Running with bunion pain?

[Orangemini11]

Hi there,

I have had foot for the past year. Just had a scan and it’s the start of a bunion. I’ve got an appointment for orthotics in a few months and have a support to wear in the meantime. I’ve been advised to wear the support when I run and during the day.

I’m an active person, go on long daily walks, run 3 times weekly and go to the gym. My Doctor says I’m in good shape and I don’t want to give running up, due to my foot.

Is it okay to run with bunion pain?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

I've got a bunion, a year or so ago I asked an orthotics guy what I should do about it, he said nothing! Pain pills and massage if it hurts. It hurts a bit sometimes but I bend and stretch my toes a lot, give it a rub and ignore it. Of course your pain could be a lot worse than mine so that may not be helpful to you

[Orangemini11 Graduate in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thanks for your help Sue. I’m bending and stretching toes too. Just wondered if it’s okay to run when it’s hurting. I’m going for a run now, first time with support in my shoe & I’ll give foot a rub after. 😀

[SueAppleRun Graduate in reply to Orangemini11]

Hopefully that helps, getting older sucks doesn't it?

[Orangemini11 Graduate in reply to SueAppleRun]

I know, I’m 60, just sorted out one problem with physio, now another one. 🤣

[SueAppleRun Graduate in reply to Orangemini11]

Wait til you get to my age 🤣🤣🤣I'm 67

[nowster Graduate]

If you're getting bunions, check that your shoes aren't squeezing your toes together. That's one known cause. Sadly, fashion dictates pointy shoes which are harmful to feet.

[Jackapoodle Graduate]

I had hereditary bunions (thanks mum), had both operated on about 20 years ago (hurrah) and now they're back (with a little hammer toe friend). Described by the nice chap doing my gait analysis as having claws for feet 😂😂 wide toe box it is then and as cushioned a shoe as I can get. Both of these things ease the bone pain. I also use a silicone gel padded sleeve which goes over the top half of my foot with a 'tube' part which hooks over my big toe (sorry, I'm rubbish at describing things!). The padding is around the bunion area and I twist it a little more underneath my foot than it should be, and this helps quite a bit.

Running socks with padding too.

After longer runs especially, part of my stretching routine involves rubbing along the top of my feet, stetching the toes etc.

And when I run I try to focus on landing mid foot and spread my toes to try and keep an even pressure.

A lot of this is because my toes are already a bit squished together so may not be necessary for you, but I hope some of this might be helpful. It's flipping painful, isn't it?

[Orangemini11 Graduate in reply to Jackapoodle]

Hi Jackapoodle,

I’m sorry to hear your bunions are back, you seem to be managing them really well. Thanks for the tips, they’re very helpful. I get the bone pain too, not nice, I don’t want to stop running. I’m due a new pair of running shoes so I’ll make sure the toe box is wide. I’ll get padded socks too. 👍

My younger sister has had bunions for years and my mother had them. Thought I’d escaped, but no!

It’s hard landing mid foot. I know my knee turns in slightly so the ball of my foot strikes the ground first. I’ve got stability shoes. Does it get easier if you focus on landing mid foot? 🤔

[nowster Graduate in reply to Orangemini11]

When you land mid-foot you need to make sure you're not landing your foot ahead of your body. It should land underneath you. Ideally, you should have a little bit of a bend in the knee when you land. That spreads the impact forces into the calf muscles and the tendons (yes, they'll moan about this for a few days).

And padding is not always the way to go. It can mask problems rather than fix them, and stop your body's natural coping mechanisms taking over.

Bunions are often a reaction to lateral pressure on the toe joints. Naturally, a big toe is separated slightly from the other toes and points straight forward. Look at a baby's foot.

My suggestion? Try to avoid wearing shoes which squish your toes together.

(See my profile photos for the sort of weird shoes I wear.)

[Orangemini11 Graduate in reply to nowster]

Thank you Nowster, I’ll have a look at your profil photos. Have a lovely weekend. 😀

[Jackapoodle Graduate in reply to Orangemini11]

My stability shoes help to keep my foot straight on impact and it isn't necessarily that easy to land mid foot at first tbh, especially when I'm trying to ensure that I land my foot underneath me and then allow my toes to spread as I take off through the ball of my foot! As I said, sadly my toes are already squished somewhat so it's mitigation of the bone pain, hence the padding of the side and underneath works for me. I took advice originally from my surgeon and then my physio so best to go with professional advice 😊

I blame my mother regularly for this lol, but at least it's not the fault of my shoe choices growing up. I take comfort from that 🤣

I'm sure you'll find a way to keep running, hope it goes well 😊