Here is my (lengthy) answer to the main reason why I can not wear high heels. Before my cheilectomy surgery, I had difficulty getting my left foot into any shoe where my big toe was going to be in a bent position or at an angle. Wearing flat shoes/sneakers/sandals were not a problem, but they had to be stretchy. As the bone spur on top of the affected joint grew larger (from 2 injuries), the skin across my foot became tighter and I decided to get the surgery. I thought about wearing heels again, and had seen a podiatrist prior to my surgery (for an ingrown toenail). She said when I was ready, I should tell her what heel height I wanted to wear. When I finally scheduled the surgery, I did not select her as my surgeon. Because of a friend's experience (unhappy with bunion surgery done by a podiatrist), I picked an orthopedic surgeon. As I waited for my surgery date, I was talking to a friend of mine at the gym. She told me she had her bunion surgery done by the same surgeon and highly recommended him so I felt good about my choice. I never asked him about heels as it felt too vain. Fast forward to now, about 3 months after surgery. I am working hard to get flexibility back into my big toe joint. I think this is less of an issue for men, but if I want to wear heels again or have more mobility, I have to try. The surgeon said not to expect much. I have been going to physical therapy for 9 weeks. I am using a "Dynasplint", a device the surgeon recommended. Basically it's a device that you strap onto your foot that bends the toe back towards your ankle. You can increase the angle slowly and you build up time spent in it. I think it's helping, but I will be honest, it's painful to use. I went to the website and watched a video about a young woman recovering from a car accident, who is using two of the devices. My troubles are nothing compared to hers, so I have endured the device. Here are the things I am doing in Physical Therapy: the therapist is using the Graston method to break up scar tissue at the surgical site, under my toe, through the arch of my foot and on on my calf muscle. I have a high tolerance for pain (I've been told). The arch of my foot is very tight and I feel a degree of pain when I walk every day, although this is improving. I wore a surgical shoe for 1 week after surgery, then an orthopedic boot for 2 weeks. After my follow-up appointment with my surgeon, he said to move the joint and be physically active "as much as possible". I was active before the surgery and was glad to be given the go ahead to get back into my routine. I have worn orthotics in my sneakers (due to falling arches) and found I had to switch to a new one called, "Sore Dawgs". I take a one hour, high cardio Zumba class each day and usually walk about 4 miles, if my schedule permits. Anyways, back to the exercises: I start out with 10 minutes of warming up on a bike. I do calf stretches on a slant board, I am doing squats and then coming up to my toes (using a TRX strap to support my weight), I am doing balance exercises on a Bosu ball, I am doing lunges to build up flexibility in my big toe. Also side stepping with a stretchy band around the outside of my feet. I'm using a stretchy band to wrap around my big toe and extend my toe, then pull it back. My point of sharing this is that the effort is returning my toe to some flexibility. I'm not sure if it was the surgery or wearing the orthopedic boot, but I have pain in my arch that I never experienced before. I have arthritis in my big toe joint and that is not going to go away. So regarding heels? I can wear a 1 1/2 inch heel on date night but I always bring a bag with comfortable sneakers to change into after. I really thought before surgery that I would be back into all my pretty shoes. I'm still hopeful and have not donated my shoes to charity (yet)! However, I have resigned myself to finding fashionable, stretch flat shoes and there are some options (I admit some are not so cute!). As women
Tracey - 10 years ago
Ladies, what is the main reason you cannot wear high heels anymore? I assume you get pain from wearing them? Very curious as I find this to be a big bummer!
Here is my (lengthy) answer to the main reason why I can not wear high heels. Before my cheilectomy surgery, I had difficulty getting my left foot into any shoe where my big toe was going to be in a bent position or at an angle. Wearing flat shoes/sneakers/sandals were not a problem, but they had to be stretchy. As the bone spur on top of the affected joint grew larger (from 2 injuries), the skin across my foot became tighter and I decided to get the surgery. I thought about wearing heels again, and had seen a podiatrist prior to my surgery (for an ingrown toenail). She said when I was ready, I should tell her what heel height I wanted to wear. When I finally scheduled the surgery, I did not select her as my surgeon. Because of a friend's experience (unhappy with bunion surgery done by a podiatrist), I picked an orthopedic surgeon. As I waited for my surgery date, I was talking to a friend of mine at the gym. She told me she had her bunion surgery done by the same surgeon and highly recommended him so I felt good about my choice. I never asked him about heels as it felt too vain. Fast forward to now, about 3 months after surgery. I am working hard to get flexibility back into my big toe joint. I think this is less of an issue for men, but if I want to wear heels again or have more mobility, I have to try. The surgeon said not to expect much. I have been going to physical therapy for 9 weeks. I am using a "Dynasplint", a device the surgeon recommended. Basically it's a device that you strap onto your foot that bends the toe back towards your ankle. You can increase the angle slowly and you build up time spent in it. I think it's helping, but I will be honest, it's painful to use. I went to the website and watched a video about a young woman recovering from a car accident, who is using two of the devices. My troubles are nothing compared to hers, so I have endured the device. Here are the things I am doing in Physical Therapy: the therapist is using the Graston method to break up scar tissue at the surgical site, under my toe, through the arch of my foot and on on my calf muscle. I have a high tolerance for pain (I've been told). The arch of my foot is very tight and I feel a degree of pain when I walk every day, although this is improving. I wore a surgical shoe for 1 week after surgery, then an orthopedic boot for 2 weeks. After my follow-up appointment with my surgeon, he said to move the joint and be physically active "as much as possible". I was active before the surgery and was glad to be given the go ahead to get back into my routine. I have worn orthotics in my sneakers (due to falling arches) and found I had to switch to a new one called, "Sore Dawgs". I take a one hour, high cardio Zumba class each day and usually walk about 4 miles, if my schedule permits. Anyways, back to the exercises: I start out with 10 minutes of warming up on a bike. I do calf stretches on a slant board, I am doing squats and then coming up to my toes (using a TRX strap to support my weight), I am doing balance exercises on a Bosu ball, I am doing lunges to build up flexibility in my big toe. Also side stepping with a stretchy band around the outside of my feet. I'm using a stretchy band to wrap around my big toe and extend my toe, then pull it back. My point of sharing this is that the effort is returning my toe to some flexibility. I'm not sure if it was the surgery or wearing the orthopedic boot, but I have pain in my arch that I never experienced before. I have arthritis in my big toe joint and that is not going to go away. So regarding heels? I can wear a 1 1/2 inch heel on date night but I always bring a bag with comfortable sneakers to change into after. I really thought before surgery that I would be back into all my pretty shoes. I'm still hopeful and have not donated my shoes to charity (yet)! However, I have resigned myself to finding fashionable, stretch flat shoes and there are some options (I admit some are not so cute!). As women
Ladies, what is the main reason you cannot wear high heels anymore? I assume you get pain from wearing them? Very curious as I find this to be a big bummer!