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Some medical teams have the option of offering, Having hallux rigidus, also known as a stiff big toe, can make standing or walking difficult because of the pain. High-impact sports should still be avoided but swimming is generally fine. Roz, Your message came in when I was out of the country. I didnt feel strong enough to hop through two major airports and a large hotel. A medical expert should determine the ideal time, to begin with the exercises and provide you with valuable advice on how to do them properly. Be sure to keep your knee straight for the entire exercise. Continue taking your pain killers regularly. I just want to be active again pain free! Today, I will share what I learned from this foot surgery and simultaneously offer tips for people who are contemplating foot surgery or are presently going through the recovery phase. Prior to the surgery, my surgeon advised me that the first 5 post op days would be painful but it would improve dramatically in the ensuing days and she said nothing about nerve pain so I was quite unprepared for the painful aftermath. 2014;37(8):547-555. doi:10.3928/01477447-20140728-08, If you have questions or comments about this blog post, please email us at [emailprotected]. How to do it: Standing up straight, try keep your knees straight, pull your toes towards your head and then stand on your toes. The bruising covered the top half of my foot. International Medical Centre PO Box 2172 Jeddah 21451. However, when you fuse the big toe, that energy has to go someplace. Now that my knee and foot have been successfully repaired, Im ready to go back to exploring the world and sharing my travel adventures. Hello SandraJust wanted to thank you for your spot-on tips on foot surgery recovery, as I am at the end of my rope 6 weeks after a metatarsal bone fusion surgery , struggling to rise above the excruciating nerve pain I have ever experienced. Try exercises . Good luck in your recovery process. The only exception is when the toe is not yet completely fused. If you are able to work from home, you may be able to return to work just over a week after your operation. But, at about five weeks post-op, I rounded the corner. This blog post will discuss what you can expect from this type of surgery as well as the risks and benefits associated with it. To limit the inevitable throbbing, I elevated my leg in the backseat of the car during the longer rides and avoided standing too long. 5-10 minutes (or more), 2-3 days a week, for targeted, short, quick foot fitness workouts with the right . The pain is made worse with narrow shoes, which cause pressure over the enlarged joint area, and also when wearing high heels. Balance can be a challenge when your feet hurt, and the goal now is to re-balance your body after foot surgery, and exercise, (the right exercises) can help you achieve this goal. From a business standpoint, you can take a medical screw or plate made in China for $5 and sell it for $1,000 or more. While admiring the view, I breathed in deeply. On the Altra website, I read about the Zero Drop Platform and wide toe box. The foot pain will intensify and the toes may swell. The fused toe is stiff as one would expect. I ordered the HOKA ONE ONE recovery sandal. Ive cleared out my garden shed and set up a zero gravity chair so that on good days I can hobble out there and sit for a while in the winter sun. Acknowledge Pain #2: Toe Scrunches Sit in a chair with your affected foot flat on a towel or blanket on the floor. After 2 weeks, the surgeon will review the wound and will remove stitches. Many patients use crutches after surgery to keep their affected foot off the ground. To avoid this, try to rest as much as possible, with your leg raised above your heart. Week 2-6 Light exercise may be undertaken under the guidance of your doctor. Thanks for taking time to comment. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions daily. 2010;29(3):255-271. doi:10.1007/s10067-009-1312-y, (2) Virk SS, Niedermeier S, Yu E, Khan SN. I like the idea of the Hoka recovery shoes but I thing I may have to go with Crocs as I am in the UK and I dont think Ill be able to get them here. These toe exercises can be done in the comfort of your home, or you can get the help of a professional physical therapist to ensure youre doing them correctly. But I knew from past experience that I had to wait until my body was ready to move to the next level. My doctor did the foot surgery anyway but I do feel like I was thrown from a tall building instead of having had surgery. Big toe fusion surgery is often recommended for patients suffering from big toearthritis and severe bunions. <> For this surgery, a doctor cuts ligaments and tendons to help straighten the toe and may also remove a portion of the bone. I had surgery to correct a bunion and hammertoe last March (six months ago). While I was aware of this fact, I didnt anticipate how much this foot surgery would hurt. I really want her to be positive about it if that is what happens. In the first 4-6 weeks, simple routines work best. Keep the opposite knee bent for comfort. With your arms hanging down, the crutch handle should be at . It feels awkward. My hip started to suffer from the unevenness of my gait. Pull the toes towards your body with the help of the towel and keep that position for up to thirty seconds. But your body will send blunt messages when youve overdone it. Ways to get in touch. The