You may be able to reduce or eliminate your pain by wearing bigger shoes or using shoe inserts or pads. Exercises to stretch and strengthen your toe, such as scrunching up a towel with your toes, may help in some cases. If those methods don’t relieve your pain, surgery may be a good option for you.

Yes I have Bunions also and they can be very painful a Dr did suggest that I have a operation but I keep putting it off

Ultimately the only way to “cure” bunions and hammertoes is by surgery which can either be done by an orthopaedic surgeon or a podiatric surgon. To see an orthopaedic surgeon you will need a referral from a GP; you don’t need a referral to see a podiatric surgeon. If the procedure is done correctly, pain, scarring and recovery time are minimal.

For a non surgical option, extra depth and extra width footwear can accommodate the deformities and reduce pain and discomfort. These shoes are available from specialist shoe stores. Custom orthotics made by a podiatrist can help slow further progression of the toe deformities and are sometimes also needed post operatively.

My brother had them. Pretty sure he had an operation to fix his bunion

Yes. It is genetic. All my life have worn good wide fitting shoes. It gets more painful with age. Arthritis cream can help since it is an inflamed joint. I tried one of those toe-straightners (a small sort of brace that you can find on ebay) but it hasn’t helped at all. Was thinking of asking doctor about it one day, although not sure if surgery etc. is an option personally even if it was recommended.