rumrunn6

seeing a podiatrist today. now that my gout has cleared up we are going to address what appears to a bunion situation. anyone ever have surgery for this? if so, how long before you were back at cycling and or running?

Shimagnolo

Surgery is the easy part.
Hard part is trying to live flat on your back for a month.
When you stand up, the pressure head of your blood makes the foot start swelling like a football in *minutes*.
Then it takes *days* for that swelling to subside.

IIRC, it was about 6 weeks before I started riding again.

rumrunn6

yikes OK, so we'll try to avoid surgery as a last resort! hoping for a cortisone shot or something. you go through other remedy trials before resorting to the surgery?

Shimagnolo

Hallux abducto valgus (aka "bunion") is a *mechanical* problem.
As the big toe moves toward the second toe, the joint moves outward, pulling the two halves of the joint out of line.
The longer you let it go, the worse it is for the joint, and the joint can degenerate into arthritis.

I am aware of three different types of surgeries.
Which method is used, depends on the severity of the toe displacement.

After the surgery, the surgeon prescribed custom orthotics, which can be moved to any shoe/boot I wear.

rumrunn6

thank you. glad you had a good result. just got back from podiatrist. he looked at xrays and foot. didn't see any bunion and toes are aligned normally. says I've still just got the tail end of a severe gout attack. got a cortisone shot, icing the injection site now. the shot was painless. doc says the shot should help clear up the remaining soft tissue swelling from the gout.

qcpmsame 

That sounds like good news, not requiring surgery must have made your day. Everything I have ever heard about gout makes me thankful I haven't had to endure it. Its amazing what a well timed and placed cortisone shot can do for a bum foot. Best of luck on being pain free and riding as much as you'd like.

Bill

JanMM

Good news.

Looigi

FWIW: Cortisone shots almost always include an anesthetic, typically lidocaine. It's the anesthetic that is responsible for the nearly instantaneous and seemingly miraculous improvement that follow the shot.

CrankyFranky

Foot surgery is more serious than it sounds, simply due to the need to elevate your foot (preferably above the heart) until the wound closes - say, for a month. Having had protracted recoveries from surgery on both feet separately, I would now have to face real agony before contemplating further surgery.

Shimagnolo

+1
Next time I need foot surgery, I'm going to try to get a slot on the next launch to the International Space Station and stay there for a month.

cfcdjb

Wife had hers done a few years back.....like was mentioned, surgery is the simple part. The waiting and doing nothing was very frustrating. I have one and after watching her, unless mine gets really really bad, I'll live with it.

Rapido

Thanks for warning me a bunion surgery keeps you off your foot for a month. I blame bunions develop from wearing pointed toe fashioned shoes in the 60's and narrow bike shoes (Italian) as well as narrow pedals. Six years ago my right foot started to quickly hurt like hell on a hill. I was confused at why the right foot felt like it was suddenly in a vice. I had to unclip it and flip the pedal over. They are combination pedals, SPD and platforms. To remedy I later cut out the sides of the shoe where my toes were pinched. It helped just a little. Changed to bike sandals since they are wider. Helped a little more, but at 40 miles the right (only) foot still... well, you know. On 200-300K brevets I had to take naproxen sodium (Aleve) at mile 30. That helped, but I hate taking any pills. Funny thing, the foot didn't ever hurt during walking or running. The bunion was no issue except when I was on the bike.
On one 300K brevet in April I experimented using a Crock rubber shoe and a wide Power Grip strap on the wider platform side of the pedal. As a backup I took along the right foot spd sandal. The left foot (which never was sore) was shorn with the sandal and clipped in. At mile 145 (10 p.m.) the right foot did start to have the familiar pain symptom, but not intolerable. Just to be sure I wouldn't suffer on the last 42 miles I took another naproxen.
Now, I only use Crocks and Power Grips and there is NO discomfort any more on any brevets. I still do take along naproxen, ibuprofen, and aspirin. Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

People point to the Crocks on my feet and say "you're wearing Crocks!" With a straight face I say "Yep, they're bicycle Crocks".... (not).

With flat platform pedals one may adjust the feet as needed on the pedal's surface. Some type of very wide straps is good the keep the hoofs married to the platforms.

Here is a reference article that I wish I read six years ago. The Flat Pedal Revolution Manifesto: How to Improve Your Riding With Flat Pedals | Mountain Bike Training Programs.

sommehill

I currently have bunion pads (not very expensive at all) which really help my bunions but annoyingly they can make your shoes tighter to wear so now I have to buy wider shoes else I will get blisters DOH!