Foot pain can be a burdensome annoyance to deal with. With the average adult taking an average of 4,000 to 6,000 steps per day, chronic foot pain can feel like a never ending presence, flaring up with each and every step. Considering that most Americans travel upwards of 75,000 miles on foot by the age of 50, the issue of chronic foot pain becomes one that might require medical attention. Such an affliction that affects nearly 25% to 33% of American adults is chronic bunion pain.
A bunion, which is an inflamed bump that develops on the inside of the foot at the big toe joint, develops slowly over time. If the inflammation continues for long enough, it will not only worsen the bunion pain, but it can lead to a deformity in which the big toe begins shifting over the toes next to it.
While anyone can get a bunion, women are 10 times more likely to develop one compared to men. The most commonly held belief for why this happens is that women wear shoes that are far too narrow for their toes, thus abrading the inner big toe joint until it becomes inflamed and irritated enough that the bunion bump begins to appear. A study by the American Foot and Ankle Society revealed this to be true, with 88% of women wearing shoes that are too small for their feet, and 55% of those studied also having bunions. Another explained reason for the occurrence of bunions and continued bunion pain is the fact that nearly 85% of people have one leg that is shorter than the other. Due to an uneven gait caused by legs of different lengths, the foot of the longer leg can develop a bunion due to scraping an uneven joint pressure.
There are at home remedies to try and ease bunion pain — physical therapy, padding and taping, and wearing orthotics — but for those dealing with chronic bunion pain, these might not be enough. However, for those asking, “Is bunion surgery painful?” There are efficacious methods of painless bunion surgery. For a less severe deformity, the treatment for bunions is quite simple, where they will remove the bony enlargement, realign the big toe, and aim to relieve pain. However, if their is a greater need for reconstruction, then a more involved surgery might be required. This procedure will require greater recovery time after bunion surgery, but it will ensure results that aim to remove bunion pain in its entirety.
While prevention methods are the best method to avoid the appearance of bunions and bunion pain, there are means to ensure that the pain does not last forever.
recovery time after bunion surgery
