When you have a bunion on your foot, trying to walk around comfortably can be a huge challenge. This is a common hereditary foot problem that occurs because of varying degrees of strength and weaknesses found in the feet and legs. Wearing shoes that are too tight can aggravate the condition or create it in the first place. If the bony joint on your big toe gets bigger, the bunion can create a lot of pain when you walk.

Self-Care Measures

Typically, most people with bunions will first try and treat them on their own. Some self-care options include getting bigger shoes which offer more room or taking a break from close-toed shoes for a while. Other patients may just try to ease the pain by taking over-the-counter pain medicine and hope the bunion heals without any help. Patients also might try padding or taping the foot in order to protect the bunion from irritation and for pain relief.

Bunion Surgery

When self-care options are not giving you the relief that you need, you may want to consider bunion surgery. Traditional surgery options for bunion relief include surgically removing a part of the bone in the big toe in order to make it straighter. Other traditional options include removing the affected tissues by the big toe joint and having the long bone behind your big toe realigned. A lot of people shy away from traditional bunion surgeries because they can cause side effects to your foot that are worse than the bunion pain was. To reduce the risk of trauma to your foot from traditional bunion surgeries, bunion sufferers may want to opt for the minimally invasive bunion surgery option instead.

Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery

This type of bunion surgery comes with less risk than traditional surgical options. It involves the doctor making the smallest incision possible. The surgery is able to be performed this way because of the availability of special miniature visualization instruments.

This type of bunion surgery offers many benefits over the traditional types. Some of the main benefits include less bleeding, minimal to no scarring, and less pain. The recovery time after minimally invasive bunion surgery is shorter than other surgeries. You will be able to get back to your normal routine in a short amount of time.