Bunion correctors are braces or splints that can be worn during the night time and are purported to fix the position of the big toe or hallux in those who have bunions. These are an enlargement of the big toe or hallux joint of the foot that is associated with what is called a valgus deformity of the big toe. The splint keeps the big toe in the right place while sleeping in order to correct the deformity.
There is really a lot of dialogue as to if that really works or not. The trouble with the theory is that bunions are caused by a combination of a hereditary component, foot biomechanics and also the use of tight wrongly fitted shoes. So during the day you could have those causes producing the bunion and the desire is that using the bunion corrector during the night time over comes those forces which occur when walking during the day, which is probably not possible.
Which means that should you use bunion correctors? There is some data that they will definitely improve the angle of the great toe or hallux by a few degrees after a month or so of use. There's been no study done to determine if that progress gets any better with a longer term use or if that progress is only short-term in case you stop using the brace.
Regardless of that, a lot of podiatrists advise still making use of them even when they just don't improve the angle of the toe much. This is because, even though they do not fix the toe, they may still keep the toe mobile and flexible which is a beneficial thing for that toe over the longer term as the bunion ailment progresses. As well as by using these correctors additionally it is most likely essential that you get qualified advice about the best footwear to use in order to avoid the bunion from getting any worse and also do some exercises to improve the muscle strength around the toe.