Tailor's Bunion foot pain-- need advice and shoe recs!
Hi all,
I have developed pain in my tailor's bunion (outside of my foot below my pinky toe, and then pain below the 5th metatarsal area). I'm not sure what has brought it on, perhaps wearing my birkenstocks with straps that rub against that area. It's worse on the right side, but some pain on the left. Hurts when I sleep on it, or when anything rubs or puts pressure on it. My podiatrist suggested ice baths and padding the area, but it's been a few weeks and is still very painful.
Has anyone dealt with this before? What worked for you? What shoes did you find helpful?
Thanks!
May 2, 2020
Parent Replies
I have a impulse but slightly different foot issue with bone spurs and my big toe but I think some of the things I did under a podiatrist could help. First Arnica gel massages into the area a couple times a day reduces pain and inflammation. Additionally I switched to soft sided wider shoes and without the rubbing it’s really helped. Good luck!
So funny you are mentioning tailor's bunions, as just before shelter in place went into effect I visited the Kaiser podiatry department in Oakland about this very same thing. I have tailor's bunions on both feet, about equal size. I have no pain with either one, but have watched them get slowly larger over the years. Since I have no pain, their attitude was wait and see. But the doctor said, several times, if there is pain or discomfort, surgery is definitely an option. You are able to walk and be in a boot right after, but healing takes about 6 weeks. And driving could be a problem if the surgery is on your right side. (She didn't say anything about ice baths, and didn't seem to think that special pads would do anything). As far as shoes -- something that's wide enough, and a shoe that also has a firm sole so that you can't bend the whole shoe into a U shape. One brand of shoe mentioned was Hoka One One. Good luck!
I'm sorry the tailor's bunion is so painful for you. Although painful, it sounds as though it's not been going on for very long. I was able to correct my tailor's bunion using yoga toes (https://yogatoes.com). I put them on every night when I read. They were very painful at first and I could only use them for a few minutes. Eventually, my feet and toes stretched out enough that I occasionally fell asleep with them on. The bunion corrected enough that I can wear "normal" shoes and no longer have pain. By normal shoes, I should clarify: I tend to wear "comfort" shoes that are orthopedically correct - there are some stylish ones out there, see what Footwear Etc. has to offer.