Bunion Treatments: Phytotherapy

Phytotherapy: The use of plants to support your bunion treatments

For hundreds – or even thousands – of years, people have used plants or plant extracts to treat their diseases. And today we know that in some cases these plants even work better than common medication! Garlic for instance is very effective if you have a cold. And I always take ginger to fight my motion sickness. So sure there must be plants that can be used in bunion treatments?

And indeed there are plants that can help with this condition, especially when you suffer from bunion pain a lot. Most of the plants listed below possess anti-inflammatory properties. They help you to fight the inflammation of the bursae of your big toe joints, which can be one of the sources of bunion pain. And they do so without the side effects of many common anti-inflammatory drugs.

Here they are:

• Ginger
  I'll start with ginger. I always have fresh ginger in my fridge, and a supply of ginger powder in my kitchen cupboard. Ginger is a plant I particularly like; I really love the taste of it. And an added benefit for me is that ginger is very effective for treating nausea! But of course that's not the reason I'm bringing it up here. Ginger also aids digestion (I already mentioned why that's important for people with bunions on my page about a ‘bunion diet’), and ginger decreases inflammation.
  
• Turmeric
  Though turmeric is a member of the ginger family, I don't favor it as much as I do ginger. Nonetheless, I always make sure I have a supply of turmeric powder and try to use it in my meals as much as possible. Turmeric is a spice that is used in Indian cuisine a lot. It has a bright yellow color and is one of the ingredients of curry powder. It's a very good home remedy to cure cuts and wounds, as well as various skin diseases. (I once made a turmeric paste to apply to my bunions, but my skin turned so yellow I decided to not continue the experiment!) And finally, turmeric is a strong anti-inflammatory agent.
  
• Devil's Claw
  devil's claw is a herb I'm taking in capsule form on a daily basis. It's a South African herb, and is named after the small hooks that cover its fruit. The dried roots of this plant are used to reduce pain and inflammation of the joints.
  
• Bromelain
  I had never heard of bromelain before, though I am familiar of course with the plant it comes from: pineapple. Bromelain is a combination of protein-digesting enzymes and again can help reduce inflammation. Don't eat lots of pineapple now you know this, because bromelain is mainly found in the heart of the pineapple, which isn't the best part to eat! Opt for bromelain in pill form instead!
  Some studies claim that when you take bromelain for a long time, it may be helpful to treat connective tissue disorders as well, including bursitis (inflammation of the bursa). That might be another reason to add bromelain to your selection of bunion treatments. For when you have bunions, often the bursae of your big toe joints are inflamed).
  
• Ginkgo
  And finally, I'd like to mention ginkgo here. The leaves from the gingko tree (a tree that grows in China) are mainly known for their memory enhancing properties. The reason for this is that gingko improves blood circulation, even to the most periphal parts of your body like your head. But it improves the blood flow to your hands and feet as well! As it is important to keep your feet as warm and dry as possible to prevent your bunions from growing, you might want to consider taking ginkgo as a supplement.
  

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