Bunion Surgery

zapmamak

zapmamak

Barefooters
Sep 15, 2010
656
234
43
Rocklin, CA
www.nakedonsharppointystuff.com
#1
I'm seriously looking into having a bunion removed on my foot. Right now its not bothering me, but it has displaced my toe slightly (no dislocation yet) and has given me problems in the past. Has anyone here had bunion surgery? Did it affect your BF running afterwards. First of all I'm really bummed that I may need to get this (I need to get it done before Jan. 2011 if I do it) because I'm developing this passion for BFR and I don't want to stop my progress. I've heard there's a lot of physical therapy involved and that I will be in a cast for up to 8 weeks. Damn. Anyone have any wisdom to share on this topic?
 
#2
 My wife is having great

My wife is having great progress WITHOUT having surgery for her bunion (30 years of nursing, in nursing shoes)...several things she's doing, which has her podiatrist amazed...1)barefoot as much as possible, and if shoes are needed, as minimalist as possible (mostly soft deer-skin moccs--soles are the same as the shoe...) with very large toe box....2) spends time with the "Flex-Tastic" toe expanders (8 bucks at rite-aid), which seem to be correcting and re-aligning her hammer toes too....and 3) NOT least important, is working lots of foot stretching excercises....



Her podiatrist, who, 6 short months ago was recommending bunion AND hammer toe surgery, is amazed at the progress, and is no longer touting surgery as necissary.....



Don't know if it would work for you, BUT, if you've not tried other non-invasive remedies yet, it can't hurt to try :).
 
#3
I'd try what Nates suggests

I'd try what Nates suggests putting it off as long as you can for the remainder of 2010, and if you find you still need surgery, schedule it for the very last part of 2010, so that way, at least, you will be recovering through the harsher months of winter when there tends to be less barefoot running anway for some. Oh wait, I just looked and saw you were in California. Scratch that. There is no winter in California. (Teasing, I was bred, born, and raised there, but the winters in Cali just don't compare to winters elsewhere.) Still, it's a strategy to consider. Good luck!
 
#4
Hmmmmm. Something to think

Hmmmmm. Something to think about. Thanks guys. Yeah. I'm trying to put off until after my last race which is Halloween. This may be the only year I can get the surgery done if I have it at all since we qualified for medical financial aid and maxed our out-of-pocket annual with our provider this year (thanks to my husband). I'm so on the fence with it! This transition to BF has been crazy hard and slow, but I don't want to lose what progress I've had with it. I'm at a crossroads right now and its so hard to make a decision.

Nate - never heard of the toe expanders. Maybe I'll give those a shot. Thanks for the idea!
 
#6
They're called yoga toes too,

They're called yoga toes too, and you can get them at some of the pharmacies, maybe even Target or Walmart.
 
#7
I see Nate posted just before

I see Nate posted just before I did. Quick on the draw!
 
#8
 :-D

:-D
 
#9
I would recommend that if it

I would recommend that if it gives you no problems barefoot, skip the surgery.

The surgery is designed to allow you to wear shoes more comfortably.

After bunionectomy, you will be told to wear orthotics 24/7 for life, to prevent relapse.

There are many older people that have never had the surgery, keep wearing bigger shoes, and have the most grotesque deformity you have ever seen, but no pain!

If you make a commitment to full time barefoot, your degree of valgus may halt right where it is.

The two important factors that are in your control are:

1) No medial pressure from a shoe or sock

2) No elevation of heel what so ever.

I suffer from a different type of bunion, a dorsal bunion which is a result of bone spurring from hallux limitus,

a degenerative osteoarthritic condition.

Surgery was recommended years ago, I chose a barefoot lifestyle instead.

Didn't stop me from running another 5K race barefoot today, 5 years after refusing surgery!
 
#10
Thanks for the link, Nate.

Thanks for the link, Nate. I'm definitely going to check that out.

TJ & LB, you're a wealth of info. Thanks for the feedback.

At this point, I guess the surgery would be more cosmetic since its not really bothering me. My concern was that it may cause issues with the nerves in the future (I currently have morton's neuroma which has subsided since changing my running form and BFing). I do wear shoes, but mostly flip-flops and flat wide shoes like Vans and my ultra motion control running shoes which I'm weaning from. Its funny, the docs always tell me to stop wearing the heels, which I NEVER wear, although at times I wish I could, because there are some cute shoes I would love be able to wear! So for me, I think the bunions are hereditary, but having the surgery so that I can wear shoes seems a moot point. At any rate, this info helps a lot. Thanks guys!
 
#11
After re-reading the OP, I

After re-reading the OP, I would like to add something else.

A bunion (Hallux Valgus) is not a "thing" that gets removed surgicaly.

It is a condition in which the first phalange is at an angle towards the center of the foot, and as a result the forces on the joint cause bone to grow on the outer side of the same joint.

Bone is not just cut away, although the reason for that aspect of the surgery is to fit shoes better without pain and also cosmetic.

The more important part of the surgery is to re-align the phalange so that the angle is no longer present.

There are many techniques used, but all are subject to relapse.

Bunion surgery involves a re-positioning of bones in addition to just cutting away excessive bony growth.
 
#12
Board is actually the wealth

Board is actually the wealth of knowledge around here. He's like a walking encyclopedia! He knows everything. I mean that seriously. In fact, he knows more about women than women know about women. A little scary sometimes. ;-)
 
#13
Barefoot TJ wrote:Board is

Barefoot TJ said:
Board is actually the wealth of knowledge around here. He's like a walking encyclopedia! He knows everything. I mean that seriously. In fact, he knows more about women than women know about women. A little scary sometimes. ;-)
Click to expand...

Wow. That is a little scary. Impressive, but scary. :)
 
#14
He should have been an OB/GYN

He should have been an OB/GYN instead of a dentist...or maybe not.
 
#15
When I was 19, a podiatrist

When I was 19, a podiatrist told me I needed bunion surgery on my left foot but I insisted on waiting until it really hurt...19 years later, in 2008, I relented and went back for surgery. That bunion was so huge it was wearing holes in all my left shoes and I could barely walk even BF. The bone was cut and repositioned, then pinned, in addition to being smoothed down. The recovery was definitely a frustrating 8ish weeks in spite of the snow and cold, but once out I was able to get back mileage pretty quickly. Fortunately I have a running/walking partner who was patient with my pace, but made me get outside frequently enough that I credit her pushing me through the initial healing pain with breaking up of scar tissue and why it doesn't hurt at all now. Orthotics were fitted yes, but no physical therapy, and most of all, no regrets.

This summer I started to transition and so ditched the orthotics completely and shoes mostly. I do wonder sometimes if I could have avoided or reversed the damage had I known then what I do now, but regardless, am hoping that I can avoid future problems now that I'm gradually conditioning my foot muscles. I also am very curious to know what my foot doc would say to all this.

Good luck!
 
#16
Hi Zap,I have hereditary

Hi Zap,

I have hereditary bunions on both feet and they used to cause me no end of issues - not so much pain but I just could not buy shoes that were comfortable.

Basically I bought a set of those correct toes/ Yoga Toes and have been BF or in VFF's or Flip flops for the better part of 12 months and the bunion on my left foot has improved incredibly . My Big toe no longer pushes into the next toe at all and it looks so much straighter - admitedly my right foot was always much worse and the improvement there is less noticeable but all the same I know it has improved , and everything I was told was simply - the surgery would be nothing more than cosmetic and would offer me nothing in terms of performance or future injury prevention etc so maybe a bit more time BF might be worth experimenting with ? Either way I hope it works out for you
 
#17
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