Have you been wondering if it's time to consider bunion surgery? The surgery, offered by your Stamford, CT, podiatrists, Dr. Marissa Girolamo, Dr. Rui DeMelo and Dr. Francisco Lago of Stamford Podiatry Group, can improve your mobility and relieve your pain.
How to tell if you could benefit from bunion surgery
If you've been experiencing these issues, bunion surgery might be a good option:
- Constant or Severe Foot Pain: Chronic pain can make you feel irritable, may interfere with your social life, and can be a factor in depression, anxiety and insomnia. If over-the-counter pain relievers, ice or cortisone injections no longer relieve your bunion pain and stiffness, your Stamford, CT, foot doctor may recommend bunion surgery.
- Difficulty Walking: Bunion pain may make walking even short distances painful and uncomfortable.
- Back, Hip or Leg Pain: Severe pain could change your gait (the way you walk). Unfortunately, gait changes can affect the alignment of your legs, hips and back, triggering pain in these areas. If you've noticed an increase in back pain lately, your bunion could be to blame.
- Worsening Bunion: Although night splints, taping and orthotics slow the progression of bunions, these devices can't cure bunions. In fact, surgery is the only way to remove the bony bump at the base of your big toe and straighten the joint.
- Lifestyle Changes: Have you made changes to your life due to your bunion pain? If your bunion makes it impossible to walk your dog, participate in sports, exercise, or even stand in line at the grocery store, it may be time to think about bunion surgery.
- Big Toe Drift: When your big toe changes position and overlaps your other toes, painful calluses can develop. Although adhesive pads help reduce friction, calluses and corns can become a constant problem. During bunion surgery, your podiatrist will remove inflamed tissue and bone, and realign your joint, muscles, tendons and ligaments, which will eliminate the drift.
- Limited Shoe Choices: Finding shoes wide enough to fit your bunion isn't always easy and can make shoe shopping frustrating, particularly if you need shoes high enough to accommodate a drifting big toe.
Bunion pain doesn't have to disrupt your life. Your podiatrists in Stamford, CT, Dr. Girolamo, Dr. DeMelo and Dr. Lago of Stamford Podiatry Pain, offer bunion surgery and other treatments designed to ease your pain.