Bunion surgery hurts and these are Five Tips to have an uneventful recovery from bunion surgery ,with as little pain as possible. Now remember all bunion surgery is different. Some procedures are more involved than others so recovery rate and instructions will vary based on the procedure performed.
Five Tips for Bunion Surgery Recovery:
5. Ice, Ice, Ice. You want to place ice on the ankle, not on the bunion area. You want to place an ice pack on the ankle so the inflammation does not accumulate at the bunion surgery site. Remember, pain comes from inflammation and with bunion surgery a great deal of inflammation and swelling occur at the site. Ice retards both inflammation and swelling.
4. Elevation. This is key. Elevation reduces swelling. If you reduce swelling you reduce sprain. The key to treating the swelling is you want to have your leg two pillow lengths above your heart while laying down. Consider your heart the line of demaracation. If your leg is below your heart then blood will rush down leading to pain. Above your heart, no rush of blood equals decreased pain.
3. Take your Pain Meds– The doctor prescribes pain medication for a reason; bunion surgery hurts. Your bone has been cut and moved and then fixated with a screw. Also, take your pain meds regularly. If your doctor says to take them every six to eight hours take them every six to eight hours. For the first fourty eight hours you want to take the pain meds regularly, and then afterwards take it for pain. Early on do not wait for the bunion to become painful. Take them regularly then ween yourself off at about 72 hours.
2. DO NOT WALK ON IT– If you walk on it, you can displace the bunion. In the early going is when your bunion is most susceptible to complications. If you walk on it the bunion can rebreak and require further operation. The biggest mistake you can make is to walk on your bunion after surgery. It’s just not worth it.
1. Listen to your doctor– The doctor is giving you instructions for a reason. He is giving you the instructions based on his prior instructions and previous experiences. The doctor is always right. Remember what I said: every bunion surgery is unqiue and what comes with it generally are unique instructions Do not be afraid to ask questions. Follow these simple steps and your bunion surgery will go as smooth as possible.