Why Bunions Hurt More in When its Cold

As the seasons change and cold weather arrives, sandals and flip flops get tossed aside. Women start digging around in the back of their closets trying to find some suitable cold weather shoes. Many of them will venture out in search of those perfect new fall shoes to match their new wardrobe. Many are switching from open toed sandals to boots and shoes. Shoe stores get an influx of women with bunions shopping for fashionable yet healthy shoes at this time of year. 

As a foot and ankle surgeon, I notice more women seeking relief for painful bunions every autumn. Many women experience a sudden increase in pain from bunions and hammertoes, that haven't been painful in quite some time. This has much more to do with shoes than weather. The reason for this is simple. Warmer weather typically lends itself to open toe, nonrestrictive shoes and flip flops. As soon as the mercury drops, people start stuffing those feet into tight shoes.  This is often compounded by the desire to be fashion concious. Buying new shoes to match a Fall wardrobe adds the pain associated with break-in to the equation. New shoes never feel as good as ones. Any area of pressure has to be worn in to the shoes. 

As a result, I see an increase of women in my podiatry office this time of year. Many of my female bunion patients are in agony and describe a constant, throbbing or burning pain in the feet. For most it is worse with activity, but some even continue to experience pain after they take their shoes off in the evening.

A combination of factors cause them to seek treatment. For many, the changing weather seems to aggravate the foot pain. More women inquire about bunion and hammertoe surgery in the fall because they are also less busy than in summer months. Many also realize that they are closer to meeting their insurance deductibles. That means that the surgery will be at a much lower out of pocket expense than after the first of the year.

Even though many people start to realize that surgery does make more financial sense toward the end of the year, I always explain that surgery should be a last resort treatment, even for women with painful bunions. Often times, other treatments will help. For many women, something as simple as wearing shoes with wide toe box can drastically reduce bunion pain. For those withbunions complicated by flat feet or instability, custom shoe inserts can help keep the problem from getting worse. There are also gel and foam pads as well as anti-inflammatory medications that might provide pain relief.

Only when when the pain from the bunion interferes with a woman's daily activities, it's time to seriously consider surgical correction. Not only is this my opinion, but also the recommendation of the guidelines set forth by the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. If the bunion becomes inflamed, ice it, wear sensible shoes and try to avoid shoes with seems or stitching over the bump. 

Dr. Christopher Segler is an author, inventor and nationally recognized award winning foot and ankle surgeon. He is the inventor of the patented Tarsal Joint Distractor, which is a surgical instrument designed to simplify bunion surgery. He has also conducted peer-reviewed research and published articles teaching other surgeons about his techniques about how todecrease pain after bunion surgery. You can request a FREE copy of his new book about common causes of foot pain athttp:www.anklecenter.com.