randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
i have a large bunion on my left foot. it's a dark red color most of the time and really hurts. even the skin around it now is red and sore.
my sister had one and had surgery but the bunion grew back and it still hurts. she says it wasn't worth it.
what do you do for bunions? is surgery necessary?
can lyme cause foot problems like this, bunions, corns, etc?
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
steve1906
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16206
posted
Question: Bunion Treatment: When to Consider Bunion Surgery
Bunions can cause pain and difficulty wearing certain shoes. When simple treatments don't relieve your symptoms, surgery may be considered for treatment of the bunion. What are the signs that surgery may be the right treatment for your bunion?
Answer: In general, surgery is recommended only when pain from the bunion prevents a patient from wearing normal shoes. There is a common misconception that surgical treatments for a bunion are better and quicker than non-surgical treatments. Unfortunately, patients who rush into surgery may have unrealistic expectations, and may be unsatisfied with surgery. Patients considering bunion surgery should understand the following about surgical treatments of bunions:
�Bunion Surgery Is Not Cosmetic Surgery Bunions may not be pretty, but cosmetic deformity is not a good reason to perform surgery. There are too many potential complications to perform a bunion surgery simply for cosmetic reasons.
�Patients Must Have Realistic Expectations Bunion surgery can be helpful at relieving pain, but patients should not expect to have "normal" feet after surgery. In one study, a leading researcher on foot problems such as bunions, found that 1/3 of his patients could not wear the type of shoe they desired prior to surgery.
�The Foot Width Change Is Small Bunion surgery decreases the width of the forefoot by about 1/8 of an inch. That's not much! That is the reason why even after surgery, most patients will not be wearing slender shoes. Surgery can be an excellent treatment option for patients with problems from their bunions. That said, patients must understand this is a procedure that has potential complications and a lengthy rehabilitation.
The patients who tend to be unsatisfied with bunion surgery are those patients who are having surgery done to allow them to have normal looking feet or allow them to wear slim shoes.
If that sounds like your motivation, think long and hard about surgery. Surgery should be reserved for those patients who have significant pain, and are unable to correct the problem with adaptive footwear.
I've seen Dr. R and he's wonderful. I would highly recommend him if you want an honest conservative medical opinion.
I have a genetic condition that causes hypermobile joints and collagen defects. It recently caused me to start having feet problems. Basically looked like I was forming bunionettes. But I wasn't. The bones in my feet were moving and pinching the nerves in my feet. Unfortunately, there was nothing that the doctor could do. He was honest, recommended some stretches to try to get the bones moved back into place. He did not recommended unnecessary surgery.
Randibear, there are some things that you can do to make sure that the bunions don't get worse. Make sure that you are wearing well fitting shoes that don't rub. Avoid high heals. You could also get some pads that will protect the bunions when you wear shoes.
Take care!
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
| IP: Logged |
randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
well i blame everything else on lyme might as well this too!!
i have this plastic guard that separates the big toe and pulls it sideways and straightens it. hope it helps.
but man this thing hurts.
my sister had the surgery and regretted it. said the bunion grew right back.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
i have them. so did my mom and all my sisters. not my brothers. im pretty sure its genetic...or starts out that way
i had one removed surgically before i was dx with lyme. it was the hardest surg i have had except for my knee replacements-but it was worth it
now the other one needs to be done...the only shoes i can wear are mens 8-9 EEEEE....really. its a pain in the butt.
i dont think i will have so much trouble this time cuz i have killed a lot of bugs...but my hands need to be done first
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
randi, I have bunions and went to a doctor about them last August.
The first thing to try is orthotics. The doc told me that they may help. The Internet says the same.
He made orthotics for me and I have to tell you that they are working great!
They tilt my feet out, so that the other toes are bearing a lot more of my weight. It is taking a lot of weight off the big toes. This is how it works. It is wonderful.
Now, if you have terrible arthritis in the big toe, the orthotics may not help you like they are helping me. The doc moved my toe around and there was no pain or clicking. A small click in one toe only. He said that is the sign of arthritis.
If you have bad arthritis, you may need to take an anti-inflammatory for a while to get the bunions to calm down pain-wise and inflammation-wise.
You don't want to wear any shoe that hurts the bunion. Wear bunion pads over the bunions so that they are protected. And, wear only comfortable shoes.
The doctor talked a lot to me about surgery, but I told him my goal was to never have to have surgery. I gave him the winter shoe that I wear. He made the orthotic to fit into that shoe.
That shoe is a boot with about a 3 inch heel. My bunion is medium, not large, so I can still wear heels. However, it is higher than the doc recommends.
Your bunion sounds worse than mine. Get to a doctor and get orthotics made for your feet. If they work, you have just solved your problem. Even if you get surgery, they want you to get orthotics after the surgery. So, changing how the feet are bearing your weight is very important.
If you don't get orthotics made after surgery, I would expect the bunion to grow back. Even with orthotics, there is no guarantee it won't grow back.
My doc advised me to select a summer shoe from a certain company and the orthotic can be inserted in the shoe. They have sandals, etc. Here is the website:
Be sure to select a shoe with a removable footbed. These are the ones that can insert your orthotic.
I hope that you get relief this way. My insurance paid nearly all of the cost since I had met my yearly deductible. Otherwise, I believe it is about $260 for both orthotics. Ask when you call for your podiatrist appointment.
Tell them you want orthotics and you want molds taken of your feet at the FIRST appointment. Otherwise, things can get drawn out and you have to wait for another appt to have the molds made. You want him to alot the required amount of time at your very first appointment.
It takes 2-4 weeks after the molds are made to get the orthotics.
You have to get used to the orthotics. You wear them 1 hour the first day and then up the time until you are adjusted to them.
This is the best thing I ever did for my bunions! Hope it helps you.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- While genetics and other factors can be the reason,
Certain shoes, or a long history of ill-fitting shoes can CAUSE bunions, too (or make them worse). Smaller, "tailor" bunions can emerge on the outside of the foot, too.
Mine are from ill-fitting shoes. Growing up, the shoes styles were very limited and only for narrow feet. Glad that has changed.
I did have surgery to "shave off" tailor bunions on both feet. But, in just a few years, they grew back.
Surgery is not always the answer but it's important to consider all options, even acupuncture to help increase circulation.
ORTHOTICS have helped tremendously - and sensible footwear.
A good podiatrist should assess all the shoes you wear and watch you walk in each pair. Really. This is worth a fortune in detail gathered that can help save your feet and enhance life's pleasures with movement.
They can also teach you how to buy shoes. I learned so much that I wished this had been taught to us in grade school. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic