Bunions are an enlargement of the great toe joint on the foot that is generally involved with the deviation in the angle of the big toe. They are very widespread. It may or might not be painful and it hardly ever appears good and frequently creates a problem for the fitting of footwear. They do are inclined to be genetic and could be caused by wearing shoes which might be too restricted. They are more common in females which may be because of the choice of footwear. They usually are painful inside the joint as a result of arthritis like symptoms and they also are usually painful from pressure from the shoe on the bunion.
Might exercises improve bunions? They may be able to, but they are not likely to really make the bony enlargement disappear and they might help improve the angle of the big toe or hallux a little. The only method to make the lump go away is with surgery. No amount of exercising is going to make that go away. The level of pressure creating the bunion and resulting in the big toe to deviate way is greater than what any exercise is going to reverse. However, having said that, the exercises that you often see recommended are still probably worth doing since they may help keep your joint mobile and flexible which is a beneficial thing. That increase in the range of motion of the joint may go a long way to helping pain that often develops within the joint. The type of bunion exercises that will be most helpful are those which stretch and move the joints through its full range of motion in all directions. Often exercises for helping strengthen the arch muscles of the foot can also be helpful. Even if surgery is used, the exercises before and after the surgery will assist with the therapy.