operation in general will involve 1-2 incisions around each toe that requires straightening. HOW TO DO IT: Sit in a chair with your foot resting on a towel. Whether you want to know more about preventive hammertoe treatments, minimally invasive hammertoe surgery, or post-operative care, all you need to do is contact us. Good luck! Thank you for sharing and allowing others to as well. Patients should be able to return to their normal lifestyle. While looking downwards, walk with a heel to toe pattern as though you are on a tightrope. It is expected that you will be able to walk normally with your foot at this point. Focus on the long-term goal of returning to your former lifestyle. Appointments & Locations. Yikes! I have been in excruciating pain. Avoid getting too upset by your lack of mobility. By lightly pulling on the towel, slowly bring your toes back towards you until you feel a stretch. Do three to five repetitions of the exercise three times per day. When you get the green light to start with the exercises, toe crunches will be one of the most important ones. Unregistered, Jan 15, . We can all gain something from reading about how others handle their rehab process. Tips for Handling Multiple Doctors Opinions. If you have bunions that cause big toe pain, call your healthcare provider for treatment. Stand and keep your big toe on the ground, and push your body weight to force flexion on the toe. In a normal shoe after three weeks, you can also put on weight. Usually, youll be able to experience full recovery after six months, but general recovery is possible even after six weeks. Tandem walking is a great balance exercise that also helps you regain a normal gait pattern after a surgery. I found your article very helpful and will save it and re- read after my surgery for bunion, plantar plate tear and rotated hammer toe this coming Friday. Just a few weeks later, the bruising was gone. The big toe joint goes through a lot of stress over the years with walking, cement floors, tight shoes, activities and sports. Please see our privacy policy for more information relating to GDPR. Hold them like that for a moment, then tap them down to the ground. It was a great fit. Over time, I put more and more weight on the surgical foot. Increasing the movement will help you obtain a more normal walking pattern and can also help improve your balance as you begin to move around again. Pain isnt always a bad sign in my opinion. 6 Tips for Eliminating Back and Sciatica Pain, 10 Tips for Subacromial Decompression Post-Op Recovery. My pain was disproportionate to the tiny surgical site. . Tarsometatarsal fusion - Fusion of a joint in the mid-foot. I was thrilled that I could do this at less than 6-weeks post-op. You can look to other peoples experiences as a guide, but its unwise to believe that youll follow the same path. The surgeon conveniently scheduled her surgeries on Thursdays and routinely uses nerve blocks to minimize pain in the first 3 days and sends her patients off with 3 days of pain medication. Hold the posture for a count of 10 seconds, or less if you can't tolerate the pain for 10 seconds. However, if your job involves heavy manual labour, you should not return to work for up to three months, depending on your recovery. As this becomes easier, progress the exercise by looking straight ahead. To do toe lifts, you start with one foot flat on the ground. The first time I returned to swimming, I spent most of my time walking in the water and only five minutes of swimming. Im pleased with my recovery process. She also writes for Fareportals online sitesOne Travel Going Places and CheapOAir Miles Away. Eventually, I regained all of my independence and drove my car again to Denver. Sandra contributes a monthly travel tip column forGolden Living, a Best Version Media magazine. Early on after surgery, try to do one set of pumps for each hour you are awake. As with any fusion, this surgery is a dog with fleas. Cookies used: Usually a day case procedure, this type of surgery treats big toe arthritis, and is performed under a general anaesthetic, with a pain-relieving local anaesthetic administered post-operatively around the wound. The road to a recovery after a foot surgery can be a tricky one. The pain was definitely more than I anticipated. Khadijah, She also taught college-level courses. The toe is positioned according to the need to roll off the big toe and will rest off the ground when standing. However, because of the tourniquet that will be placed around the thigh during surgery to stop blood from flooding into the operative field, you may feel a little discomfort once you wake up in the ward. Not all patients put two and two together, and in this patients case, her surgeon came up with an explanation for her ankle that avoided the obvious. Upon reaching the limit, hold it for 10 seconds. Your toe joint will be stiff and quite sore and swollen. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Ankle pumps This exercise is key for post-operative treatment. Predictably the pain was unbearable by Saturday night and of course the doctor couldnt be reached. If your doctor recommends physical therapy, find a therapist who will follow through accordingly. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds before releasing it. HOW TO DO IT: Sit in a chair with your bare feet on the floor. When I returned to walking I had very painful plantar fasciitis for a couple of . 