Meet Lorraine, aged 60. Lorraine had advanced bunions on both feet (the big toe turned inwards), and she was worried they were getting bigger. She was referred to us by well-known local naturopath Karen Niven.

Lorraine was pleasantly surprised to hear that we could actually straighten her big toes and reduce her bunions, without affecting her work or changing her footwear.

Lorraine's assessment

After talking through Lorraine's personal goals, we did a thorough assessment at her first consultation, including an x-ray.

Her x-ray confirmed bunion angles of 33 and 35 degrees. The ideal angle is 12 to 15 degrees.

Before treatment: 33 and 35 degrees

Her treatment

We started a course of Foot Mobilisation Therapy combined with specific strengthening exercises, and Lorraine's feet improved within just a month. To her credit, Lorraine was enthusiastic about her appointments and her exercises. Early on, she told us she could see her toe starting to straighten and the exercises were getting easier.

The first four weeks were the most intensive part of her treatment, and her visits reduced after that.

The result

As we do with all our bunion corrections, we sent Lorraine for a follow-up x-ray to measure her results. Her bunions had reduced by over 10 degrees, which is a huge improvement.

After treatment

The great news is that with minimal ongoing treatment, we expect her toes to keep straightening until there's no deviation.

Well done, Lorraine! No expensive surgery and no time away from her job.

Worried about your bunions?

If your bunions are getting worse, the sooner they're treated, the better. Call our Tauranga clinic on 07 925 0269 or book an appointment online to see if we can help you. We're at 1260a Cameron Road, Gate Pa. You can also find out more about what our podiatrists treat.