Bunions really are a very common problem of the foot. Bunions are primarily due to the footwear which can be too tight pressing the big toe over and causing the metatarsophalangeal joint at the base of the big toe to become bigger. That is what a bunion is. The continuing stress from the shoe can become very painful and osteoarthritis can occur in the joint. They are more common in females, most likely since they're very likely to use more firmly fitting high heel shoes. The only method to eliminate them would be to have surgery. As we walk on our feet and that great toe or hallux is a vital joint, surgery on that joint is connected with a period of at least a few months of impairment after the surgery. For that reason, many people prefer to stay away from the surgical option if they can.
There are really no conservative alternatives to eliminate them. However, there are numerous conservative solutions that can stop them being painful, however they are unable to make them go away. There are the bunion correctors which are splints which you use during the night which are purported to fix the angle of the toe. These bunion correctors do keep your big toe mobile and flexible which is a good thing, but they don't make anymore than a few degrees change to the angle of the toe. Exercises to keep the metatarsophalangeal joint mobile and flexible are frequently useful with some of the pain which could develop inside the joint. When there is pain on the big toe joint from stress from the footwear, then it's vital that the shoes be broad enough and fitted appropriately. Various pads could be used to keep pressure off the enlarged metatarsophalangeal joint. These non-surgical alternatives is not going to make them disappear, but they go along way to helping any pain that they can have from them.