Bunion pain treatment in Dublin

The bump itself won't go away without surgery. The pain is a different story. How much we can ease it depends on how long you've had it and what you want to get back to, whether that's walking in comfortable shoes again or getting back to your sport. We agree a goal with you at the start and build your rehab around it, and you finish with a simple routine to keep your foot strong and the joint moving, long after you've stopped coming to see us.

Most patients feel some relief in the first two or three sessions, once pressure is taken off the joint. That's step one of our method. How far it improves after that depends on how long you've had the pain, how stiff the joint is, and what you're aiming to get back to. After your assessment we'll give you an honest estimate for your case.

Honestly, no. If you've had it for more than a month, it's very unlikely to be gone in a week, whatever a video or an insole advert promises. Anything that's been building for months has usually left the foot weaker than it should be, and strength doesn't come back in seven days. If it only started in the last few days, it's a different story, and getting it looked at early is the quickest route back. Either way, a week is enough to get the pain settling and a plan in place.

Some of them, for some people. Exercises are the core of how bunion pain gets better, but only if they're the right ones for what's causing yours. A generic toe stretch or toe spreader might be exactly what one person needs and a waste of time for the next. That's why we assess first: to find the cause, measure where your foot is starting from, and then give you exercises that match. If you've been doing the online ones for a few weeks and nothing's shifted, that's usually the sign they're not the ones you need.

Not necessarily. An orthotic doesn't fix anything on its own. It moves pressure from one part of your foot to another, so it only helps if the part taking the new load is strong enough to cope. That's why we work on making your foot as strong and mobile as possible first, and add orthotics only if the assessment shows you need them. When they are the right call, ours are 3D-printed from your own pressure scan rather than picked off a shelf. If you've already bought insoles in a shop, bring them to your assessment.

Not necessarily. We'll be honest: exercises and orthotics won't straighten a bunion, and only surgery changes the shape of the joint. But the shape isn't always what's causing the pain. A lot of bunion pain comes from pressure on the joint, stiffness, and the way load moves across the front of the foot, and that part we can usually improve with footwear changes, padding, strength and mobility work, and orthotics if your assessment shows you need them. If your bunion is getting worse quickly, or the pain is stopping you doing what you need to do, we'll tell you and point you to a surgeon for an opinion.

In most cases, yes. Stopping altogether tends to leave the foot weaker, which is the opposite of what you want. What we do is bring the load down to a level your foot can handle: shorter distances, strapping to support the sore area, maybe a change of footwear, and Class 4 laser to take the edge off the pain. Then we build the distance back up as you get stronger. How much you can safely do depends on your assessment, so book that first if you're in pain now and unsure.

For bunion pain, a podiatrist. Physios treat the whole body, and a good one will help. But feet are all we do, all day, every day, and bunion pain is one of the most common things we see. That means we've got the kit for it, like pressure plate analysis and Class 4 laser, and we've seen every version of it walk through the door.

If you've been in pain for under 6 weeks, a podiatry assessment is €90: muscle, joint and strength testing to find the cause, then a plan to get you back to what you love. If it's been over 6 weeks, a full biomechanical assessment with our Footscan pressure plate is €169. Most Irish health insurance plans that include podiatry will cover some or all of it. Check your policy or ask your insurer, and we'll give you a receipt to claim with.

No. You can book directly with any of our clinics, online or by phone, and you'll be seen by a CORU-registered podiatrist.