I couldn’t wear those lovely shoes that you see on Sex and the City. I wanted to wear heels, slingbacks and the latest fashions. Not with my feet.

They were ugly, ugly, ugly.

Then something happened. My ugly feet didn’t bother me anymore…nope…I didn’t care about the horrendous shape or the wonky toes or the horrible collection of shoes I was reduced to wearing. No. Something else became my obession.

Pain.

Oh my Lord…the pain.

No longer did my bunions stare at me like a bad Picasso painting. I was no longer obsessed by shape, form and fit. The pain took my mind off aesthetics all together.

The simplest of trips to the mall or to the store just tore into my feet. Even at night the pain and the throbbing distracted my sleep.

Bunion surgery was not the answer. The rehabilitation from surgery is time I can’t afford.

This is my search for comfort and a little pain relief. I’ll go through some of the bunion braces and bunion splints I’ve tried and whether they have helped or not.

I’m going to walk the walk….hopefully.

I can’t find a picture of what these look like on the Internet so it is tough to imagine. The main piece wraps around the ball of your foot and an extension that you pull on over the big toe.
Imagine having a glove you pull all for your foot saw that it ends in the middle of your arch and you cut off all be “fingers” except for the big toe.

Well, that was probably the most wasteful $15 I have ever spent in my life. All these things seem to do is firstly, wrinkle up inside my shoes causing my feet to become uncomfortable and secondly, make my feet sweat like they haven’t done since I was last in the gym. It constantly amazes me how people put these things on the market because it seems like nobody has ever tested them before. Any half brained scientist or researcher could have realised that there was no point in creating this product just by putting them into their athletic shoes and walking around all day. I can guarantee you they would have gone straight back to their bosses and said “these are rubbish”.

The problem is there is a constant demand for solutions to people’s aches and pains and a lot of these manufacturers realise that people will pay if there is the appearance of a solution to a problem.

It constantly amazes me how such a small problem in the grand scheme of things such as a bunion can’t be aided or helped but we can send a 65-year-old man into space.

The search continues…

Consider the top 3 reasons that many people decide to go forward with the surgery.

Pain

Whether you have a small bunion that is torturously painful or a larger one that is more uncomfortable, you may want to go through bunion surgery to relieve consistent pain that is not eased by other means.

Some alternatives to surgery may be switching to wider shoes and not wearing anything that squeezes your toes together, or using different shoe cushion inserts to allow for more protection. When these options fail and you are in pain, then you may need the surgery. Even a little pain is difficult to endure on a daily basis.

Prevention

Bunions can get worse with time and can lead to more problems with other toes. For example, your big toe may eventually push underneath you next toe, which causes a hammer toe. You now have two problems instead of one, and the hammer toe can be quite painful.

Cosmetics

Lets face it. Bunions are not pretty! Many people will go through with the surgery simply because they do not like the look of their feet or feel extremely self-conscious in social situations where they have to remove their feet.

Also, if your bunion severely limits the type of shoes you can wear it can be difficult to find dress shoes and other types that fit correctly.
Bunion surgery is usually an out-patient process with little risk to your body, but it does require about a week to recover.

A bunion night splint essentially wraps around your foot then extends down over your big toe. The goal is to pull the big toe into the correct position, not allowing it to buckle down against the next toe. Temporarily fixing the problem that is causing the bunion internally, it can bring some relief to the pain and agitation that you feel during the night.

Of course, in the morning you still have to deal with a bunion, but at least you have a chance of getting through the night with more hours of restful sleep. That will in turn increase your ability to deal with the bunion during the daylight hours.

If you find that your bunion is becoming worse and making it more difficult to walk or get through your daily obligations, you may consider wearing a day splint or purchasing one that can be worn during the night and day. The Wheaton bunion brace is a good one that can be worn anytime and even with shoes.

A bunion night splint does help many people get more sleep, but it is not a permanent solution that will take the condition away.

What They Do

A bunion splint is not a miracle worker. It will not prevent your bunion from developing and will not necessarily take away all the pain that sometimes comes with the condition. What a splint will do is keep your big toe straightened in the correct position so that it does not collapse in on the rest of your toes.
This can bring some pain relieve and a little more comfort, especially at night.

Types of Bunion Splints

There are splints made for day and night use and they come in a variety of forms. The most basic splints simply wrap around the top of your feet and strap around your toes, holding the big toe out in straight position. There are other varieties, including some that allow you to melt down the rigid piece and mold it to the exact shape of your bunion.

