Tips About Bunion Treatment UK
23rd Jan 2018
Finding bunions on the side of your feet may alarm you somewhat. There is no real need to panic though. It is a deformation of the bones at the base of the big toe of your foot. Fear not, that can be corrected easily. The recommended bunion treatment UK is to go for a surgical procedure.
However, you can always try to minimize the pain by taking the following measures.
- By wearing soft and flat heeled shoes with insoles. The shoes should not be too narrow either. You need to choose a pair that is wide enough to enclose your feet properly.
- By holding an icepack on the bunion so that the pain is relieved to an extent
- By adding a bunion pad on the sore area so that there is no friction with the painful part rubbing constantly with the insides of the shoe
- By taking pain killing drugs to reduce the pain considerably
- By losing weight if you happen to be obese
Visiting a qualified podiatrist is imperative if you find the condition worsening with time. The medical professional is sure to advice rest and will help you to ease the pain. A numbers of external aids are also advocated to help you to remain mobile. However, you will be referred to a qualified podiatric surgeon to get rid of your bunion via an osteotomy. There is absolutely no reason to fear the procedure though. It is entirely harmless and can be completed within a short time. You do not have to remain bedridden for months at a stretch either.
Surgical Process of removing the bunion:
The procedure referred to as an osteotomy in medical parlance includes:-
- Incising the skin over the big toe
- Cutting in and scraping to remove all traces of the bunion that had been formed.
- Moving and realigning the bones in order to keep the toe straight
- Keeping the bone firmly positioned with the aid of metal screws and staples. These are not removed and are kept under the skin as permanent fixtures
Sure, it involves quite bit of cutting and moving the bones along with the ligaments. Fortunately, you will not notice a thing as you are likely to be put under general anesthesia. Most patients are checked by the concerned surgeon after the procedure and released on the same day.
Bunion Surgery Recovery Tips:
The area is sure to heal rapidly. However, you do have to follow a few guidelines as a precautionary measure. These include but are not limited to:
- Keeping the feet up for a minimum of 15 days
- Not attempting to drive for as long as 6-8 weeks after the surgery
- Taking a leave of absence from work until the affected area heals conclusively. While you can work that do not involve standing up or walking around, you would be well advised to rest for at least 6 weeks unless unavoidable
- Not participating in any sort of sporting activities including playing with your kids for up to 6 months