hi, i am 15, i skateboard and have been doing it for 4 years and want to try to pursue to make it in the professional world. The type most skateboarders including i, is we jump down stairs, rails, etc. that are really big. i was beginning to notice a pain in the ball of my foot when i was jumping down stairs, but just thought it was a foot bruise or something, then one day it hurt to bad where i couldnt even skate off a curb without extreme pain. so i went to the foot doctor and he said i have a mild bunion and would need suregery in 5 to 10 years. he told me to get some extra padding for skateboarding, i did and it did not work at all. the point is i want to make it in skateboarding but this bunion is holding me back from doing it. should i get surgery now, because that seems like the only way, and should i expect to be jumping down stairs again? please help, thanks

hi
i went to the doctors when i was 15 with bunions, they didnt believe me at first saying it was very rare for someone so young to have them, well i had surgery on them last year (when i was 24) mine are back twice as big, i have them on both big toes at the side and the sides of my little toes, i really didnt know you could get them on your heels! saying that i dont really know that much about them. your doc may advise you to wait, he said to me theres no point having them removed at a young age as they will keep coming back and in my lifetime id prob have about 5 operations! if they are really bothering you, (i felt like i was constantly getting stabbed in the foot) and you are in pain, go back to your doctor and tell him/her you ARE in agony, you need to get them sorted.
I know what your going through, im in agony some days, i didnt expect to get them back so quick, so it goes to show the op doesnt always work...but everyones different, either way, you know your body and how much pain your in, so see your doc and ask about the op if you feel you need it.

yes, they do not hurt when walking or such, just when i jump off stairs and skate

ive had bunions for a long time but in the very beginning before they were as bad as they are now . i went to many doctors but they wont operate on your foot unless they are sure that your foot has stopped growing. For me getting orthotics helped a lot and comfortable roomy shoes. i got the bunion surgury a week ago and so far so good ill keep u posted.

HI Jokerman - its bad luck that you are developing a bunion an it is affecting you so much. A lot of women develop or exacerbate the problem due to the shoes they wear but with guys like you it is often a genetic predisposition/due to the way you walk - and often due to having flat feet.

Unfortunately once bunions appear they only get worse...with surgery being the only cure. However, you are only 15 and if you are lucky the development of your bunion can be controlled.

If you have flat feet/bunions/both, an orthotic insert frequently help - go see a sports podiatrist for advice - if you are only 15 there is a good chance that it can be held at its current stage by orthotics. You are probably wearing skate shoes a lot: they tend to be wide and flar and do not give good arch support which again an orthotic would help.

This was the case with me - although the mild bunion I still have never caused me any pain - I just didn't want it to develop given that I already had flat feet to contend with.

Hope you can get this sorted