You put on shoes that used to fit, and now they press right on the sore spot. So you start limiting yourself — the "safe" pair, no heels, feet hidden in sandal season, your whole day planned around how far you'll have to walk.
And the usual fixes don't fix much. Bulky splints won't go inside a real shoe. Toe spacers slip the second you stand. Plain kinesiology tape means scissors, a tutorial, and a strip that peels off by lunch. Meanwhile the bump keeps rubbing, the joint keeps aching, and that quiet worry about surgery keeps creeping back.
Most people just live with it — another long shift on throbbing feet, another drawer of shoes they can't wear, another year hoping it doesn't get worse. It doesn't have to be the plan.