones make ligaments soft like chewing gum. The bones in your feet are held together by strong ligaments. When these soften and stretch, our arches weaken and collapse and our forefeet widen. If you make a fist with your hands, you can see your knuckles. The middle knuckle should be the highest. When you do the same with your feet, those with perfect feet have the same structure. Those with a splayed forefoot will see them all equally in line, which is the precursor to a bunion. By tightening your forefoot up you can prevent a bunion. Try picking a chubby pen up with your toes for 10 minutes, this will keep those unused muscles strong. However, if the splaying in your forefeet is quite progressed, you may need to wear an orthotic. An insole might not be enough, you may need to see a Podiatrist and have an orthotic made to push your forefoot up and tighter. If you cannot make it to a Podiatrist, or you want to treat yourself at home, use a Footerella device that tightens and tones your feet. This is very intense and the muscles ache afterwards, but the rewards are well worth it.
Bunions are for past generations. There are 3 easy steps to fix them;
1. Start exercising your intrinstic muscles to tighten your forefoot.
2. See your Podiatrist to have a casted, moulded orthotic that tightens and lifts your forefoot.
3. Use the Footerella to really pack a punch to bring your forefoot together again.
