Bree asks: I had bunion surgery two years ago and my feet still hurt when I run. Is there anything I could do to help the pain go away?
Bunion surgery often puts a runner out of commission for several months, and the return to running can be challenging. I would expect that the surgical pain would be gone by two years, but that is not always the case.
The surgeon who replaced my hip and knee put bone surgery into a different light for me when he said, “we call it surgery, but it is really major trauma.” So like trauma, there is substantial healing that must take place to get back to “normal.”
Following surgery, there is often a period of prolonged immobilisation that potentially changes the normal joint motion through the foot. If both feet hurt, the reason could be unrelated to your bunion surgery. It may be worth meeting with your primary physician or a physical therapist to see if you have normal joint motion in your foot and ankle.
Sometimes the core strength suffers following surgery, and the pelvis cannot support the lower trunk and femur during running. This loss of strength and control of the pelvic girdle can transfer stresses down to the knee and foot, resulting in pain.
Try contacting a physiotherapist who can address your personal physical issues to help you get back to running healthily.