I had my fusion 6/22/16. I had no choice sin e there was my big toe was way out of alignment, causing it to overlap the toe. This caused rubbing with any shoe I wore. there was also significant arthritis. It has been only a little over three weeks. It seems much longer. I am doing well. Hate the boot, which I will wear another three weeks. I am using Arnica gel, which works great for bruising and swelling. I also use prescription Voltaren gel for pain in my toe and sole of my foot. The boot also threw my back out, causing back spasms. I raised the other "wedge" shoe with an insert. That helped lot. Can't wait to get rid of the boot. I also use a walker for balance as I try to kill myself using crutches.

Next step for me will be therapy and water walking, and deep water exercise. I am hopeful.

true bone fusion, ducks I can only wear sandles. never again

I have had a right big toe joint replaced with a new one. I cannot wear heels , dancing is painful and my feet swell, it is still painful after over a year post op. I had steroid injections two weeks ago to try and ease the pain with no success and am now looking at having a fusion. I am walking on the side of my foot as putting it flat is painful and wearing shoes is a nightmare, even flat ones. I just want to be pain free, the worrying thing is they haven't even started on my left foot yet.

I have had a right big toe joint replaced with a new one. I cannot wear heels , dancing is painful and my feet swell, it is still painful after over a year post op. I had steroid injections two weeks ago to try and ease the pain with no success and am now looking at having a fusion. I am walking on the side of my foot as putting it flat is painful and wearing shoes is a nightmare, even flat ones. I just want to be pain free, the worrying thing is they haven't even started on my left foot yet.

I have this problem, too. I have learned more from this forum than I have from my podiatrist and the internet sites all together! At this point I am just living with it, but the permanent lack of flexibility bothers me more than the occasional pain.

yes I have one form a doctor that messed up whan the doctor was takeing a buion out my toe was up in the air and I had have 2 surgerys

I had my toe fused yesterday and OMG!,am I in pain today ....HELP

I had mine fused Dec. 17th and did not know there were less invasive options. I would to have chosen to have my toe straightened with screws had I known. I am a shoe freak and need to wear heels, booties, my frye boots, I have a feeling i will never get them on. I am sick, sick that i did not do any research. I have had six spinal fusions with cages, screws, plates etc. and this doctor is in the group. I want to go back and have him undo it now!

I am in the same situation. I went in to get just a bunion removal & my Dr took my joint out of my big toe & now it is fused & cant wear any high heeled shoe or put any kind of a boot on. Ive ben wearing tennis shoes everyday since. I am now in the process of searching for a Dr that will unfuse the fusion & im having difficulty in finding one that will. Im so sorry you have to go thru such sorrow. It has affected me physically & mental emotional distress. I wish u all the best. U can email me at athenarena@gmail.com maybe we can help ea other thru this horrible mess. Sincerily athenas

Hi all, I'm not a dancer but in trawling the internet on Hallux Rigidus this came up. I enjoy hiking but the arthritis in my big toes is making it extremely painful beyond 2 or 3 miles. The advice I've received is that a joint replacement is ok for older people who are not going to 'abuse' the joint and is a much quicker recovery. Trying to define what level of use constitutes abuse is nigh impossible. The life of joints is not long and the procedure is probably in its relative infancy compared to say knees. Fusion gets rid of the pain but is a long recovery and I've not been able to get any info from anyone who's had it done in relation to hiking afterwards. Some say better to live with the pain.

It does feel like hiking will not be possible which is a terrible shame.