Treatment for Bunions
Shoe wear modification to avoid high heels and narrow, pointed toes that predispose to bunion formation and pain. Shoes with a soft upper are preferred. Shoes can be taken to a cobbler to be stretched around the bunion.
Orthotics and braces do not help with bunions. There are no devices that will reverse the deformity. However, toe spacers may be used to temporarily alleviate pain.
Surgery is necessary when the pain is NOT able to be treated via shoe wear modification. This requires reshaping the metatarsal and sometimes the phalanx in addition to tightening the stretched capsule. Because bunions will recur with shoes that recreate the deformity, the rehabilitation from this surgery is prolonged open toe shoe wear, followed by allowance of tennis shoes no sooner than four months postoperatively.
What NOT to Expect
Bunion surgery is a complex reconstructive surgery. Beware of promises of pain-free return to normal activity in the short term. There is no way to accelerate soft tissue and bone healing. As is often the case, the best things take a bit of effort and time but are generally worth the investment.
Bunion surgery will NOT change your shoe size. It WILL make you more comfortable in your actual shoe size.
Bunion surgery is not meant for purely cosmetic purposes. It is possible to convert a pain-free bunion to a painful but beautiful foot. For this reason, it is only medically indicated to operate on bunions that cause discomfort.
For Best Results
See a Board-Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with an accredited fellowship training in Foot and Ankle surgery about your bunion.
Be prepared for a new set of x-rays in office. Not all x-rays are the same.
Be prepared for a postoperative protocol that allows for downtime as well as time in a medical shoe. Normal shoe wear is not encouraged immediately post operatively and can lead to recurrence.
References
https://www.footcaremd.org/conditions-treatments/toes/bunions
https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/bunions/
For more information, please contact us by phone 310-437-7922 or email: [email protected].