1st MTP Joint Fusion: If the big toe knuckle joint has a lot of arthritis or a very large deformity, fusion surgery will be recommended. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions of the exercise in each direction. Hold this position for 1 to 2 seconds before lowering back down again. Im glad that my tips were useful. Although this exercise is used mostly with an unoperated hammertoe, it can be helpful after the surgery, as well. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site may not work then. Good luck finding a physician who can address your issues. Have a question that wasnt answered? After careful consideration of surgical and non-invasive options, I consented to ganglion metatarsal bone cyst foot surgery. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. For weeks, the top of my foot looked like someone had dropped a piano on it. There were several participants who didnt even try. Youve got great tips for foot surgery recovery. 2 0 obj No crutches either. moove_gdpr_popup By the end of my adventure, my spirits were soaring and my foot was sore. If youre an active person, it will be harder to deal with your lack of independence. Its even possible that other parts of your leg may hurt. Why We Get Sick: Showcases Linkage Between Insulin Resistance and Chronic Illness, Active Lifestyles Versus the Aging Process, Tips For Handling Multiple Doctors Opinions. HOW TO DO IT: Stand in a long hall way or an open room. This exercise also ensures your ankle doesn't lose its range of motion. Since I rarely experience post-op bruising, I was surprised. Thanks for sharing your story! June 2016 in Health + Injury. She also stated that a few months after her big-toe fusion, the ankle began to hurt. Check out Sandras second website, https://thetravelingbornsteins.com. Bunion surgery (including Tailors bunion), Comprehensive arthroscopic management (CAM), Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), Foot and ankle, limb reconstruction & bone infection, What to expect after big toe fusion surgery. *DISCLAIMER: Like all medical procedures, Regenexx Procedures have a success and failure rate. Also, this alters your gait in ways that cant easily be fixed. yo have been quite helpful Thanks, Rebecca, Once you do, start returning toes to the ground, one by one, starting from the small toe. Ranging from 1 to 5 pounds, they allow you to progressively increase strength and endurance in a safe manner. This week I met a patient who had a toe joint fusion. %PDF-1.5 % Ive gradually increased my swimming routine to include three one-hour sessions per week and Im walking a couple of miles in my neighborhood twice a week. I hope that by now you are doing better and that you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Your foot may have some mild bruising, and when it is put down will feel sore and swell. In addition, any significant increases in swelling or pain should be reported to your physician as they may be a sign of something more significant like an infection or a blood clot. There are several types of fusion surgery that may be carried out within the foot. Once your feeling more like yourself, youll be prone to want to do more and more. Ive trekked a few more times in Summit County, Colorado. Tandem Walk Tandem walking is a great balance exercise that also helps you regain a normal gait pattern after a surgery. During this time, you can resume remote working if this is possible. Sandy, hi I loved this article, I have put off having the surgery for 1 years due to being afraid of the down time etc. Lift your leg straight up until it is about 12 inches off the floor. endobj I definitely knew when my leg was down too long. Luckily it is Spring/Summer so found I had to sleep with my foot on a cushion exposed as didnt like the feel of bedding on my affected foot. Hence, given the business plan, its not surprising that fusion surgery has become so popular. I made sure that the organizers of the trip were aware of my limitations. Months 2-6 Swelling may continue but you should now be able to go back to your daily activities without too much trouble. Looking for more insight? I was instructed on how to use crutches so that I could be partially weight-bearing. Seated exercises like a . Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website. Hope the recovery will be over soon! Begin by looking at your feet while you balance. Robyn, I am so sorry to hear about the difficulties you have experienced during your recovery process. I had a toe fusion operation around 18 months ago with a bone graft from my heel to my big toe. Going forward, per your recommendations, I will attempt to incorporate some positivity into my daily life and remind myself of the long term benefits of the surgery . Pain and swelling are common side effects and each type of operation has its own unique challenges. Sandra Bornstein is a freelance travel and lifestyle writer. And, like your doctor said, you need to move toes with hands, but be very gently and try to use only the fingertips. Patience is another important ingredient to the overall success of your rehab process. so allow yourself to feel the exercise some. Ideal for anyone trying to lose weight, increase muscle tone, or rehabilitate after injuries. Exercises Carrying out these regular exercises after your big toe fusion surgery is essential to prevent stiffness in the rest of the foot, restore your range of movement and help you return to your everyday activities as quickly as possible.