Running and bunion pain?

[vicky]

I've had bunions since I was on track in high school. Occasionally they're painful, but unless I'm wearing tight shoes they are fine.
Yesterday they started hurting while running and then tonight I stood up and was in intense pain. I could not put any pressure on the offending foot.
Any tips for bunion pain? Or reasons why it would hurt so bad so suddenly tonight?

[joenali]

Tight shoes are the worst thing you can do for bunions. You need to have a wide toe box. You should also go see a podiatrist regarding your next steps in dealing with painful bunions.

[vicky]

Thanks, I know about the tight shoes. They generally don't hurt unless I'm wearing tight shoes.
The podiatrist said unless I have surgery, there's no real fix to my problem, unfortunately. I can't do two months off my feet with my nursing program though.

[sallybrown]

I have one that really developed kind of suddenly on my right foot. I wore flip flops all day one day, and the next few days my toe hurt really bad - and hasn't been the same since.

I did go to the podiatrist, who said yes, it was the beginnings of a bunion, and recommended $500 orthotics, conveniently not covered by my insurance.

So, in the meantime, I found a few things that have helped:

1) Icing and an Advil after exercise. I ice for about 30 minutes immediately after working out, and this has helped a ton. Elevating it when I can, too, seems to help. At work I'll put it up at the end of the day, just on a chair.

2) Taking glucosamine. Not sure how much this has truly helped, but I figure if I eventually do have to have surgery, it may help the joint and it's seemed to hurt less lately after exercise.

3) Brace at night. I got this one from Amazon:

www.amazon.com/Good-Night-Bunion-Adjustable-Profoot/dp/B002Y0SALK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343365153&sr=8-1&keywords=good+night+bunion

I really hate this thing, but it has helped. The velcro sticks to the sheets and then I get tangled and can't move. So, wear a big sock over it if you can. I wish it were called Go to Hell Bunion.

I also bought this one for exercise, but don't really care for it, as my bunion doesn't rub on anything, the joint just aches:

www.amazon.com/Wheaton-Bunion-Brace-Womens-5-8-5/dp/B003LQUZ6E/ref=sr_1_20?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1343365259&sr=1-20&keywords=bunion+splint

4) I tossed out all my cheap flats and invested in a few pairs of really comfortable, well-fitting shoes. The podiatrist and everyone in his office had those ridiculous Sketcher tennis shoes on - no way in hell am I wearing those. So, I found a couple of acceptable (not exactly cute) pairs of Clarks and Naturalizer flats that I can wear to work. I've also tried to avoid flip flops and heels as much as I can.


Good luck! These freakin' things hurt and I've heard the surgery is painful, ugh.

[vicky]

Thanks soo much! That really helped!

[Jalapeñomel]

Talk to Eightangryreindeer. She just had bunion surgery after years of dealing with them. Foot pain is awful, and I hope you find some relief soon.

[aMrsin09]

The old bunion surgery really hurt. The way they do it now, I was in a funky surgery shoe and walking within the week. (I had 4 of them). I was back in regular shoes in about 6 weeks. If I had to do it all over again, I would have taken a medical leave from work and had them all done at once.

I m pain free and wear high heels all the time.

[hokiegirl82]

I'm on week 6 of recovering from bunion surgery on my left foot. I have horrible bunions on both feet and after a few years of wide shoes, the $500 custom orthotics and shots in both feet, I went with surgery because exercising was extremely painful and daily walking also hurt quite bad. I have 3 permanent screws and was on crutches the first 4 weeks, a walking boot the next 2 weeks, and now at 6 weeks I am transitioning back to a sneaker. I will have the same surgery on my right foot in a few months. You should go for a surgical consult and see how long you would actually be off your feet. I am so so pleased with how easy my recovery has been.

[hokiegirl82]

Eta: have you tried orthotics? My first podiatrist said surgery is a last option she recommends after trying orthotics, wide shoes, etc. i tried all of these things and they helped for awhile but not enough in the end. If your podiatrist is saying right away surgery is your only option and you haven't tried any other fixes, i would get a second opinion.

[vicky]

I had the consult last year. My bunions are pretty severe. He wanted to do them both within two weeks of each other. The doctor told me at least 2 months off my feet. No driving, no bus, no school no work. He didn't mention any permanent screws, though. Just a pin that would come out after week 4.

[eightangryreindeer]

The surgery was not painful, nor has the recovery been, particularly. I had two bones broken and reset, the bunion scraped and a screw inserted in my big toe.

I was seven weeks post-surgery on Wednesday and I am in a walking boot, hoping to transition to a sneaker at my Tuesday appointment.

If your podiatrist has recommended surgery, I'd get a second opinion because surgery means that you're beyond orthotics.

Self-"medicating" with orthotics is, IMO, unwise - you can do further damage to your feet if they're not fitted right or the correct orthotic device for your condition(s).

I would never have both feet done at the same time.