Victoria Beckham needs Urgent Surgery on Feet!

Scholl has recently released a survey conducted on Great Britain and the nation’s feet. When asked who had the worst feet, the nation spoke loud and clear. 71% of people polled voted Victoria Beckham to have the worst feet in the nation. 67% even thought that Posh should have urgent surgery to address her bunions!

Despite the strong support for Victoria Beckham to undergo surgery, many Britain’s admit to fear of foot surgery. 76% stated they would fear a bunion surgery due to the possible disruption in their daily activities. Such fears included, inability to drive, weight gain, and inability to wear high heels. It sounds like no one wants to look at an ugly foot, but no one wants to fix their own feet either!

Foot surgery can slow you down, but not all procedures will leave you on crutches. Many are suppressed to hear that you can walk out of the hospital on the same day of surgery in just a surgical shoe. You may need crutches to help you balance but you can get around just fine. You will however need to slow down, elevate and rest your foot as much as possible. Swelling is always a problem and the best combat is rest and elevation.

Some surgeries will keep you off of your foot. Depending on the procedure that is right for you and your foot, determines what your post-operative experience will include. The question you have to ask is what is this worth to you? Are you in pain on a daily basis? Are you embarrassed to wear sandals? Are your feet restricting you from wearing your favorite shoes of special occasions? Most can return to all of their daily activities within two to three months of foot surgery.
There is no doubt we are crazy when it comes to feet. We go to extremes to wear our favorite shoes and to avoid surgery. Almost half of women admit to carrying an extra pair of comfortable shoes. I have witnessed a shoe switch in a bar! With the stylish big bags, women are free to carry multiple shoes to switch out throughout their day or night. One in five Brits have from one to five pairs of shoes stored under their office desk.

Is America far from the Britain? Probably not. I have heard every excuse from men and women why they cannot have surgery or why they need to wear impractical shoes. Maybe it is human nature to ignore the feet or to put foot fashion before pain? We obviously recognize the ugliness and the discomfort! We demand Posh to get surgery and we carry around a closet of shoes with us? Maybe the feet are too far from the brain for logic!

Bunions: Should I have Surgery?

A bunion or hallux valgus is a foot deformity that causes your big toe to tilt inward. This causes an enlargement of the metatarso-phalangeal joint, the joint where the big toe meets the foot. This deformity can be seen as a bump on the outside edge of your foot at the base of the big toe. The subluxation of the joint, compromises the joint’s normal function. Since the joint is important in ambulation and takes on a considerable amount of weight and stress, the deformation can cause pain. There is much debate about whether shoes alone can lead to bunions or if there is a genetic predisposition. Bunions are much more common in societies that wear shoes, but since bunions do show up in societies that remain barefoot, we can conclude that shoes are not the principle or only factor that causes the deformity.

Surgery has been shown to be the best treatment for bunions. It has the highest rate of patient satisfaction and over long periods of time, it has the lowest rate of pain, cosmetic disturbances and footwear issues. Like all surgeries, there is risk of complications during or after the procedure. This risk is very low. So why don’t we rush everyone to the operating room? Not everyone is a surgical candidate. Elder patients and patients with some other medical conditions have an increased risk of surgical complications, and therefore are not advised to go under the knife. Podiatric surgeons do not find cosmetic appearances justifiable for surgery. Though the risk is small for complications, it is best to avoid surgery if it is not necessary. A podiatric physician may consider surgery for you if the deformity is causing you pain and interfering with your life, shoe gear can no longer accommodate your deformity, or conservative treatments have failed to relieve you of your pain.

It is best to always start with conservative treatments. If these treatments do not work then the podiatric physician will explore more invasive modalities such as surgery. Since a bunion is a problem in joint subluxation (moving out of place), it is impossible to completely correct the deformity without surgery , but the progression of the deformity and pain caused by the deformity can be greatly reduced by other means.

Orthotics are the wonder treatment in podiatric medicine. Since so many foot problems are due to biomechanical mishaps in the foot, orthotics are necessary to regain proper function of the foot and ankle. Podiatric physicians are also trained to accommodate orthotics to the patient’s specific deformity or functional problem.

Padding is a very easy and cheap way to address bunion pain. Podiatrists are trained in padding techniques that may be applied directly to your foot or placed in your shoe to help relieve the pressure on your bunion.

Proper shoe gear is always very important. Getting out of heals and wearing shoes with a wider toe box can greatly relieve pain and slow the progression of the deformity. Weather you have surgery or not, you have to say goodbye to pointy toes and high heels.

Night splints have also shown to reduce pain and progression. Few studies have measured the success of the devices in adults, but they have shown to be very beneficial in adolescents. There are many generic devices that can be bought over the counter, but it is best to speak to your podiatric physician before using such device. They may cause irritation and people with diabetes should be especially cautious when using any over-the-counter product.

Though surgery has many successful outcomes, it is still a serious commitment and needs to be well thought through. It is important to have good communication with your doctor about your worries and concerns. Surgery should be a last resort treatment for you and your doctor. Conservative treatment is less expensive, less invasive, and less risky. Since conservative treatment is not correcting the underlying problem, it does not work for everyone. Thus, if non-invasive treatment has not relieved your pain, you and your doctor may need to consider surgery.

Pain Free Bunion Surgery

People constantly say bunion surgery is painful. This is not the case. Most bunions are easily corrected and patients can immediately ambulate the day after surgery. Using proper surgical techniques, the doctors at Family Foot & Ankle Specialists in Central NJ can get patients out of pain from their bunions almost immediately.

After bunion surgery, you will be in a walking boot anywhere from 2-4 weeks. Most bunions do not require a cast after surgery. The surgery is done outpatient and takes about an hour to do. It is performed under twilight anesthesia, which is sedation and then a local is given. The patient does not feel anything during the surgery and most people only need a couple of pain pills to keep them comfortable. The main problem is not correcting the bunion. Bunions cause excessive pressure along the joint which can lead to arthritis. This will alter one's gait pattern, thus causing pain in major joints like the knee, hip or lower back.

Get the information you need and go to http://www.stopfootpainfast.com/ to order your free book called, "Got Feet." Your feet will love you for it.