Got you covered, buddy!
Posted on 10/10/2011 12:25:10 PM PDT by incredulous joe
Got you covered, buddy!
We have an outfit around here called Ideal Feet that measures the pressure points on your feet and sells you inserts to fix the problem.
The cost was high but the relief from the problems I have had for over 15 yrs was worth every penny. I would recommend looking into running shoes also.
That’s it!
PS: the link I gave you for gel toe separators included some I had not tried so here’s a better, more specific pic of the separators I find comfortable: http://www.amazon.com/Visco-Gel-Toe-Spacer-Medium-Pack/dp/B002WQ1AKE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1318282450&sr=8-2
Also - when I wore toe separators the first time I kept forgetting to use them. This time, I began wearing it to sleep (sock over my foot to keep it from dislodging) and even in the shower (made of gel - a good time to wash them) and I believe this helped rapidly get me to a point of comfort in a few weeks (faster than it was happening before) and this may be why I had more discomfort as the new position for the toe was maintained around the clock instead of during shoe wearing hours only and this brought about alot of realignment of the foot in a rather short space of time.
I'll add one remedy that will sound crazy but that will work. Get a small bottle of citrus oil (lemon, lime, or orange) as is used in aromatherapy. Natural food stores like Whole Foods and many vitamin stores carry aromatherapy oils. A single bottle should cost less than $10.
Apply a few drops of the oil to the bunion by dabbing it from the upside down bottle. Avoid any open cuts and do not get any in your eyes, as can occur through indirect transfer from the hands. Do not let pets have any contact.
The oil is thin and will quickly penetrate the skin, reducing both pain and inflammation. Add more as the oil absorbs into the skin. Several applications a day are likely to be necessary.
The science behind this is that citrus oils contain a compound called limonene that has proven anti-pain and anti-inflammatory effects. Bengay works in a similar manner by way of analgesic compounds in eucalyptus oil, but with the disadvantage of a heavy medicinal smell.
That doesn't mean that it can't be gout. I have bad bunions on each foot but they don't hurt, which is why I asked if it could be a gout flare up.
I understand the reprecussions considering where you were in your life and where you are currently.
Sounds more like a sprained toe to me, not the classic bunion.......
This is what I was talking about.
I’m going to a local store tomorrow to see if they have them.
http://store.1000mile.co.uk/products/category/1347.0.4.3.98942.0.0.0.0
What about taking d-limonene capsules?
Capsules taken orally would not attain a local concentration high enough to be effective for relief of pain and inflammation of a bunion.
Would they help prevent future flare ups?
It might do so for a few days, based on my experience with using citrus oil for persistent post-herpetic neuralgia (shingles pain).
Why would taking the capsules only help for a few days and not help be a preventative?
Capsules taken orally would almost certainly not work because they would not attain a high enough concentration at the site of bunion to be effective. Topical use of citrus oils on the bunion though should attain a high enough concentration and ought to help. Once the inflammation and pain were relieved, the effect might last several days.
I had done that with my feet ~ lined them up. I don’t see the “leaning of the big toe” but where the joint of the metatarsal connects to the foot there is a bulge, which I have taken to be a classic symptom. It is significant when compared to the other foot. I think the advice to see a doc is probably best.
These last few nights I have worn stiff shoes, which do not allow me to flex that part of my foot, and I have kept my foot flat to the ground. I have had less pain.
A friend of mine at work had the surgery that you mention. She said it worked, but that she had to stay off the foot for a month. That would literally kill me.
In the new year, I hope to be certified as a Medicine Aide; which means less stress and strain on this 48 year old body.
Thanks again for the helpful advice. I’ve been a FREeeper for many years and am genuinely surprised by a good bit of the adolescent nonsense posted on this topic. I’ve always found good advice in the threads, or at least well meaning suggestions from an audience that could be counted on for constructive feedback.
~ij
FrogDad had a calcium deposit in the joint of the big toe, looked like what you describe.
Good luck with your doctors visit, getting old isn’t for sissies!
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