Do Bunions Go Away on Their Own?

Bunions are uncomfortable, unsightly, and can become extremely painful. If you’ve noticed bumps starting to grow in the area just under your big toe, you’re probably developing this frustrating ailment.

If you’ve started to get bunions, you might be considering possible treatment options or hoping the bunions will stop growing or go away. Learn from Arizona Foot Health podiatrists Ryan Golub, DPM, and Zachary Flynn, DPM, AACFAS, in Phoenix, Arizona, everything you need to know about bunions, including if they go away on their own.

About bunions

Bunions develop when you develop a deformity in your metatarsophalangeal joint at the base of your big toe. When this joint becomes deformed, your bone begins to turn outward, while your big toe takes the opposite turn inward.

The result is developing a large bony, bump that pushes out from the side of your foot. This is known as a bunion.

How bunions affect your lifestyle

Initially, bunions are small and won’t necessarily impact your daily life. At this stage, doing your usual activities without pain is usually possible.

As your bunions get larger, they can start to cause more discomfort and pain, causing more problems in your daily routine. You might need to limit some activities and have difficulty finding shoes that fit comfortably.

Bunions can also cause your big toe to realign and cross over your second toe at late stages. This can cause calluses, corns, and further pain and discomfort.

Do bunions go away by themself?

Unfortunately, once you start developing bunions, there’s no way to reduce their size or make them go away. The only way to remove your bunions entirely is to surgically remove them.

The good news is once you start developing bunions, they don’t necessarily have to get progressively larger. With the correct management of your bunions, you can keep them small so they don’t cause pain or disrupt your lifestyle.

Treating bunions

Many bunions are treatable with conservative treatment. Our podiatrists recommend conservative, nonsurgical treatment for smaller bunions that aren’t causing pain or getting in the way of your lifestyle.

Conservative treatment helps you manage any pain or discomfort in your bunions and reduces the risk of your bunions getting larger and causing additional problems. Conservative treatments include taking nonsteriodal antiinflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen) for pain and swelling, wearing custom orthotics supporting your feet, and carefully choosing safe and comfortable footwear for your bunions.

Our team can perform a bunionectomy procedure when your bunions are extremely large, painful, or have caused misalignment of your toes. This is a minimally invasive outpatient surgery that removes your bunion.

In addition, our podiatrists realign and reposition your bones and tissues to reposition your foot to how it looked before you developed bunions. You can go home the same day as a bunionectomy and, in some cases, regain mobility quickly with the use of a surgical boot.

Although bunions don’t go away on their own, the right treatment can keep them from getting bigger or make them go away. Contact our team for assistance in managing your bunions or learning about bunion removal.