Bunions are a very frequent problem of the foot. They are generally caused by the footwear which have been too tight pressing the big toe over and resulting in the joint at the bottom of the big toe to become bigger. That's what a bunion is. The continuing force from the footwear can become rather painful and arthritis can occur in the joint. They are more common in females, quite possibly since they are very likely to use more tightly fitting high heel shoes. The only method to eliminate them will be to have surgery. Because we walk on the feet and that big toe or hallux is a crucial joint, surgery on that joint is associated with a time period of at the very least a few months of disability after the surgery. For that reason, lots of people would like to steer clear of the surgical solution when they can.
There really are no conservative alternatives to eliminate them. However, there are various non-surgical options which might stop them being painful, but they can't make them go away. There are the bunion correctors that are braces which you use at night that are speculated to correct the angle of the toe. These bunion correctors do keep the big toe mobile and flexible which is a a valuable thing, but they usually do not make anymore than a few degrees difference to the angle of the big toe. Exercises to help keep the big toe joint mobile and supple are frequently useful with some of the pain which can occur inside the joint. If there is pain on the joint from stress from the shoe, then it's vital that the footwear be wide enough and fitted correctly. Various pads can be used to keep force off the enlarged joint. These types of non-surgical options won't make them go away, but they go along way to helping any pain that they may have from the bunions.