I have sharp shooting pains in the area of my bunion. Is this normal bunion pain or nerve pain? How do I relieve this sort of pain?
Hello Juile46674
I am sorry you are experiencing pain. From what I remember I did not have any pain at all. I had pain before the surgery that is why I opted for surgery. I worried about that problem post-surgery but I did not even have to take the pain pills. I was not allowed to put ANY weight on it. I was on crutches and my foot did not touch the floor until it was completely healed. My metatarsal was broken, repositioned then secured with screws. Even then I had no pain.
I believe that one of the risks of bunion surgery is nerve damage. Or it could of been arthritic.
Please tell your doctor about your pain. I am sure there are tests that he/she can do to check if you have damage.
Do you elevate your foot? When I was in my office I always elevated my entire leg on the desk for long periods. It helped been flexible. The elevation helped with the swelling and in turn helped the healing process. I also elevated while in bed the entire time I was healing.
Do not be afraid to ask your doctor if the pain does not subside.
Hi Julie, I think what you are experiencing is perfectly normal! I had this too, sometimes it takes your breath away and makes you jump. It is very sore, annoying and can last for several weeks. My surgeon explained that bunion surgery was major stuff with nerve, blood supply, tendon and bone damage which all takes a year to setttle to normal. As said before, elevate as much and as often as you can and ice when required. I am still doing this after being on my feet and my op was 8 months ago! Others do much better so go with what your body tells you, all the best.
I have not yet had any surgery but was wondering if this is the sort of pain that people having surgery had suffered prior to surgery. Thanks everyone.
Hi Julie,how far down the line are you? I,m just over 6 weeks post op. I get the odd twinge now and again. I also have trouble walking normally.i,m limping. I think being in the surgical boot for 4 weeks has effected me. Getting a little concerned about this. Would love to hear from anyone who is having or has had similar problems. It's also given me back pain!
i think if you have any concerns it's best to talk to your doctor. That's what I think I might do.
good luck.x
Hi julie before my surgery on my feet I would get sharp stabing pains in my bunions all the time also I had pain under the balls of my feet
Julie sorry got the wrong end of the stick. Thought you had surgery😀.
Prior to surgery yes my bunion was pretty painful especially during the winter months when I had to bear closed in boots or shoes. The bunion would rub the side of the shoes and become red raw extremely painful so after many years I finally decided to have the bunion op. I,m hoping in a couple of months time it will have been worth it😀
So yes I did get sharp pains and throbbing when I had the bunion .
Good luck in whatever decision you make.xx
HI Julie46674
So before surgery I did have shooting pain on the bone right where the bunion was. I like to hike and I really got the pain during that activity. Though sometimes out of the blue I would get the pain even if I was just sitting. I just tolerated the pain but one day as I was coming back from a hike I could not wait to get to the car because of the pain. It was then I thought I had to look into taking care of the situation.
After surgery, I do not have pain anymore.
Hi Carole. I'm 8 weeks post op and 9 days out of my cast. I have sharp pains, a little like electric shocks in the area of my bunion surgery site and also in my 2nd toe, that was fused. My foot is still swollen and if I stand or walk on it ( should really say limp) my foot turns a strange shade of blue/purple. I also have a small rubber cast that fits at the back of my toes and comes up in between them to prevent drifting, which I wear day and night, don't think this is helping my walking. I go back to see my surgeon in 4 weeks and by that time, hopefully things will start to feel easier. And yes , I also have back pain...it must be something to do with limping/hobbling. X
Hello Joy,
Thats interesting that you were given a small rubber cast to wear in between your toes. It appears not all doctors take the same approach If I,m truthful I,m a little disappointed that my big toe is not as straight as I thought it would be ....perhaps it has drifted slightly. I am delighted that the bunion has gone though😀 I,ll be even more delighted when my foot is no longer swollen,I,m not hobbling, my back is not painful and I can get back into my nice shoes😀😀😀yay.
Sorry I don,t normally wine like this!
all the best for a speedy recovery
much love.xxx
Sounds like nerve pain, which is, very painful, I would, take advil, or just ask your doctor to prescribe something stronger,
Hi there. 6 weeks is very early days. I had both feet done 5 1/2 months ago and am just starting to feel "normal" again. The
reigned you are describing I had even on holiday 2 weeks ago. I don't get them very often but make me jump when I do. I too had a limp and sore back. The limp has gone but still get backache from time to time. Hang in there as things do get better. I
never thought i would see the day when I would be at this
stage but little by little everything starts improving. You might not even notice at the time but you may think to yourself one
day - I couldn't do that last week or the week before. I also
thought I would neve be able to return to my job full time. However I started back 2 months ago very gradual and increased my days and hours. I'm now back full time again and I am soo
happy about that. Like I say hang in there and I hope you have a speedy recovery
Thanks for that Margot. Are you back in normal shoes yet?x
Mostly normal caroline. My feet are still a bit puffy at times so I tend to watch what I wear. I've been told that the soft tissue is still healing. I don't want to rock the boat.
Margot when you say normal does that include shoes you had before the op? I can,t get into any of my shoes.i,ve had to buy a couple of pairs of wide flats one size larger to tied me over. One pair are Skechers go walk they are really comfortable. The other is a pair of ballerina shoes to wear to a wedding this weekend. I,m hoping before the winter sets in I,ll be able to get into a pair of boots. The scar area although healing nicely is still a little sensitive so squeezing my foot into boots fills me with dread.
Must remain positive. At least we have bunion free feet😀😀
Sorry for late reply but just noticed this.
At 6 weeks and even up to 12 weeks all I could get into or dare toput my feet into were wide fit sandals with Velcro straps. I think you are doing very well to be able to put a pair of sketchers on. My scars were very sensitive for a long time. Even now they are a bit sensitive. I just keep massaging them with bio oil.
Be careful of the ballet shoes at the wedding. You may find your foot swelling quite a bit and you don't want any pressure around the bunion area or on your scar. The first time I ventured out was for my granddaughters birthday meal at 7 weeks but my feet swelt badly. Had to loosen the Velcro quite a bit. Just remember and try sit with your feet on a chair if possible. Enjoy.
Thanks Margot
Both shoes are a size bigger than what I would normally wear. The ballet shoes are a wide fit I made sure of that but I will be very careful.
I too massage the scar with bio oil and I must say it's looking pretty good.
Take care.xx
Susan hello thanks for writing this I am almost 9 weeks post surgery (both feet I have pins and rods in my feet now. theses Quick sharp pains are starting i was a little scared till I read this ! I am going to let my Dr know about them. I was just in last week Jan 6 and no problems they did xrays and he said things looked great
I figured it might be the nerve endings healing or coming back ! My Dr put the little Rubber spacers between my big toe and the toe beside it !! even though this is very inconvienuent ! I am glad I did both at the same time. thanks again for you input