Bunions occur due to faulty foot mechanics, resulting from muscular imbalance in the hips.

A bunion is calcification of the big toe joint, which the body will actually reabsorb if the noxious stimulus (the faulty foot mechanics) is removed.

Medicines, herbs, roomy shoes or even surgery, at best address only the symptoms and not the route cause of the problem.

A simple exercise that can help is:

1. Place you hands, shoulder width apart on a kitchen counter (or slightly higher object)

2. Walk your hips away from the counter bending from the hips so that your hips are over your ankles, with your chest at counter height. Allow your head to relax.

3. Now bring your feet wide apart 3-4 feet and point them slightly inwards.

4. Pressing your hands down on the counter, continue to bend from the hips to arch your back and move your belly towards the floor.

5. Keep your knees straight and tighten your (front) thigh muscles.

6. Hold for 2minutes and repeat X3. Do this twice daily.

If you find the bunion pain begins to lessen, it's a sign that things are working so keep doing it!

Contact: donal.email[at]gmail.com

I've been taught that sometimes the reason bunions appear is that one of the bones in the "back" of the foot ( inside and around the ankle/heel )have moved out of allignment and presses on the big toes metatarsal, creating a bunion.May be worth checking out with a chiropractor or osteopath.

"I've been taught that sometimes the reason bunions appear is that one of the bones in  the "back" of the foot ( inside and around the ankle/heel )have moved out of allignment and presses on the big toes metatarsal, creating a bunion.May be worth checking out with a chiropractor or osteopath"

Hi Suzanne,

I agree that misalignment is a part of the problem (which in chronic cases leads to calcification), therefore doesn't it seem that a useful question to ask is, 'why has the alignment of the bones in the foot changed?' don't you think?

Logic would say that, if for example the hip is not doing it's job, that will in turn increase the stress on the foot, would it not? So even if an adjustment is made to the foot, what about the hip?

Taking it just a little further, why is the hip not doing it's job? The body is designed to have both sides of the body function equally and in balance from front to back. In this example we would have an imbalance in the body - a muscular imbalance.

As the body is a highly integrated unit and as muscles move bones, by restoring the natural, correct function the body begins to right itself and return to a state of balance and wellness.

Many people report manipulative adjustments become less effective and 'hold' for shorter periods over time. Would it not then make sense that the failure to effectively address the muscle dysfunction is a necessary (yet entirely overlooked) step in the process?