While everyone enjoys a good vacation, most people would rather not take time off work for surgery. Recovering after surgery can be uncomfortable and take much longer than people would like. Most people are very anxious to be able to return to their jobs and get back into their routines. Exactly how long you have to wait to heal before going back to work depends on many factors, from the type of surgery you had to how advanced your bunion was and the strain of your job.
A bunion develops when your big toe and first metatarsal bones become displaced and creates a bulge. Although this can be managed conservatively, only surgery actually corrects the problem with the bones. Still, surgery is a big step and requires recovery time, which will mean at least some time off from work.
This doesn’t necessarily mean a lot of time, however. Returning to work after bunion surgery depends on multiple factors. The more complicated and advanced your bunion and the procedure were, the longer you will take to recover. However, your specific job can also determine how quickly you can begin working again. The main concern as you heal post-surgery is to avoid putting too much pressure on your foot and damaging the newly fixed bones. This can mean either putting very little, or no weight at all, on the recovering foot until the bones have had time to mend.
If you have a desk job, however, this isn’t a problem—you don’t spend your day on your feet. You can return to work fairly quickly, whether you are in a special walking boot or you have crutches and a cast. An active job with lots of standing and walking, though, will need more time off. It may be several weeks before you can work safely again.
If your bunion is to the point where surgery is your best option, don’t put it off because you don’t want to miss work. The longer you wait, the worse the problem will become and the longer your recovery will be. Let our team at Podiatry Associates, P.C. in Parker, Cherry Creek, and Castle Pines, CO, help you take care of your bunions before they hold you back in life. Make an appointment online, or call (303) 805-5156 for more information about both conservative and surgical bunion care today.