I have them, I hate them. I wear a gel pad on them when I wear shoes. Many shoes just dont work for me anymore. I should have surgery but it is hard for me to :"elect" to have surgery when I can get along without it, knowing that I will be out of commission for some time. I hope someone here can tell us more about the surgery.

I've had them for 30 years and it does make shoe shopping interesting. I haven't worn a pair of heels in 30 years either. However they don't hurt - honestly - and my surgeon's opinion is if they don't hurt then don't operate. My DD just asked this week about surgery. She's 30 and her bunions aren't too bad so she's waiting until health insurance plan changes.

However a close friend of mine had severe, painful bunions. Her toes were beginning to cross and she had both done when she was about 37. Most podiatrists won't do 2 at the same time but she insisted and her DH is a physician so they knew what they were getting into. That was 20 years ago and she's never regretted her decision. The bunion has grown back somewhat, but it's not nearly as severe.

Her daughter also had one bunion operated on when she was 16. She played sports and had difficulty running. That was 12 years ago and she's happy with the result.

I had surgery on one foot about 12 years ago. Not really a big deal and I'm glad I had it done. I may have to have the other foot done someday.

My daughter is a golf pro, so she's on her feet a lot. She had them on both feet, one was very very bad. She had that one operated on. Only side effect is the numbness she still has in the toe. These days the docs are moving the incision further to the side for cosmetic reasons and this numbness is a side effect if it goes too far because of the nerves that are there. She is certainly better off than she was before.

If they don't hurt leave them alone. My Mom had them operated on , she had all 10 toes done and then repeats years later not once but 2x. The whole disorder is known as Morton's foot. It is a genetic defect and is NOT fixable by surgery. Your toes will return to the original shape at some point . The only tried and true safe corrective procedure is good orthotics with a good metatarsal pad to relieve the pressure that causes the toes to change and splay. Even this isn't fool proof but it is way better than cutting.

One needs to go to an orthotist that uses the gait imaging. I have bunions both on the big toes as well as a tailor bunion on the left little toe, I have metatarsalgia on both feet beneath the 2nd/3rd toes, my 2nd toe is longer than my big toe. I have a somewhat arched 2nd toe on both feet and it is trying to go over the big toe. ALL of this is inherited..all of it. My Mom and her sisters and her Mom had it and DD at 30 is showing signs.
Please have your DD get GOOD orthotics through a good referral. It is ALL covered by insurance after deductible with proper dx codes. I have been dealing with this for YEARS. I have managed to keep it in check with great care and can still run as I want . If I had had surgery I would not be running. Every web site you look at and every MD I have talked to said I would not be able to run ever again after bunion surgery and that it would need to be done again.

Sorry to go on so long and so vehemently but this is a subject I have spent decades dealing with and have researched it exhaustively since I have no desire to ever stop my long distance running.c

Interesting Trail and thank you for sharing your knowledge! IâÂÂm going to fill husband in right now. It was extremely helpful learning of the gait imaging, now I can help him look for the right place to seek help.

There is a blog called Barking Dog Shoes with reviews of footwear for problem feet. Sometimes she has a guest podiatrist post; she posted in the last few weeks about how there multiple non-surgical things to do before you consider surgery.

Be forewarned, you might see all sorts of great shoes that will tempt you. You'll probably have to page back a bit to get to the podiatrist's post. It's too hard to locate it and link it with my Internet connection and my iPad.

I had a horrible bunion on my right foot by the big toe that made shoes impossible to wear and it became so painful that I sought out a good podiatrist. I had an Austin Bunionectomy, and have been thankful ever since. The surgery went well, recovery took several weeks to months, but the outcome was excellent and IâÂÂve never regretted having it done. No problems again, and itâÂÂs been 10 years since the procedure was done.

Ellen, see if there is a podiatrist who specializes in sports in your area.

Unless it's painful and interferes with her life, I'd put it off. Recovery is painful, or at least it was for me for the first weeks. There are different surgeries depending on how bad it is, so it may not be the same for her. I had my left foot done about 6 years ago. I was back to full speed in about 8 weeks, and my foot was fully back to "normal" about 6 months after the surgery. I still use orthotics in my athletic and some casual shoes; they don't fit in a lot of others.

