1. How many Bunion Aid splints are in the box?
Do they come in different sizes?
There is one splint per box which fits most sizes, and the same splint can be used for either right or left foot.
The toe strap is sometimes too long for smaller feet. If so, we recommend you trim excess hook and loop material.
2. How does the Bunion Aid differ from a rigid splint?
The most important difference is that Bunion Aid is a hinged splint. The brace is placed along the inside of the foot and the straps are used to align the toe. This hinged splint allows for normal motion of the big toe while walking.
Another feature of Bunion Aid is that the splint comes with a metatarsal pad. It is worn on the bottom of the foot and helps establish better mechanics of the front of the foot. (Refer to Question 10 for further information about the metatarsal pad).
Wearing Bunion Aid while walking corrects the mal-alignment of the big toe through the available range of motion. It is good to have correct alignment of the big toe when the foot is flat; it is even better to have correct alignment of the big toe as you raise your heel to walk. The latter is function, and the function of the big toe affects the movement of the knee, hip and pelvis.
3. Does the splint fit into a shoe?
There are two design features of a shoe that allow the splint to fit into it. A design which opens the shoe wider, such as laced shoes, helps the splint slip into the shoe. Once the foot with the splint is in the shoe, the second feature – the toe box of the shoe - needs to be large enough to accommodate the splint. Suggested styles are: Brooks “Ariel” D or wide, Asics “3010” D or wide, New Balance “875” Trail shoe D or Wide, Saucony “Omni” D or wide and Merrell “Simple”.
We recommend bringing the splint to the store for fitting.
4. Do I wear this with an orthotic?
It should work well with an orthotic, but you may not need to use the metatarsal pad when wearing it with shoes.
HOW TO WEAR BUNION AID
5. How long do I need to wear Bunion Aid before I see results?
Once alignment is accomplished, is there still a need to wear the splint?
It depends on a lot of variables - severity of the angle and tightness of the surrounding tissues. In general, you should see changes within 6-8 weeks. (Avoid wearing pointed or restricted shoes.)
After correction is achieved, for maintenance, we recommend wearing the splint 2-3 times per week, at night and/or a couple of hours during your daily activities.
6. What if the splint slips or swivels/rotates to the top of the foot?
Tighten the mid-foot strap so it is tightly cinched. This is what keeps the splint from rotating.
Another factor is the tension on the toe strap. If you try to achieve full correction of the toe alignment by pulling the toe strap tightly, it can pull the brace over to the top of the foot.
If the splint ontinues to slip, the angle of your bunion might be too severe to wear Bunion Aid. (Refer to question 9).
7. What if I have pain after using the splint?
It is acceptable to have post-wear soreness that lasts 20 minutes. If you have more than 20 minutes of soreness and/or you have a change in function (unable to walk as far because of pain), then you should reduce the amount of time you wear the splint per session.
Rather than trying to achieve perfect alignment within the first few sessions, it is better to loosen the toe strap and wear the splint for longer periods of time and gradually work up to tightening the toe strap. It takes time for the soft tissue around the joint to stretch (elongate and remodel). Always adjust the tension on the toe strap for comfort.
8. If I have little or no bunion pain, should I use the splint?
Yes, wear the splint even if you have little or no pain. The bunion can worsen if not treated. The bunion changes the mechanics of the foot, and thus, changes the mechanics of the knee, hip and pelvis, putting more stress on these joints.
You will be more successful in developing better mechanics for motion with a correction to the bunion. But you may need help from a physical therapist or other health care professional in identifying the problem patterns and correcting them.
Remember that bunions are an issue of hyper-mobility (too much mobility in the joint). While you want to provide good alignment and support with shoes and inserts, you want to strengthen the muscles as well.
9. Does Bunion Aid work for severe bunions?
It depends on the contour of the inside of your foot. If the toe forms a severe angle, the brace may not lie flat and may twist around to the top of the foot. In this case, we do not recommend wearing Bunion Aid.
Resilience to the toe position is another factor. If you can grasp your toe and bring it back into a more corrected position with minimum force, the mal-positioning of the big toe is more likely to respond to Bunion Aid.
If your bunion is too severe, we recommend your wearing the Medial Mid-foot Brace by Alpha Orthotics to help relieve bunion pain and take pressure away from the bunion while walking.
10. Can the splint help with a hammertoe?
The metatarsal pad included with the Bunion Aid splint is worn on the bottom of the foot (see video) to help establish better mechanics and positioning for the hammertoe. Since the metatarsal pad is sometimes difficult to adjust for comfort, follow these steps:
Start with just standing on it for 1 minute (as much as 3 times per day).
Build up slowly, to 3-5 minutes (as much as 3 times per day) over a period of 2 weeks.
You may have some post-wear soreness, but this should last for 20 minutes only and your function should not change (that is you should still be able to walk as well for the same time period as before you started using the pad). In the meantime, you can wear the splint without the metatarsal pad for big toe alignment.
11. Can I use the bunion Aid for a bunionette or little toe bunion?
We have had clients use it successfully for a bunionette. It works best on larger feet. Because of the toe length difference between the big toe and little toe, you will have to adjust (and possibly trim) the toe strap to get it to hold the toe. The metatarsal pad included with the splint will help re-store normal forefoot mechanics which can take pressure off the little toe. The intended use of Bunion Aid is for treating big toe mal-alignment and not for bunionettes.
12. What else can I do for my bunions?
Avoid shoes that do not provide proper support, like flip-flops. Also avoid high-heeled, pointed toe shoes.
Exercise! Bunions are caused by hyper-mobility of the toe joint, so strengthening muscles through activities is important. Participate in a variety of activities that will strengthen the feet including walking, hiking, skating and dance (ballet is not recommended). Participate in as many varied activities as possible. |
