Surgery is not the only option for many patients.
Do Podiatrists Really Want Their Patients to Find Non-Surgical Bunion Treatments?
You’ve heard it from us countless times, but this time we have a recent Wall Street Journal article to back us up: Doctors are recommending those dealing with painful foot issues to consider nonsurgical foot treatments rather than, or before, foot surgery.
First off, surgery has a multitude of down sides. Surgical procedures come with a truckload of potential risks (such as infection) and lengthy recovery times, and in the case of bunion surgeries, the condition often recurs eventually anyway due to improper footwear and/or walking patterns.
Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon Norman Turner speculated as to why those suffering from foot ailments continue to seek out surgery despite its obvious risk factors.
“I think people come in wanting surgery because they want a quick fix and want to be back to normal” Dr. Turner told the Wall Street Journal. “Unfortunately, in most cases, surgery isn’t a quick fix because it can take just as long, or longer, to get back on your feet.”
Moreover, not only is surgery unpleasant, but it’s unnecessary. Ninety percent of common foot ailments are treatable without surgery, according to Christopher Hubbard, chief of the foot and ankle service at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York. These ailments often include, but aren’t limited to: plantar fasciitis, hammertoes and metatarsalgia, pain in the ball of the foot and – our personal favorite – bunions.
Alternative treatments can range from management techniques, such as ultrasound-guided anti-inflammatory injections, to methods that attack the root of the foot problems. These methods include shoe insoles which redistribute pressure on the foot and physical therapy, and they can prevent the issue from recurring in the future, as well.
Let’s round back to foot insoles and bunion splints: They can help to redistribute body weight and pressure to different areas of the foot, which helps to with not only the foot alignment but can also help to set the rest of the body up for better alignment. After all, all of our weight falls down onto our feet; if they aren’t carrying the body load properly, the rest of the body and joints could be set up for failure. Bunion Bootie works in a similar fashion to help temporarily realign the big toe, all while protecting the often irritated area from our footwear.
Floria Antell, 76, told the Wall Street Journal the story of her bunion surgery. She developed a bunion on her left foot, at which point her doctor suggested surgery that would involve cutting out part of a bone in her foot and recovering for eight weeks. Antell, however, wasn’t interested in taking to the couch for months.
That’s when she discovered the Nonsurgical Foot and Ankle Service at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, where she was prescribed insoles, anti-inflammatory medicine and shock wave therapy. Antell considered herself “fully healed” six months later, and she wasn’t chained to the couch for any of that time.
Though Antell didn’t specifically try out Bunion Bootie, Bunion Bootie can help to relieve bunion pain and may reduce the progression of bunions without slowing you down. Bunion Bootie slips comfortably under just about any type of shoe – from pumps to simple flats to running shoes – and moves with you through your day.
So if you’re dealing with a painful bunion, maybe put the surgery option on the back burner. Even if nonsurgical treatments can’t replace surgery entirely, they can often delay it. So if you’d like to maintain your active lifestyle while treating your foot ailment, consider an alternative treatment plan, such as Bunion Bootie.