Merrida

I've always had bunions but they never really hurt, they were just sort of annoying.

Well now, my right one is in severe pain, throbbing, and really interfering with my life. I'm a personal trainer, so spend a great deal of my time on my feet, walking, moving, squatting, standing, etc., and not only can I not afford to be immobile or have down time, but the fact I am on my feet so much means I'm constantly aggravating it and cannot get relief from the pain.

It used to be I just couldn't wear high heels for long without agony, now just my regular work boots or barefoot are hurting and throbbing.

I've heard so many different stories about how to proceed. Some say to see an orthopedic doctor, some say to see a podiatrist. Some are adamant about how dangerous the "other" doctor is (ie: pods are very anti ortho's, etc.)

I've also heard from some that they've come a long way in terms of improvement in fixing bunions, that it's no longer a surgical procedure requiring such down time and being in a cast for 12 weeks, and all the physical therapy, etc. I've heard some people say that the down time is minimal now, and although it is still painful, you can be up and at it rather quickly.

So my questions are: What can be done? Who do you see? What do they do? What's the experience like? What's the down time? Pain factor? Procedure options?

I've heard that some docs treat it cosmetically (in terms of just sawing off the bony growth on the side), but some (not all) also break and reposition and pin the foot bones and the toe to straighten it out.

What's the general take here?

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