Bunions - can anything be done to minimise chances of dc inheriting and/or developing this problem?

[Earlybird]

I understand sometimes bunions are genetic/inherited, while others develop due to poorly fitted shoes.

Unfortunately, bunions run in my family (grandfather, father, me).

Is there anything I can do to minimise chances of dd developing them? And if she does develop, is there anything that can be done at a young age to stop them progressing into an unsightly and/or painful future problem?

don't let her have children as the added weight and muscle stretchiness seem to cause it - at least in the cat household...

Thanks for advice - will keep it in mind. But as she's only 9 atm, don't think it will be relevant for a few years yet.

Anyone else?

Evening bump....

i'm in the middle of bunion surgery (one done, one to go) and only one of my 3 DDs looks to be prone. Sensible shoes with laces, straps, low/no heels, plenty of bare feet time, and accept that sometimes there's nothign you can do to prevent it (in my case) is my only advice.

FWIW, my surgey wasn't nearly as painful as i'd been led to belive it was, although the 6 weeks in plaster/8 weeks not driving were hellish.

You could try gettign a referral to a specialist for advice (which I'm considering fro DD2 as my GP is referral-happy atm, even thoguh the NHS trust has no money) either NHS or privately (might be available via work health insuracne is that's an option?). All I cna remember from my pre-teen aged specialist was the sensibel shoe advice, not that it made any difference in my case.

Oh, interesting to know that the surgery is not as dreadful as I'd been led to believe. I'd always been told (by acquaintances, not doctors) to avoid surgery unless absolutely necessary, and even had a few folks tell me they weren't sure they'd recommend it as a solution as recovery was so arduous. Will be very interested to know how you feel once the surgeries/recoveries are complete.

If you don't mind me asking, what prompted you to get the surgeries done?

If you see a specialist for your dd, please do post with any useful information. Obviously, it is not the end of the world if our dc develop 'bumps', but would be wonderful if there is a method that could prevent the problem.

If anyone else has thoughts or suggestions, please share.

Hi, I'm 24 and have had bad bunions since I was about 15. My mum has lovely feet but both my grandmothers have had bunion surgery. My mum was always really concerned about me developing them and I was brought up wearing 'proper' shoes.

I did start wearing high heels quite a lot as I got older but to be honest, I already had quite noticeable bunions by this stage.

I had bunion surgery on both feet in October and I can honestly say that it was awful. The actual pain wasn't too bad (and was perfectly manageable with the right medication) but the recovery was a lot slower than I had anticipated. I had to wear special 'non weight bearing' shoes for 8 weeks (which look like the shoes that geishas wore) and had to use crutches to walk. I was off work for nearly all of this time as I was unable to commute (trains, tubes, long walk etc) and even now, although I am back in 'normal' shoes and can walk unaided, my feet still swell incredibly quickly and I am unable to be on my feet for more than an hour or so at a time.

When I last saw my surgeon a few weeks ago and given the 'all clear', I asked about what I could do/avoid to make sure that the problems didn't come back. I asked if I should wear night splints, avoid high heels etc and he basically told me that whilst things such as high heels can make bunions worse, they don't cause them and that if I wanted to wear them, then I should?!

Anyway, to cut a long story short, bunions are a f*cking nightmare and there isn't much you can do to avoid them if you are predisposed to them (at least, this is what I was told/experienced)

I had a bunion removed last year too and my experience was a positive one. I have a beautiful pair of feet now and can wear strappy sandals for the first time ever.

My DD has recently had a problem with her knee and while at a physio appointment she noticed that my DD has a slightly turned in right foot. She appears to have no arch so the foot slants inwards (difficult to explain really) anyway, she told me that due to this DD would compensate by putting weight on her toe joint when walking and this could lead to a bunion in later life, as that is how they are formed, a bunion is simply a joint that is displaced. She advised getting DD some corrective insoles for her shoes which would ensure that her foot was supported correctly and weight not put on the toe joint. All well and good I suppose until DD reaches her teenage years and reverts from sensible flat shoes with corrective insoles to 5inch stilettos with platforms!!

