Educational Articles

Six Ways to Restore Foot Health After Surgery

Posted By Marty Hughes, DC

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The above content is for educational or informational purposes only and is not intended to replace or augment professional medical instruction, diagnosis, or treatment. Read full disclaimer here.

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Comments
March 04, 2018
Ed

In the Hallux Limitus course, you recommend Strutz foot pads as a helpful tool in managing the condition. What exactly are the foot pads doing that helps with this condition? Do you consider the combination of Correct Toes and Strutz foot pads a viable alternative to motion controlling shoes and conventional orthotics for protecting the vulnerable great toe joints?

March 04, 2018
Natural Footgear

Hi, Ed,

Thank you for your question! Like other kinds of metatarsal pads, Strutz foot pads act to re-establish a balance between the flexor and extensor tendons that act on the toes. Strutz foot pads are helpful in realigning the toes, including the big toe, and they encourage a repositioning of the forefoot fat pad to a place that supports and cushions the metatarsal heads, including the first met head. So, these pads play an important supporting role when it comes to hallux limitus and restoring range of motion in the 1st metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint.

The combination of Correct Toes toe spacers, Strutz foot pads, and foot-shaped shoes can indeed be a viable alternative to motion controlling shoes and conventional arch orthotics in protecting the vulnerable great toe joints. The first approach seeks to use the foot’s own inherent properties to achieve this goal, the latter relies on external devices to immobilize the foot and prevent it from feeling the surface upon which it acts. In our experience, we’ve found that restoring proper toe and foot function (in a natural way) is the key to rehabilitating the 1st MTP joint.

Kind Regards,
Marty Hughes, DC

March 04, 2018
Gwyn Wicks-Buck

Hi. I’m 2 weeks post-op cheilectomy and I am so glad I found your website. I have a bunion and hammertoe on my other foot, and I am determined to try to avoid surgery. At this point, it’s too early to tell if my surgery was successful, but I’m also keen to use these exercises post-op to hopefully optimize my recovery. Thanks for the info!

March 04, 2018
Natural Footgear

Hi, Gwyn,

Thank you so much for your comment. We’re glad you found us, too! We wish you much success in your recovery.

Kind Regards,
Andrew Potter

March 30, 2018
Alaina

Hello!

I’m looking for help. I have had foot pain all my life. As a child I was always getting prescription orthotics and have had ongoing pain since then. In 2014 I got sick of the pain and had reconstructive foot surgery. I’m hopeful for a good long-term outcome. I went through a physical therapy program and then had a second surgery on the opposite foot. Now I have a hard time keeping shoes on because they are oddly uncomfortable, and some socks are uncomfortable as well. It’s like, after surgery, my feet and ankles got bigger (though they appear to be the same size). I think it’s something with my nerves, too, because a lot of other people with flat feet don’t have this pain, especially after surgery. What can I do? Any ideas on a doctor I could see? I just want to be normal. I want to walk down a street without pain. Please, I’m running out of hope.

March 30, 2018
Natural Footgear

Hi, Alaina,

Thank you for your comment. We’re so sorry to hear that you’ve been experiencing the post-surgical issues you mentioned.

There are a lot of practitioners around the country who have at least some familiarity with natural foot health concepts and approaches. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find someone close by. Please check out this link to see if there is a practitioner in your area:

www.nwfootankle.com/resources/122-healthcare-providers

If there’s no one near you, you might consider doing a remote consultation with the team at Northwest Foot & Ankle in Portland, OR (this is the podiatry clinic of Dr. Ray McClanahan, the inventor of Correct Toes):

www.nwfootankle.com/scheduler

If you have any other questions, please do let us know; we’re happy to help out however we can!

Kind Regards,
Andrew Potter

March 30, 2018
Mildred Kelly

I just had foot surgery two weeks ago. My doctor informed me that in two weeks I can stop wearing my boot and can wear sneakers. I have no idea what I should purchase as I will be returning to work in two weeks. Can you advise what shoes I should buy? Thanks.

March 30, 2018
Natural Footgear

Hi, Mildred,

Thank you for your comment. One model that a lot of folks have found to be particularly comfortable is the Lems Primal 2:

www.naturalfootgear.com/collections/womens-lems-primal-2-shoes

Most people find this shoe to be a good starting point when searching for foot-healthy footwear.

If you have any other questions, please do let me know!

