Foot Pain Blog

What did it feel like immediately after?
How long did it take to recover?
Did you have to stay in bed a lot?
Was it worth it in the long run?
Can they recur?

Rarely, the bunion can simply be shaved off, but usually the surgical treatment of a bunion is more extensive-otherwise the bunion will simply return over time.
Bunion surgery involves breaking the toe bone (metatarsal) to correct the alignment. There is also a tightening of the ligaments on the outside of the toe, and a release of the ligaments on the inside, so the tension on the ligaments points the toe in the proper direction.

The major drawback to bunion surgery is that you will have pain in the foot, and probably not be completely healed for about three months. The most common complication of bunion surgery is a recurrence of the bunion months or years later. That said, if bunions are causing you problems in walking, it is certainly reasonable to consider surgical bunion treatment.

Other potential complications of surgery include:
Inadequate correction
Overcorrection of the deformity (hallux varus — the big toe points inward)
Nerve injury, can cause numbness of the toes
Infection

What is the rehabilitation from bunion surgery?
Patients must wear a special post-operative shoe to prevent pressure and forces to push on the healing bone. Most people will be on crutches, at least until the initial pain has subsided. Bunion surgery can be quite uncomfortable, and may require about 3 months or more to completely heal.

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Please see an Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in foot and ankle injury. (i.e. an MD).

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I asked in the pain management section, and couldn’t get any answers, so I thought I’d try here.
If you don’t know, you never have. Arch supports actually.

The key is to find the right person to custom make it for you. If you have a good relationship with the individual or company that custom makes them, and if they are very good, they can be very helpful. If one of those is not true, it may be a nagging, painful problem.

We’ve had to go back a few times to get them to tweak it. Each time, they listened carefully and patiently made the adjustment. It is seldom right the first time. Also, over time, adjustments are common.

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I’m 26 and have just been told I have osteoarthritis in my big toe joint- it is painful and have been walking funny for months. My GP did not seem concerned. After perserverin for years of saying I get achy bones, she sent me for rheumatoid arthritis blood tests which have come back normal. I want to see a speciailst about my foot as it is affecting my quality of life. What other tests do I need to ask for - I am convinced there is something wrong which may or may not be connected to my foot. Somtimes my hips/ knees/ back/ shoulders ache badly (after doing nothing) and I need to take painkillers. Please help point me in the right direction.

Osteoarthritis causes your joints to become stiff and painful. You are more likely to get it if you are over 40, although it can occur if you are younger. Women are more at risk than men. There is no single test that can check for osteoarthritis, so your doctor will have asked about your symptoms and examined you. He or she will look for bony outgrowths, swelling, creaking, instability and reduced movement of the joint. A blood test won’t confirm osteoarthritis, but your doctor may do one anyway to check that you don’t have another type of arthritis. An X-ray image can show up any narrowing within your joint or outgrowths of bone. However, these can only give limited information and in the early stages of osteoarthritis they may look normal. The severity of arthritis isn’t related to the degree of change on the X-ray image. It is important to cut down the strain you put on your joints by trying to lose any excess weight and wearing shock-absorbent shoes - trainers are good as they have thick, soft soles. Walking stick, knee braces are also part of the ‘help’ aids. Although you may not feel like it, it’s important to keep active and take regular exercise. This will help if you are trying to lose excess weight and will keep your muscles strong so they can support your joints. One of the most helpful activities you can do is swimming - this exercises and strengthens your muscles without putting strain on your joints. A physiotherapist can advise about the most suitable sort of exercise for you. No medicine can cure osteoarthritis but they can help to relieve symptoms. You may find over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol helpful. If the pain is more severe, your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medicines known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce the inflammation. However, NSAIDs can cause some complications and if you take them you should take the advice of the manufacturer, obtained in the data sheet accompanying each container, and your doctor. NSAIDs are also available as creams and gels - you can rub these directly onto affected areas. These are less likely to have side-effects than NSAIDs taken as tablets, but this means you may notice only limited benefit as less of the drug gets to the affected area. If you have severe side-effects as a result of medication, you may find acupuncture or reflexology helpful in relieving pain. Your doctor may prescribe creams called topical rubifacients as another method of pain relief. One that may be prescribed is capsaicin cream. If you have very painful osteoarthritis, your doctor may suggest that you have steroid injections. These are given directly into the affected area. Injections of a fluid called hyaluronan may be given to help ease the friction caused by roughened joints, but this is usually prescribed for osteoarthritis of the knee, you might ask your doctor of the feasibility of this treatment in your case. You may find osteoarthritis upsetting and frustrating. It’s important to tell your doctor about how it’s affecting you so he or she can make sure you get the most suitable treatment. You may need to make changes to your daily life, but there are people such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists who can help to make this easier.

I add two links that might provide further information on this subject

www.arthritiscare.org.uk

www.arc.org.uk

And one on common food allergens

www.anaphylaxis.org.uk

Hope this helps
matador 89

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just want to know when i will get back to normal and be able to resume sports also work.also needto buy some wide box shoes but dont know where to purchase from wouldlove to speak 2 someone who has had this done.

I had this done 18 months ago. I went back to work after 12 weeks,because I do a physical job,but I could walk well before that. I have lived in casual shoes more than anything else since,but apart from stubbing my toe(doesn’t bear thinking about does it?) I’ve been fine. So relieved about the cosmetic side too.
You do need to take it as it comes though,and not try to overdo things. You’ll know when you’re ready to do more. Be patient though. Good luck

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What is the best thing you can do to treat hammer toes/bunions?

