Can anything be done to help the situation?

	Night splint: passive and ineffective.
	Great toe spreader: It counters somewhat hallux valgus deforming forces in walking and thus belongs to a more active protective mechanism

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. If you cannot choose your parentsˇ¦ heredity, at least you can choose your shoes. The comfortable, well soled, roomy toe box and low heel shoes may not be fashionable but can possibly help slow down the progression of vulnerable feet with a positive family history.

There are two types of devices that can be considered for temporary salvation. The first type is a passive measure to be used at rest such as night splint. It has probably minimal if any corrective effect. The second type of device provides more active protection for the first metatarsal bone against deforming forces in walking. They are the foot orthoses (shoe inserts) and great toe spreader. To alleviate pain from callus under the forefoot (metatarsalgia) due to collapsing transverse arch, a properly positioned metatarsal arch support built into foot orthoses can be a great relief immediately.

Foot exercises and physiotherapy unfortunately have only limited beneficial effects.

Non-surgical treatments may possibly alleviate symptoms and arrest deformity progression temporarily but they cannot correct the existing deformities.

Foot orthoses: The reason how foot orthoses may help alleviate discomfort and possibly even slow down the natural progression of hallux valgus deformity complex is by providing supports to both the longitudinal and transverse metatarsal arches. Longitudinal arch support is to reduce the deforming effect on the hallux valgus deformity due to pronation. The transverse metatarsal arch support is to reduce further splaying of the forefoot due to collapsing of metatarsal arch secondary to metatarsus primus varus deformity.