I am a 30-year old professional football player. I have a large bunion on my left foot ( so large that I am forced to use split-size shoes). In my case, surgery seems to be the only solution. To what degree will my performance be affected by the operation? Suggestions and personal stories from athletes who underwent bunion surgery would be greatly helpful to me. Thanks.
Hello Robie82, am wondering if you went ahead with your bunion surgery, as will not get better by itself. What did you decide?
I am not an athlete but a nurse, on her feet 8 hours a day, five days a week. My left foot bunion was surgically corrected in Feb. 2013, with three permanent screws and a wire. If you kick with your right foot, you should be all right, but running will be the problem for you. At eight months post-op, I can pretty much do anything I want, but tend to jog, not run. The best advice I can give is to exercise that foot and toe after surgery, several times a day, with active and passive exercises. Don't let it stiffen up, because then you will lose function. Your downtime from sport will probably depend on how quickly you can return to being active. By six months, those bones have fused rock solid, the pain should be minimal or gone, and you can go for it if not already back at sport. From what I've heard, some people have started running at four months, but it depends on what kind of surgery and how much work was needed. Everyone is different.
The nerve in my great toe was damaged, so will take longer, perhaps a year, before full feeling returns. Do let me know how it's been with you, and if anything else you'd like to know. Six weeks at home on crutches was probably the most difficult, but you'll be OK. All the best.
Hello, onetreechill and thank you very much for your very detailed reply.
My foot was recently examined by an experienced orthopaedic surgeon (MD). He asked me whether my bunion was painful. I replied that, for all its size, the bony eminence is hardly painful and that I feel pain mostly beneath the second metatarsal head.
The surgeon also said that after the operation some motion may be lost at the metatarsophalangeal joint and since I need very good motion at the MF joint because I am an elite athlete, he suggested to delay surgery until physical demands on the foot are diminished.
He prescribed me custom-made shoes and custom-made orthotics and this seems to be, so far, an excellent alternative to surgery and don't impair my athletic performance.
The surgeon explained to me that also in ballet dancers, bunion surgery almost inevitably curtails the dancer's career. So, experienced orthopaedic surgeons (MD) never operate on a dancer's bunion.
Again, thank you very much for your friendly concern and valuable testimonial. All the best. Robie.
Hello Robie82, I am also à professional footballer with à bunion, on my right foot I think the best solution for me is à surgery but I don't know the effects of it would I ever play football again. the last 2 years it is getting worse now day It hurts after training so I am searching for à solution, which football shoes do you wear? And what are the things that help you avoid the pain and still can perform.
Hope to hear from you.
Greetings
Hello Jona90,
first of all, permit me to suggest you to make an appointment with an experienced Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon (MD) who specializes in foot and ankle surgery. He will assess your clinical case and will explain to you the various treatment options and discuss them with you.
The management of bunions in an athlete is challenging and a different approach is required for successful outcomes.
Athletes put great demands on their feet, especially on the great toe for push-off and acceleration power. These increased demands make treatment of bunions especially more challenging and a different approach is required for a successful outcome.
Bunions occur commonly in middle-aged women and in non-athletes. The treatment of bunions in this population varies greatly from the treatment of a bunion in an athlete.
Athletes can develop hallux valgus just like the general population. A cause of hallux valgus unique to athletes is due to an acute injury, such as dislocation or hyperextension of the first MTP joint resulting in a plantar plate or medial capsular tear. The medial capsular tear allows the lateral muscles to pull the proximal phalanx laterally, thus creating an imbalance that ultimately can cause a bunion.
Because of the fixation and healing requirements of bone, recovery and return to sport can take six to nine months.
While hallux valgus correction is very successful when treating the non-athlete, surgical treatment must be considered with caution in the athlete. As surgery involves manipulating the structures around the MTP joint, there is a potential to develop stiffness in the joint. As athletes place high demands on their joints and require flexibility to function well, any loss of movement may be detrimental to their sport. Thus, non-operative treatment should be exhausted to alleviate symptoms before considering surgery in the athletic patient.
Initial treatment of hallux valgus for athletes should focus on their shoe wear. Shoe modification to larger or wider sizes or models will help to accommodate the foot with a bunion. Certain shoe manufacturers have addressed issues of variations in feet. Sports podiatrists or specialised athletic shoe stores can help in educating patients on appropriate brands of shoes for their bunions.
Some patients have hyperpronation that may put extra stress on the medial forefoot. This can be addressed by a medium or high-density polyurethane orthosis with medial longitudinal arch.
A podiatrist can be helpful in assessing alignment of the foot and addressing these issues for the athlete with hallux valgus.