Kind regards,
Marty Hughes, DC

October 19, 2018
Wendy

Hi! I’m 5-weeks post (minimally-invasive) cheilectomy surgery and am still experiencing joint pain. My follow-up advice was severely lacking, so I’ve been relying on Dr. Google. Up until my toe pain rendered walking any distance too painful for my toe, and subsequently my back, I used to regularly walk 12-20 km with no problem. Still having pain when walking is making me feel quite depressed. My surgeon suggested sticking with rigid-soled shoes, and in fact, my walking boots of choice are rigid because they are the only thing I can walk in for any kind of distance. However, I’ve always been a Vibram FiveFingers fan and was wondering if going back to using those for longish walks would aid my recovery? I’d rather build up my foot strength naturally if possible. Sorry for the essay! :)

October 19, 2018
Natural Footgear

Hi, Wendy,

Thank you for your reaching out to us with your comment and question. For a lot of folks, wearing Vibram FiveFingers is a good way to build up foot strength and resiliency, but it’s important to make this transition gently and gradually. As you know, FiveFingers are among the most minimalist of all shoes, and so jumping right into using them—especially after a foot surgery—is usually not recommended without first going through a sufficiently long transition phase. If you do find that you can tolerate FiveFingers at this point in your recovery, please do consider starting with perhaps just 20-30 minutes of wear-time per day initially and then building up wear-time slowly over the subsequent weeks and months, to tolerance.

Please do let us know if you have any additional questions!

Kind regards,
Marty Hughes, DC

December 29, 2018
Taylor Bishop

Thank you for these tips for restoring foot health after surgery. I’m glad that you mentioned to pick the right footwear for foot and toe rehabilitation.

December 29, 2018
Natural Footgear

Thank you for your comment, Taylor! We’re glad you enjoyed the article.

All best,
Marty Hughes, DC

February 21, 2021
Joanne

About a year ago, I had foot surgery to address two bunions and four hammertoes. The surgeon refused to give a prescription for physical therapy. After 5 months, I went for a second opinion. I have now been in physical therapy for 2 months, but the scar tissue is not breaking up. I cannot bend my toes, and I am in pain. Any ideas? Thank you.

February 21, 2021
Natural Footgear

Hi, Joanne,

Thank you for your comment. I’m very sorry to hear about the scar tissue and the pain that you’re experiencing. I recommend that you review the following article from our site to get a sense of the various natural approaches you can try to assist in your foot rehabilitation:

www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/educational-articles/10-best-natural-foot-health-tools-tips

Please let us know if you have any follow-up questions that we might be able to assist with.

All the best,
Marty Hughes, DC

February 21, 2021
Warren Hemenway

This is the first article I’ve read where I actually felt some hope. I’m going on month 9 since surgery. I still have some swelling and the sensation that there is something in my shoe. I’m very limited in terms of what shoes I can wear, and it’s painful to walk. I still am fearful of nerve damage. Is there an intense rehab routine I can follow?

February 21, 2021
Natural Footgear

Hi, Warren,

Thank you for your comment! I’m glad to hear that this article has given you some hope. My best recommendation would be to seek out a talented physical therapist in your area to assist you in crafting a personalized rehabilitation routine. In the meantime, you might consider reviewing this article from our site, which discusses some of the top tools and techniques you can use to help build a stronger and more resilient foot:

www.naturalfootgear.com/blogs/educational-articles/10-best-natural-foot-health-tools-tips

Please let us know if you have any other questions for us!

Kind regards,
Marty Hughes, DC

February 21, 2021
Debbie Cunningham

I had surgery for Morton’s neuroma three and a half months ago, and I am still suffering from scar tissue. I am using massage cream daily and performing normal exercise. It seems to do better with regular activity. I cannot seem to break up the scar tissue. What do you suggest?

February 21, 2021
Natural Footgear

Hi, Debbie,

Thank you for your comment. I’m sorry to hear about that scar tissue! A good physical therapist, chiropractor, or massage therapist should be able to assist you in dealing with that. There are a lot of manual techniques designed to address this very problem that you could be benefitting from, so I encourage you to assess the field of providers in your area to find one who can help you resolve this issue.

Kind regards,
Marty Hughes, DC

February 22, 2021
Karen Picard

I had tarsal tunnel surgery 2 weeks ago. It was the third one on the same foot. The first one was minimally invasive and did nothing. For the second one, the surgeon did not explore all branches correctly. With the third one, the surgeon found a very large amount of scar tissue, which he said he took care of. However, my toes and the ball of my foot are still numb, tingly, and stiff. Any input?

February 22, 2021
Natural Footgear

Hi, Karen,

Thank you for your comment. It can definitely take some time after foot surgery to get a clear sense of any ramifications that may have resulted from it. So, at only 2 weeks out, it may be too soon to tell what you can expect (in terms of lingering issues) over the long term. Once the swelling and inflammation fully subside, you’ll be in a better position to know where you’re at with that. In the meantime, and if the problems persist, you might consider reaching out to a local foot care provider in your area to get the most personalized care possible.

Here’s wishing you speedy healing!

All the best,
Marty Hughes, DC

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