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.

My eldest daughter is getting to the age where the design and look of her clothes are becoming more and more important to her. Her best friend’s birthday party is next week and today we spent over four hours in the local mall looking for just the right outfit.

To begin with I was quite proud about the fact that she’s growing up but that pride quickly turned to a different emotion. A painful emotion. The pain in my left bunion became so bad that my daughter could see it written all over my face. I even got to the point where I bought a cheap pair of athletic shoes that were size too big for me just to give me room formy feet.

What was supposed to be a nice day out turned into a complete nightmare.

Aromatherapy looked like quite an attractive proposition later that evening…

1. Are you in constant pain?

The main reason many people go through with bunion laser surgery is to relieve pain that never lets up or comes on so strong it is unbearable. Before having surgery, you should make sure you have tried all the alternatives to relieve pain, such as wearing wider shoes, using stretches and massages on your foot, and wearing shoe inserts that may bring more comfort.

Some doctors may recommend you rest your foot as often as possible to alleviate pain that comes with movement, but this reduces your quality of life. You may benefit from the surgery if it will allow you to be more comfortable and keep up with your responsibilities.

2. Are you faced with daily inconveniences because of your bunion?

Larger sized bunions can make it extremely difficult to find shoes that fit correctly. Having to sit down instead of enjoying activities can take be a huge inconvenience and rob you of the enjoyment of your life.

If in anyway you are inconvenienced or held back by your bunion or it causes a lot of pain that cannot be relieved otherwise, then chances are good that you are an ideal candidate for bunion laser surgery.

My mother-in-law is usually full of helpful suggestions and she does help an awful lot when it comes to the kids and things that I am unsure about because believe me she has usually been there and done that.

But today we reached a new milestone in our relationship. I talked about the trouble I am having my bunions and that I was looking at using bunion splints to provide some kind of bunion pain relief that I can get and she suggested that I try aromatherapy. Now, I do like nature and I do like nice smelling things but Lord knows why she would think that aromatherapy is going to help with the alignment and shape of the bones of my feet.

I love her, but sometimes…

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.

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.

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.