Footsie issues

[Dempsy Roll]

So evidently I have a small bone spur on the joint of my big toe, where it meets the foot. This normally wouldn't be an issue, except that it's pressing a nerve up against the skin. This means that whenever I kick something (someone) with that foot, there's a shooting pain and I'm hardly able to walk on it for the next few minutes.

Now, the podiatrist said that I have three options. I can:

A.) Live with it and never kick with that foot again.
B.) Figure out some way to pad it, which would only work in training, since I wouldn't be able to keep the padding during a match.
C.) Get surgery to scrape away the excess bone.

Since I would really hate to be unable to kick with my left foot for the rest of my life, padding seems impractical, and I'd like to avoid surgery if at all possible, I come to you. Does anyone know anything about bone spurs that might help me? Treatments? A way of padding that would be legal in a match? Anything?

[Frank White]

Now, I could be dead wrong, and by taking my advice it could make the situation worse, but you might be able to kill the nerve, or desensitize it. I had sensitive shins because of Osgood Schlotters disease, to the point where if I bumped my shin slightly it was very painful.

I conditioned my shins by hitting them repeatedly with escrima sticks or coke bottles (the old ones), and rubbing tiger balm on them. A painful and long process, but it worked for me.

Either way, I don't kick with my feet unless it's a thrust kick, stomp, or I'm wearing steel toes.