Tips On Using Toe Spacers To Alleviate Bunion Symptoms

A bunion on the outside or inside edge of your foot can leave you feeling embarrassed about the foot's appearance and keen on having the issue corrected through surgery. Before you seek a surgical consultation, however, you may wish to try wearing toe spacers in an effort to get your toes to sit correctly. Your local podiatrist can recommend or even provide you with the right toe spacers to use. There are several types of this product, including those made of a gel-like substance and those made of foam. Here are some tips that you can employ when you use toe spacers.

Find The Right Size For Comfort

There are several different sizes of toe spacers on the market, so it's important that you find a size and style that will help your bunion instead of exacerbate the symptoms. If the toe spacer you use is too small for your feet or the wrong shape or style to address your bunion, you may end up noticing pain. It's a good idea to consult your local podiatrist about what size and type of toe spacer is best for your particular condition, rather than visit a pharmacy on your own and attempt to find the right product.

Wear The Spacer Moderately

You might be in such a hurry to correct your toe bunion that you decide to wear the toe spacer around the clock. Doing so, however, may result in some discomfort, given that the spacer will be moving your toes into positions in which they're not accustomed. Check the instructions on the package to determine how much you should wear the toe spacer or, even better, consult your podiatrist to obtain this information. In many cases, several short periods of wearing the spacers throughout the day is a worthwhile approach.

Don't Squeeze It Into Your Shoes

Some toe spacers are designed to be worn in shoes. Other toe spacers are designed to be worn in bare feet, such as when you're sitting at home. If you wish to wear a toe spacer in your shoe, you need to select footwear that is roomy enough to easily accommodate the spacer. If the shoe pushes on the spacer or it's difficult to get your foot and the spacer into the shoe, you may be doing more harm than good. High-heeled shoes, dress shoes, and some other types of shoes aren't typically conducive to wearing when you have a toe spacer in place.

For more information, contact a business such as Oregon Foot Clinic.