When It’s Time to Think About Bunion Surgery

There’s a time and a place for everything. In the summer you don’t need your snow blower out and ready to use. You have seasons of life and health, too. You may have a time when a van for your family is more practical than your dream sports car. You may have a time in life where you have to give something up to improve your health. There may even be a time when surgery is the most helpful treatment option for a problem. So when is it time to think about bunion surgery?

Bunion surgery is a common procedure that can be performed several different ways to correct the bony protrusion on the side of your foot. For the majority of people living with bunions, however, conservative treatments work very well for both relieving discomfort and preventing the problem from getting worse. That’s why surgery is considered a “last resort” method for handling a bunion.

If this is the case, why consider bunion surgery at all? Well, the truth is that, for some people, it is the best option for long-lasting relief. You might have feet that don’t respond to traditional, conservative methods. As a result, you struggle with pain or the bunion continues to get worse no matter what you do. If you’ve waited too long to get treatment and the bunion has affected your ability to walk or started deforming your foot, conservative methods won’t be much help, either.

In these cases, correcting the issue in your foot bones is the best way to eliminate the pain and get rid of the problem altogether. The key is realizing when that time has come for your foot. If other noninvasive methods aren’t helping enough and you’re still living with pain or your bunion is getting worse, it might be time for surgery. Also, if the bump is preventing you from being able to live a comfortable, active life, it may be time for surgery.