I avoided surgery by purchasing Feather Spring metal orthodics for my shoes, also buying shoes that never put pressure in that area. Thus I wear a lot of clogs, sandals are great and Easy Spirit slides. Could she have a cobble adapt her soccer shoe or even cut out the area. It's pressure that causes the pain.

I don't want to over state this but if you don't get custom orthotics that are based on your actual gait then you aren't correcting your specific problem. When the orthotist gets the imaging he/she can see where you put pressure as you walk. They can then correct/slow the problems that are leading to the bunion. As I said the bunion itself is a genetic problem not one caused by wearing pointy shoes :) Many folks think that it is the shoes that do it but the predisposition is there. While one can't correct the genetics one can slow or stop the progression of the bunions and in my case with the newest orthotics I got 2 weeks ago I can actually see that my toes are getting straighter ! I am thrilled needless to say. I have no pain and never have , thank goodness. But the deformity certainly has changed how my shoe shopping takes place.

The metatarsal pad and the amount of arch makes a huge difference on the pressure that is brought to bear on the forefoot. Thus one can, with the correct custom orthotic, change over time the angles that are pushing on the forefoot and alleviate/correct the problems that are adding to the genetic predisposition.

You can tell I am a zealot about orthotics. As a person who has been a runner with bunions since 1978 I have tried everything. I have had custom orthotics of one kind or another since 1996. My newest are from the gait imaging ...not like previous ones that had me press my feet into boxes with styrofoam to get an impression. The imaging is wonderful and costs the same ! $64 out of pocket and BCBS covers all the rest...I had already met my deductible. Please do investigate this avenue.

I will step off of the soapbox now LOL! Comfortably in my new orthotics :)

ps...they can make them for regular dress shoes as well as for your running shoes etc...cover all bases.

Im no expert but I do have a bunion and have had it for years. It doesn't bother me at all and I'm a runner. I don't plan on ever having surgery.

My daughter's good friend just had the surgery in November. She is only 14 and an amazing athlete. She plays field hockey, lacrosse and basketball. I didn't get all the specifics from her mom though I know she had been seeing a specialist for a couple of years and had been using orthotics. I'm not sure what led to the decision to have surgery but she had a relatively quick recovery. They chose mid November for the surgery as it had the least effect on her sports schedule. She was back playing basketball in January (maybe six weeks off her feet?).

Trail runner, thanks for all that info. I will investigate for myself!

Thank you all! Trailrunner--i see a place that does this in my area, website is www.foot performance.com, and they have board certified "pedorthists". We have already had x-rays and have seen a podiatrist--i wonder if this would be a good option. Would it cost a lot more to go this route?

4kids...I am SO glad that your friend's DD had such an amazing recovery and was even considered for surgery ! All I can say as that is purely amazing and not anything you would hear of anywhere that I have ever heard of. I am just glad for her no matter what...we don't want to be off our feet :)

Ellen I have no idea of cost as related to your insurance coverage etc. I do know that my initial eval was completely free. That is what you should do 1st. As long as you are already on the "map" with the insurance as far as dx and xray and the orthotists are board certified , as is my new one, I can't see that cost is going to be a problem. But....and this is a BIG but....our feet get us where we need to go ...it can't be painful...enough said. I have never spared a penny on my feet and I can still run miles and miles...I may post a pic tomorrow...of my feet...the cost is the least of it if they do for her what needs to be done and surgery can be avoided. Please keep me posted. c

This may be a little off topic but my husband and I both developed plantar fasciitis three years ago. His was helped with over the counter insoles. I tried OTC, semi-custom and custom. Nothing worked until I tried, upon recommendation, Good Feet orthotics. Miraculous! I know others who have experienced amazing results with them as well.