I have to have surgery for mine in a few months:(

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I stand on my feet 8 hours a day at work and I am at least 50# overweight.I am a female. I can’t exercise orwalk because my feet hurt all the time.

Sounds like plantar fascitis, which basically involves inflammation of the tendon in your foot. Get a tennis ball and roll it back and forth under your foot, specifically your arch. Also take 800 mg of motrin three times a day. Ice your foot in the evening. If after a week you are still having pain, you should see a doctor.

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My feet have been hurting since May. I’ve bought Walkfit Orthodics, seen a podiatrist (suggested EXPENSIVE orthodics), stretched, exercised, nothing seems to help…
Oh yeah, except that nice shot they gave me in the heels. That helped for a few days.
Anybody have advice?

Treatment of plantar fasciitis is with short-term rest and controlling the inflammation. Here are the steps patients should take in order to cure their plantar fasciitis:
Rest
Avoiding the precipitating activity; for example, take a few day off jogging or prolonged standing/walking. Just resting usually helps to eliminate the most severe pain, and will allow the inflammation to begin to cool down.

Apply Ice Packs
Icing will help to diminish some of the symptoms and control the heel pain. Icing is especially helpful after an acute exacerbation of symptoms.
A great way to ice plantar fasciitis

Exercises and Stretches
Exercises and stretches are designed to relax the tissues that surround the heel bone. Some simple exercises, performed in the morning and evening, often help patients feel better quickly.

Anti-Inflammatory Medications
Anti-inflammatory medications help to both control pain and decrease inflammation. Over-the-counter medications are usually sufficient, but prescription options are also available.

Shoe Inserts
Shoe inserts are often the key to successful treatment of plantar fasciitis. The shoe inserts often permit patients to continue their routine activities without pain.

Night Splints
Night splints are worn to keep the heel stretched out when you sleep. By doing so, the arch of the foot does not become contracted at night, and is hopefully not as painful in the morning.
These modalities alone will cure the plantar fasciitis pain in most patients. Be forewarned that the symptoms will not resolve quickly. Most patients find relief within about three months, and over 90% within one year.
If the pain does not resolve, an injection of cortisone can decrease the inflammation of plantar fasciitis. However, many physicians do not like to inject cortisone because there are potentially serious problems with cortisone injections in the heel area. The two problems that cause concern are fat pad atrophy and plantar fascial rupture. Both of these problems occur in a very small percentage of patients, but they can cause a worsening of heel pain symptoms.

A new treatment for chronic plantar fasciitis is being investigated. This treatment, called extracorporeal shock wave therapy, or ESWT, uses energy pulses to induce microtrauma to the tissue of the plantar fascia. This microtrauma is thought to induce a tissue repair process by the body. ESWT is recommended in patients who have failed the previously mentioned treatments, and are considering surgical options. For more information on shock wave therapy treatment:

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy
After successful treatment, how can I prevent plantar fasciitis from coming back?
To prevent the recurrence of plantar fasciitis after treatment, proper fitting footwear is essential. Many people use shoe inserts to relieve pressure over the tender area. Custom orthotics can also be made if there appears to be a problem with the mechanical structure of the foot. It is also important to continue the stretching and exercises. These simple exercises will help maintain the flexibility of the foot and prevent the plantar fasciitis pain from returning.
What if the symptoms of plantar fasciitis do not resolve?
In a small number of cases (usually less than 5%), patients may not experience relief after trying the recommendations listed above. It is important that conservative treatments (such as those listed above) be performed for AT LEAST a year before considering surgery. Time is very important in curing the pain of plantar fasciitis, and insufficient treatment before surgery may subject you to potential complications of the procedure. If these treatments fail, your doctor may consider an operation to loosen the plantar fascia, called a plantar fascia release. For more information about plantar fascia release:

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I have been seeing a podiatrist for 4 months getting injections in my heel for a bone spur. It does help with the pain but in few days later the pain is back and I can’t hardly walk. I don’t want to have surgery. Is there anything I can do to make the spur go away? It so painful! I have been on anti-inflamatory medicine which has reduced the swelling and fuild build up however the pain is still there and it is very differcult to walk at times. Please help!! Thank You!!

Ask your Podiatrist. I have the same problem. I’ve been told to get shoe inserts, such as Dr. Scholl’s- Again, ask the Podiatrist. He/she knows ur case. It is VERY painful, and I really don’t think a bone spur goes away. It is most painful when first getting up, as ur circulation has to get moving again. Do you do epsom salt soaks? Has it been suggested that you ice the area, elevate it, and REST the foot as much as possible. I realize how painful this is, as does ur Podiatrist. Write a list of questions down to ask ur Doctor about ur questions and concerns. Good luck and Take care!

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I’m having a new job that involved standing in place for hours and i cannot sit. I’ve been doing it for a week now and each day after 2-3 hours at work i start getting very bad heel pain.

I tried 2 different pair of shoes, one of them with some gel in it, but it doesnt help. After my shift, my heel is hurting like hell. Do you guys have a suggestion what should i do to help alleviate the pain ?

Maybe it’s just adaptation, my previous job (for the last 6 years) was a desk job, maybe i’m just not used to be standing for so long.

Any suggestions ?

It’s one of those things you have to get used to. For example when I started getting P.E everyday, I’d come home with a lot of pain, but little by litle I got used to it. So will you.

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