I am now 52 and for the last 10 years I noticed a growing bump on the side of big toe. I remember my mother with a similar problem and how she deformed her shoes and complained about her bunion.
Now, here I am at about the same age and although it hasn’t yet turned into a physical limitation, it is ugly….and I know it’s only going to get worse if I don’t do something about it. So after listening to Petra Fisher on one of my favorite podcasts Hit Play Not Pause talk about foot health, bunions and toe spreaders, I checked out her website and found a long article all about toe spreaders, how to choose them, what to expect and where to buy them. She also has great information in general on foot health and mobility.
I am working on preventing a pre-bunion from getting worse and trying to escape the overlapping toe syndrome you may see some older adults have. I am testing out a toe spreader for one whole year. I took before photos and will see if there is any improvement over time. I wear these every day and sometimes in my shoes.
I got my separators from Amazon (yogamedic brand) and it came with a free e-book that I think is pretty useful if you’re on the same path as me. You can check it out here if you like. There are plenty of brands out there and availability depends on which region you live in, but you should be able to find something with a simple Google or Amazon search. So far, I have been using mine for a month and very happy with them. These are flexible, soft and gummy like. I am surprised I am also able to use them inside my shoes.
In addition to these spreaders I am making a more conscious effort to barefoot, massage my feet, practice feet and toe exercises and stay out of narrow shoes.
Stay tuned and I will keep you posted on my progress. Meanwhile join the Biohacking Women 50+ Facebook Group where my biohacking besties and I share lots more information.