Nobody wants to undergo a procedure on their foot or ankle, but the reality is that thousands of Americans end up needing an operation each day for one reason or another. And while not every single surgery can be prevented, there are some things you can do before and after your foot injury that can reduce your risk of ending up on the operating table. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at three ways you can work to avoid the need for foot or ankle surgery.
Can I Avoid Foot Surgery?
Again, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to avoid surgery even if you follow all of the below tips, because the fact of the matter is some injuries simply need surgery in order to heal correctly. That said, if you keep these tips in mind, you may be reducing your likelihood of needing surgery or suffering an injury that could require an operation.
1. Wear The Right Shoes – So many foot injuries and conditions come down to wearing the right shoe for the job. If you’re performing athletic activities and you’re not wearing the proper shoe or cleat, you’re at a higher risk for ankle sprains and fractures. If you’re regularly wearing high heels instead of comfortable and supportive shoes, you’re at risk for bunions, arch problems and hammer toes. If you’re not wearing protective shoes on the job site, you’re at risk for puncture wounds or slip and fall accidents. Think ahead for what’s to come and plan your footwear based on the activities you’ll be performing so that your shoes don’t greatly increase your risk of an issue that requires surgery.
2. Early Intervention – Another helpful way to prevent surgery is to treat a small problem before it snowballs into a major issue. If you notice a mild bunion forming or some pain on the underside of your heel with the first few steps in the morning, set up a consultation with a foot specialist. If you keep doing the same actions that led you to this position in the first place, not only will symptoms fail to improve, odds are they will worsen. Putting off treatment too long may mean that surgery is the only reasonable option. Stop small foot and ankle issues before they turn into an issue that requires surgery.
3. Aggressive Rehab – If you have suffered an injury, you may be able to avoid surgery by aggressively jumping into a rehab program. Some ligament tears and tendon issues can respond to careful activity modification followed by weeks of targeted physical therapy, but only if you’re willing to put in the work. If you just hope that healing will runs its course while you stay in bed, you may not experience enough healing or you may leave yourself susceptible to future injury, which could result in surgery. Oftentimes surgeons work to avoid an operation if they can, and that typically means pursuing an active conservative care program.