I always thought my bunion was inherited from my dad as he had them and they run in his family but having looked at my own foot I can see that it is exactly the same as DD's and turns in slightly so I suspect that is where my problem began. Maybe you could take your DD to a physio and get her feet and gait checked.

I agree with this - I have flat feet and therefore roll inwards on my foot, pushing the big toe into a bunion-y position. A few years ago I was given orthotics to wear in my shoes and support my foot and hopefully stop me rolling inwards. I am afraid to say that they got little use as they only fit in deep, flat, sensible shoes and not anything remotely like what I wanted to wear as a teenager.

At my follow up appointment the other week I asked my surgeon if I should try harder at wearing them and pretty much shrugged and said that if they made my feet more comfortable I should go ahead and wear them but that at the end of the day, they wouldn't prevent a bunion reoccuring.

Just to add as well that although my last post made bunion surgery out to be really hideous, I would do it again as I now have lovely straight, slim feet (well, I will have once the remaining swelling goes down) and I am so excited to wear strappy sandals this summer.

Hmm - no flat feet here. Actually, have quite high arches so the theory doesn't work in my case.

I'd love to have slim, pretty feet but am too much of a coward to subject myself to the surgery on grounds of vanity. Also, as a lone parent couldn't manage with limited walking/driving for the long recovery time.

It isn't vanity Earlybird, by the time I had my op it was a medical necessity, the toe joint had almost completely dislocated and was causing nerve damage which in turn was causing numbness.

According to my surgeon bunions are generally caused by pressure being put on the toe joint when walking so even if you don't have flat feet it could still be that something is causing you to put pressure on the toe joint.

I wasn't out of action for very long at all, I think it depends on the type of operation you have. I was back in my own shoes (trainers) after 2 weeks. I wasn't allowed to drive for 6 weeks though.

not vanity in my case either - inability to walk more than ten minutes without pain, plus the reamining bunion is degenerative, so was only going to get worse, pushed me towards surgery after years of head in the sand about my feet (mixed metaphor I know, but hopefully the pedants are elsewhere )

Happydays - thanks for further details of your experience.

I didn't mean to imply that you (or anyone else here) has had the surgery for the sake of vanity, so apologies if that is how my posts read.

At this point, I am not in medical need of pain relief. My feet hurt only when I wear heels, tight shoes, or shoes/boots with pointy toes. Mostly, I am able to stay away from those sorts of shoes. But I also (through choice) stay away from anything strappy that shows my bunions. It is rather limiting.

I am apprehensive though, as people say bunions get worse with age. I'd hate mine to get any bigger, or more painful.

I only had one bunion but had to buy wide shoes to accommodate it! I couldn't get my foot into a strappy sandal either because the bunion was so large. I'm afraid to say that they do get bigger and they do become painful so surgery may be one day inevitable. I was quite surprised to hear the extent of damage a bunion can cause to a foot, it has a knock on effect on other toes too, I think it's hammer toes it can cause, it's quite serious stuff!

I must also add that I haven't worn heels for years but it didn't stop the bunion from getting worse. But, don't worry about any potential surgery because it isn't too bad and the outcome is worth it.

[excited] spoke to hospital and am having my other bunion removed at the end of this month . If I get an opportunity I'll ask the consultant's advice about DC with developing bunions, but it depends how busy he is (obviously he needs to talk about me and my op).

I'm a bunion sufferer. So is my sister and mother. Just on one foot.

Always wore sensible shoes growing up. Didn't make a jot of difference. What a waste of time that was.

Ishallwear - great news. Hope the surgery goes well, and that you have gorgeous and painfree feet afterward. Would be most appreciative if you do get the chance to ask about preventative measures for dc.

If the way we walk contributes to development of bunions, I wonder if they can they re-occur after surgery?