Would this help? Foot massage?

For several months my left toes have resisted flexion; and, at the base of the big toe, it hurts. It\’s a problem for type of exercise which means I must brace the balls of my feet against the floor. I asked my doctor about it; and he thinks there\’s some inflammation there. He suggested ibuprofen.

There\’s a catch: taking ibuprofen regularly doesn\’t work for me. After a week or so, the stuff irritates my stomach, even if I take it with food. What else could I try?

Once again, I\’m hunting in the ballet world for possible suggestions. Sounds crazy? Maybe it is; but pedaling a bicycle uses the feet; and what helps a dancer\’s feet might help a cyclist\’s feet, too.

Should I try rolling out the metatarsals? See here at about 29 seconds. Unfortunately I\’m having trouble finding one of those balls. Ms. Morgan mentions that it\’s a dog-toy ball; but I haven\’t found one in any of the stores I\’ve checked.

A tennis ball might help. At work I had one of those stress-relief balls; and I brought it home to try as a foot-massage ball. Unfortunately it seems to be too soft for the purpose. Perhaps something like these toe spacers would help me? Unfortunately the drug-store toes spacers I tried didn\’t work well. I don\’t know whether that\’s because they\’re cheap; or because they happen not to fit my toes. It\’s too cold now to be in bare feet, anyway.

Or would this help? Soaking my feet in epsom salts?