In conclusion, bunions can occur in athletes and are occasionally symptomatic. Initial treatment should be tailored to the individual patient. Generally, non-operative measures should be attempted in the athlete to allow them to continue their sport. Surgery can be considered when symptoms hinder them from playing, or symptoms and the deformity worsen. Surgical correction of bunions requires a complete correction of the angular deformity and a lengthy recovery. The decision for surgery should always be made carefully in the athletic patient.
Patients should be made to realize that return to professional sports or dance cannot be guaranteed. They must fully understand that some residual stiffness, pain, or deformity may be inevitable. Following surgery, they may not be able to return to their previous level of activity. Therefore, until they can no longer perform in their chosen field, bunion surgery should probably be deferred.
Unless the athlete's career is seriously jeopardized by his or her hallux valgus deformity, surgical correction probably should not be undertaken, for fear that a less than perfect result may jeopardize the athlete's career.
Surgery is often best postponed until retirement, since it can lead to stiffness and inflexibility. Scar tissue can develop and not even the best surgeon can guarantee full range of motion. Unless bunions cause major trouble, surgery is not worth the long recovery process and possible loss of flexibility.
As for best football cleats for bunion sufferers, message me and I will send you a very helpful link to football shoes for bunion patients (as you know, links are not allowe in this forum)
All the best.
Emis Moderator comment:I removed the email address as we also do not publish these. Please use the Private Message facility to exchange links or other details.
http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages
Can you please send me the link to the football cleats for bunion sufferers.
Thanks,
Jackie
Physical therapy can help, too. The exercises that she was shown helped a friend of mine so much that she could cancel her surgery appointment and has been free of pain ever since. But she practises every single day. Good luck with everything!
Thank you very much !
Hi Robie,
I'm hoping to get an update on your bunion. I'm not an elite athlete but am very active and have experienced more pain and much less ability to run since doing a half ironman in June. Like you, my pain is no longer prominent on the bony structure, rather at the ball of my foot. I'm very seriously considering surgery (in the next several weeks) and am overwhelmed by the types of surgery and the fear of recovery (lack thereof). Reading your posts, I'm wondering if a non-operative option is available. Do you mind sharing an update, please? Thank you!
Hi Amparo,
and thank you for my interest in my post. I had bunion surgery on my left foot 2 years ago because all conservative measures had been exhausted. My father is a doctor and he contacted a very experienced orthopaedic surgeon (MD, not DPM) specialized in foot and ankle surgery. He choose a technique called "Distal soft tissue realignement + basal osteotomy of the first metatarsal". Surgery went fine. I had to wear a surgical shoe for about 2 months. After 6 months I was ninety nine percent back to normal mobility: I could play tennis, started jogging and cycling. It took me 1 whole year to return to play soccer and, despite a minor loss of dorsiflexion of the big toe, my athletic performance was not significantly impaired by the surgery. Everything considered, I am very pleased with the outcome. I asked the surgeon about conservative measures, and he answered that conservative management of the athlete with a hallux valgus deformity begins with specifically pinpointing the area of maximal pain because conservative management must be directed toward relieving that problem. Generally, pain is over the medial eminence and not infrequently where the dorsal medial cutaneous nerve crosses over the bony medial eminence. First, the size of the shoe must be evaluated carefully in relation to the foot. Next, the pattern of the seams that cross over the medial eminence must be evaluated, because,
although leather will give way to pressure from the medial eminence, the stitching will not. Sometimes just altering the seams that cross over the bony prominence will result in a great deal of relief. If it appears that the shoe is of adequate size, then the area over the painful spot can be relieved by having the shoe enlarged over
this area. This is particularly useful in the athlete who requires a rigid boot, such as a skier, hockey player, rollerblader, and so forth. Even the ballet slipper can be expanded to a certain extent to relieve the pressure over the medial eminence.
The shoe itself could be stiffened to decrease stress across the first metatarsophalangeal joint if the patient’s athletic performance would not be diminished. Obviously a lineman can tolerate a stiffer shoe than a ballerina or gymnast. As a general rule, an orthotic device per se will not do anything to relieve the problems associated with a hallux
valgus deformity unless there is sesamoid pain or a transfer lesion beneath the second metatarsophalangeal joint.
One must be careful when using an orthotic device because it will take up a certain amount of volume in the shoe and as a result may aggravate the patient’s problem rather than relieve it. An orthotic device will not prevent a bunion from occurring. If the hallux valgus deformity has progressed to the point at which a transfer lesion is occurring beneath the second metatarsal head, then some type of an
orthotic device to relieve the pressure will be useful.