Wearing a splint during the day can bring some relief, but if you have to leave your shoes on all day at work, chances are you will need to purchase a shoe that expands more or a size larger to accommodate the extra space taken up by the splint.

Most people where night time bunion splints so shoes are not an obstacle.

It is expensive and frustrating to have bunion splints for daytime use and others for nighttime use. The Wheaton bunion brace can be worn at all times of day and will accommodate your shoes much better than other brands. Of course, it still will take up a little extra room in your shoes, but not as much as bulkier models.

Also, a Wheaton bunion brace will hold its position even while you are wearing shoes. You wont have to worry about it twisting and turning uncomfortable, pulling your toes around. This simply is one of the best braces out there, whether you want to wear it while on your feet at work or just while sleeping at home.

The Wheaton bunion brace can be used while recovering from a bunion laser surgery, or as a comfort measure for cases that do not rise to the occasion of surgery. They may not relieve all the discomfort or pain that you bunion delivers, but they can take the edge off the discomfort so you can get through your day and sleep soundly.

How much you surgery will cost depends partly on how bad your particular situation is and exactly what needs to be done. Simply removing the bump may be offered at lower cost by some surgeons, but the chances are high that the bunion will simply come back, sometimes within a few months.

The best surgery will correct the position of your big toe as well so that the problem is less likely to reoccur. In general, bunion surgery cost is around $4,000, varying of course by surgeon. While it may be tempting to cut costs and just go with the cheapest surgeon you find, make sure they are accredited and have a solid history of doing this surgery. A botched job will only make things worse.

The good news is many insurance programs will cover most of the bunion surgery cost. You may have to pay a deductible, but using your insurance could enable you to afford a more experienced surgeon. This in turn will increase the chances of you being happy with the results.

If you are concerned with scarring from the incisions of the surgery, you may want to consider having a cosmetic surgeon come into the operating room and do some cosmetic touch ups as well. Of course, this adds considerably to the total bunion surgery cost so make sure you know ahead of time whether you can afford this or not.

I have a very good friend that is a leading expert in the field of orthotics and he told me the truth.

Orthotics don’t cure bunions. They don’t fix bunions. The don’t straighten bunions.

Orthotics have 2 goals when used on a patient with bunions.

1. They help SLOW DOWN the rate at which bunions progress…but they still progress
2. They will help with SOME pain reduction but this is due to helping stabilizing the foot during push off when we walk. I’m not sure how this works but he assures me this is the case.

What he says is if you want to spend up to $400 for a bit of pain relief and have to wear cluncky shoes…go right ahead.

Just don’t let yourself be ‘sold’ orthotics on the promise that they will ‘cure’ your bunions. Too many women fall for that…I was lucky…I had good inside information.

Cons

The only real con to surgical bunion removal is the cost involved. If you have medical insurance it is likely that much of it will be covered for you, but you will still have to meet your deductible and get permission to go ahead with the surgery. If you do not have insurance then you are looking at around two to four thousand dollars, depending on how complicated your surgery will be and which surgeon you choose.

If you decide you want the hardware removed from your foot, then an additional procedure will be needed once you have healed. You will also have to deal with a scar on your foot, unless you pay extra for correction by a cosmetic surgeon.

Pros

There are many more pros than cons to surgical bunion removal. Over 85% of people are satisfied with the results of their surgery, and the relief of pain and constant discomfort is well worth the small scar that is left behind.

Today, laser surgery can be done on an outpatient basis, releasing you back to your normal life the same day. Of course, you will be on crutches for around a week and will have to nurture your foot back to health.

If you are in considerable pain, then the cost of surgical bunion removal may be well worth the relief that comes along with it.

The surgery is just the beginning.

I’ve been to an Orthopedic surgeon and a podiatric surgeon and both were very professional and explained all the pro’s and all the con’s to me.

It boils down to the simple fact that I will need at least 3 months of my life to be back on my feet without crutches and walking pain free…PER FOOT.

For obvious reasons they don’t do both feet at the same time.

I just don’t have the time. My work schedule and family life just won’t allow it. I could be selfish and just do it but that just isn’t me.

The succes rate seems high to me but the surgeons all said that there is a decent risk that the bunions will return after the surgery. At least they’ve been up front and honest.

So, no, I can’t just get them ‘taken off’. You can always tell that the person asking has never been in this situation. Painful bunions and nowhere to go…just grin and bear it…like alot of things in life.