HOW TO KEEP THE BUNION SURGEON AWAY DISCUSSED BY DR. HARDY

DR. HARDY'S TORONTO FOOT CLINIC, ACADEMY FOOT AND ORTHOTIC CLINICS PRIDES ITSELF WITH PRACTICING CONSERVATIVE FOOT CARE WHENEVER POSSIBLE, WHICH MEANS THAT WE AVOID MEDICATIONS AND SURGERY.  THERE IS NO MEDICATION (DRUG) OR SURGERY WHICH DOES NOT CARRY WITH IT THE RISK OF SIDE EFFECTS, IN SOME CASES VERY HARMFUL AND LIFE THREATENING.  

IF YOU CONSULT A CHIROPRACTOR, CHANCES ARE WILL GET ADJUSTED, A MEDICAL DOCTOR YOU WILL RECEIVE MEDICATION, A PHYSIOTHERAPIST YOU WILL RECEIVE PHYSIOTHERAPY AND A SURGEON, THERE IS A HIGHER LIKELIHOOD THAT A SURGICAL PROCEDURE WILL BE PRESCRIBED.  DON'T GET ME WRONG, I AM NOT PROPOSING THAT SURGERY IS NEVER NECESSARY OR FOR THAT FACT MEDICATIONS ARE NEVER NEEDED.  THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUNIONS DON'T  REQUIRE AND SHOULDN'T RECEIVE BUNION SURGERY.

THE MAJORITY OF SURGICAL PROCEDURES ON BUNIONS, ALSO KNOWN AS HALLUX VALGUS ARE DONE FOR PURELY COSMETIC REASONS. A BUNION IS WHERE THE 1ST METATARSOPHALANGEAL JOINT HAS GONE LATERAL FOR A NUMBER OF REASON.  THE USUAL CAUSE IS MOSTLY HEREDITARY AND IS MORE PREVALENT IN WOMEN AND THEREFORE THE MAJORITY OF SURGICAL PROCEDURES THAT ARE PERFORMED ARE ON WOMEN.  OTHER REASONS THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CONDITION ARE THE WEARING OF HIGH HEELS AND SHOES WITH TOE BOXES THAT DON'T  ACCOMMODATE FOR THE NORMAL WIDTH OF THE FOREFOOT.

IN MY DOWNTOWN TORONTO FOOT CLINIC WE HAVE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO TREAT THIS CONDITION.  FIRST WE ASSESS THE SEVERITY OF THE CONDITION AND WHETHER IT IS SYMPTOMATIC.  IF THERE IS NO PAIN AND PURELY A COSMETIC DEFICIENCY, THEN WE WILL NEVER EVER SUGGEST SURGERY, AS WE HAVE HAD MANY SYMTOM-FREE BUNIONS END UP SURGICALLY STRIAGHTENED WHERE THE STRAIGHTEN TOE WAS NOW STRAIGHT WITH A SCAR BUT NOW WAS PAINFUL AND OR LACK OF FUNCTION DUE TO DECREASED RANGE OF MOTION.  NEVER, EVER COMPROMISE THE FUNCTION OF A JOINT WITH COSTLY SURGERY THAT IS ONLY MILDLY PAINFUL OR COMPLETELY PAIN-FREE.  EVEN TAKING A MILD PAINKILLER WOULD OUTWAY ANY RISKS OF SURGICAL INTERVENTION.

WE WOULD FIRST ASSESS THE BIOMECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES OF THE FOOT.  IN MOST CASES CUSTOM ORTHOTICS ARE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO RESORE THE FOOT TO ITS NORMAL POSITION AND REDUCE ANY STRESS ON THE FIRST RAY. EVEN IF A SURGICAL PROCEDURE WAS PERFORMED A CUSTOM ORTHOTIC SHOULD ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED.  MY FOOT CLINIC HAS A COMPLETE ARRAY OF THE LATEST PHYSICAL THERAPY MODALITIES INCLUDING INTERFERENTIAL CURRENT, ULTRASOUND, LASER AND SHOCKWAVE THERAPY.  ALL OF THE FOOT SPECIALISTS WHICH I EMPLOY ARE TRAINED IN (A.R.T.) ACTIVE RELEASE THERAPY WHICH IS A PATENTED SOFT TISSUE TREATMENT WHICH IS EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE .  USE OF ICE, STRETCHES, EXERCISE AND WEARING PROPER FOOTWEAR CAN USUALLY BE THE ANSWER TO THE CONDITION.  

IF SURGERY IS ULTIMATELY NEEDED EACH OF MY HIGHLY EDUCATED AND SKILLED FOOT SPECIALISTS WILL BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THIS.

IF YOU OR A LOVED REQUIRES HONEST, COMPETENT ADVICE, FOOT CARE OR ORTHOTICS FROM DEDICATED TORONTO FOOT SPECIALISTS WHO LOVE THEIR PROFESSION, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT US AT 416-465-8737 TODAY.