Anyway, while visiting my son and DIL recently, and doing quite a bit of walking, my feet began to bother me one night after a day and evening of not wearing the orthotics. My DIL, a physical therapist, looked at my feet and pointed out that I, too, have bunions (who knew?!), and explained how and why the orthotics help with them. I resumed wearing them the next day and had no residual discomfort from the day before. It was as though the previous day's extreme pain never happened. They are amazing and I can feel that my body is better aligned when wearing them. Sometimes I get a little lazy and don't switch them when I change shoes, but it I end up paying for it. I highly recommend them!

happily, i don't have bunions... my feet are straight!
but, the big issue with bunions is if your foot is so misshapen that there's significant pain and it affects your gait and therefore you can start to adversely affect your other joints... i have seen bunions that are so 'bad' that the person's toes are getting close to a right angle to the rest of the foot-there's only so much that an orthotic can do!
but, if there is no pain and the only reason to want surgery is for aesthetic reasons or the desire to wear certain types of shoes i think most good mds would discourage surgery!
i know a few people who have had the surgery and the recuperation period was significant-- it's not a surgery you bounce right back from in a couple of days!

They have a foot scanner in Bed Bath and Beyond here. They sell 6-8 different orthotics, each model designed to address the results of the scan. With a coupon the orthotics are $40.

My cousin has bunions and she has worn custom orthotics for years (she has no insurance and she paid $200 for one pair). Recently, the bunions became painful and she is considering surgery.

Does anyone here have an opinion on whether it is worth it to have a Dr. make the custom orthotics? I once had a podiatrist tell me that "no one should ever need the cast type orthotics, now that we have this material that molds to your feet as you wear it".

cindyloo...you do not want the orthotic to mold to your feet ! That is exactly the wrong way to look at the entire process. Your foot has a genetic defect..it is called Morton's foot. It has several components. As busy bee stated there is only so much that can be done but surgery is a radical fix and is NOT permanent. The toes will go back eventually....but...custom orthotics over time can prevent and slow the changes in the foot. Precisely because they do not mold to the foot. They reroute the pressure areas and alter the progression of the genetic disorder...not cure...slow/correct. Just like BP or Diabetes...control...not cure with medicine. The custom orthotics need to be replaced at regular intervals as the foot changes and the person making them interprets the changes and continues to remodel the orthotic and enhance the gait. Hope this explains the process.

I am sure that non-custom orthotics help many. I guess that BB&B 's set up would be fine for many. But...there are those of us with severely deformed feet due to genetic problems and for that one needs a custom product that is monitored just as closely as your BP med is ! These are your only mode of transportation we are talking about !! Feet....don't mess around :) c

You know Trailrunner, when my Dr. told me that the foam type orthotics mold to your feet (by the heat from your body), I too thought that would be a mistake, lol. My problem was heel spurs and the orthotics did help me a lot (though eventually I had the surgery).

My cousin says that the custom orthotics she has worn for years kept her pain free until recently. Now she is getting pain even with the orthotics. She has a Dr. appt. soon... maybe she just needs new orthotics.

She is also having trouble with the fact that she can't wear any type of sandel because she can't go without the orthotic. I think she has ordered a pair of the orthotic flip flops, but she can't afford to be buying specialty shoes unless they are going to WORK.

I just sent her a link to this thread. Hopefully she can benefit from the collective experience here! Thanks!

Cindy the insurance company agrees with the fact that orthotics have a short life and they replace them at 1 or 2 yr intervals..I can't remember what my new orthotist said. I was amazed as no one had told me that before :( Live and learn. If the orthotic is doing what it should then clear reasoning says that you will definitely need a new pair as your feet change for the better ...duh moment here. I should have known. My new orthotist is so forthcoming and knowledgable I am so glad I found him.

Yes heel spurs are a whole different thing and I can't speak to their treatment at all. I am so glad you got well.

Your cousin needs new ones for sure...see above. 2yrs max on a pair. The orthotist can work with her on an orthotic that she can put in sandals..there are a lot of new things out there and a lot of new modes of correction. I hope she will get someone really good to help her. c

Trailrunner, just wondering how to go about finding an orthotist such as you describe. I have custom orthotics through a podiatrist but while better I am still not totally comfortable without wearing an extra pad in the toe area.

Call you local running stores , if there are any. Check with the local orthopedic places for someone that makes prosthetics. My orthotist specializes in prosthetics for amputees and then does this work also . They are used to seeing a lot of serious problems . Check with all your local rehab places....that is where I got my referral. My PT knew this person and the work he did with amputees. Good Luck ! c

Did u find a good doctor

what happebed