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If you suffer from severe foot pain, you might discover that foot surgery may be necessary. Foot surgery repairs many reasons such as a broken bone, structural damage or to relieve foot pain caused by another condition.

Many foot conditions that go untreated will need surgery as the only means to correct the conditions such as:

• Bunions: When all other non surgical treatments such as supports, pads or wearing roomy shoes don’t work, or when the bunions have gotten too big, surgery may be required. The most common way to correct a bunion with surgery is shaving the bump and realigning the bones. Recovery time for this type of surgery is approximately 4 weeks. You are never completely off your feet, but rest and elevation are important for the first two weeks.

• Hammertoes can become more rigid and foot surgery is the only solution to relieve the pain and discomfort. The most common surgical procedure is called arthroplasty, where a small section of the bone is removed from the affected area. Recovery time for this type of foot surgery is mainly pain for 2 to 3 days and can be controlled by ibuprofen or Tylenol.

• Calluses and corn removal may result in surgery if all non-surgical treatments don’t work and/or if the pain on your foot, from the callus or corn, becomes too much. A doctor will cut away the callus or corn, or will need to change the underlying bone structure. Recovery time for this type of foot surgery could be pain lasting for 2 to 3 days and can be controlled by ibuprofen or Tylenol.

• Flat foot that goes untreated can lead to deformity of the foot and/or excessive pronation (ankles turn inward) and foot surgery is the only way to correct the problem. Most surgeries involve removing a wedge of bone to change the angle of the heel bone. Recovery time for this type of foot surgery can last for up to several weeks as the foot will need to be casted and immobilized.

• Morton’s Neuroma, when all non surgical treatments don’t work surgery is usually necessary. There are generally two ways to have surgery: Making an incision from the top of the foot and removing the affected nerve, or making an incision from the bottom of the foot. Most surgeons prefer going from the top of the foot because the recovery time is much faster. Most patients can walk right away whereas if the surgery is performed from the bottom the patient will need to stay off their foot for several days.

Are you tired of unsightly, rough feet and heels? Do you avoid wearing sandals or going barefoot in the warmer months due to your shame surrounding your imperfect feet? If you desire smooth, soft feet, then look no further: The secrets of achieving softer feet and heels aren’t that difficult to uncover! Furthermore, they definitely won’t break the bank, as most of these tips involve some inexpensive products that can be purchased at your local drugstore. If you want to finally have feet and heels that you can be proud to show off during the summer and spring months, then follow these simple and easy to do tips.

-Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate! One of the best ways to achieve beautiful heels and feet is by regularly exfoliating with either a chemical or manual exfoliant. A manual exfoliant is basically a scrub or a pumice stone, which works to gently remove the top layer of dead skin, leaving you with a smooth, healthy finish. Or, if you would prefer to use a chemical exfoliant, seek out an alpha hydroxy acid lotion or cream such as AmLactin. If you have especially stubborn dry or cracked heels, try using these two methods together for amazing results.

-Thick Creams. After you have used either one or both of the two exfoliation methods above, layer a thick cream over your dry feet and heels. While there are hundreds upon thousands of foot creams on the market, all that really matters is that the cream you select is of a thick consistency and has moisturizing ingredients such as vitamin E or jojoba oil. You don’t need to invest in one of the high-end creams to see results. Rather, just pick any inexpensive cream that has these moisturizing properties; the packaging doesn’t even need to indicate that the product is intended solely for the feet (no pun intended!). Some great and trusted brands are Eucerin and Dove.

-Always Wear Socks. Always wear socks when you are working out in athletic shoes. Although it may seem counterintuitive, nothing will dry out the feet quicker than being drenched in sweat with no absorptive material between your feet and your shoes. Ideally, you should coat your feet with a moisturizer before slipping into your shoes and socks. This will ensure the best chance of keeping your feet and heels nicely moisturized while you work out.

Just follow these beauty secrets, and you are sure to have lovely feet and heels in no time!