One must keep in mind, however, that whenever something is added to a shoe it takes up volume; if the shoe is already small, this can aggravate the problem. A change in shoewear may be necessary if an orthotic device is to be used. Sometimes when an individual has a large medial eminence that is painful, there is tendency to place
a pad over the involved area, with the thought that this will relieve pressure, but in actuality doing this increases the pressure. The person should be advised to cut out an area in the pad so that pressure is taken off of the medial eminence rather than applied to it.
Best wishes and greetings from Robert !
Excuse me: I should have written "for your interest in my post". Needless to say, throughout the recovery process, physical therapy is all important !
I'm a 53yr.old active Stylist and Salon owener .I've had both feet done .The first surgery for H.V.was done Oct.11th .I had a hammer toe ,Bunion ,and a bone spur removed plus Hypercure stent in my Ancles. The surgery is well worth it but at times I thought did a really want this?The answer is YES my first foot is healing really nicely I'm walking on it and my Ancle is corrected due to the Hypercure. Witch by the way most insurance don't pay for .But they should. I had left foot done Nov.29th Dame problems along with Hypercure that straightens and lifts your Ancles from failing inward or outward. mine were inward this whole surgery is changing my life in s good way..Know more pain on left foot the tissue is still healing and can take up to a year for all swelling to go done.As far as being athletic 8 to 10 weeks pure foot.To feel normal again .Take it Slow don't rush it.Witch has been hard for me due to work and worrying over money and not being able to stand on my feet to due color.I have no pins or screws left in my foot Doctor is removing my pin on left foot today. My Doctor beleives leaving in pins and screws causes problems sooner or later by screws backing out pins burning or hurting.Then you have to go back in have them surgically removed. So glad No hardware except Hypercure stents in my Ancles. I wish everyone on here the best of luck. If you have the means of support behind you to get this done GO FOR IT,!!Btw the first to weeks hurt.Very painful but i M making it!!I'm off to Doctor for pin removal .I'm on the road to pain free feet..And hopefully can wear some cute boots soon yay!!Plan on 10 weeks if you stand on your feet at work .Less if your office and sitting down..To the athlete run like the win after you have this done but it does take time out of your life but sooo worth it!!!
I'm a 53yr.old active Stylist and Salon owener .I've had both feet done .The first surgery for H.V.was done Oct.11th .I had a hammer toe ,Bunion ,and a bone spur removed plus Hypercure stent in my Ancles. The surgery is well worth it but at times I thought did a really want this?The answer is YES my first foot is healing really nicely I'm walking on it and my Ancle is corrected due to the Hypercure. Witch by the way most insurance don't pay for .But they should. I had left foot done Nov.29th Same problems on both feet along with Hypercure that straightens and lifts your Ancles from failing inward or outward. Mine were inward this whole surgery is changing my life in s good way..Know more pain on right foot the tissue is still healing and can take up to a year for all swelling to go done.As far as being athletic 8 to 10 weeks for foot.to feel normal again .Take it Slow don't rush it.Witch has been hard for me due to work and worrying over money and not being able to stand on my feet for hours at a time.I have no pins or screws left in my foot .Doctor is removing my pin on left foot today. My Doctor beleives leaving in pins and screws causes problems sooner or later by screws backing out pins burning or hurting.Then you have to go back in have them surgically removed. So glad No hardware except Hypercure stents in my Ancles. I wish everyone on here the best of luck. If you have the means of support behind you to get this done GO FOR IT,!!Btw the first two weeks hurt.Very painful but im making it!!I'm off to Doctor for pin removal .I'm on the road to pain free feet..And hopefully can wear some cute boots soon yay!!Plan on 10 weeks if you stand on your feet at work .Less if your office and sitting down..To the athlete run like the win after you have this done but it does take time out of your life but sooo worth it!!!
Do you live in the US? If so, who was your surgeon? I don't know how to send a private message on here but I need help on this issue
Hello, I live in the UK. My surgery went fine. It was performed by an experienced orthopaedic surgeon (MD) specialized in foot and ankle surgery. He was dead set against the so-called "minimally invasive" surgeries to fix this kind of deformity. Where in the US do you live ?
Close to Cincinnati, Oh but I would travel to get a good doctor for my son
I will send you a private message. All the best.
Hi Robie,
I live in London & I am interested into the surgery you had done.
I have problems with Bunion in both feet & I am scared stiff!
Can I have the name & details of your surgeon please.
Many Thanks
Hi Abdallah,
thank you for your question. Links are not allowed in this forum, so I will send you a private message.
Robie.
Hi Gloria. I am a professional coach. One year ago I had a chelectomy and osteotomy of my left big toe. I also had a pin inserted. Th toe is very painful with searing pains intermittently . I am thinking of having it fused. Is it possible to send me the list of exercises you mentioned in your artical