Bunion Relief

It isn't a bump. And it probably isn't your shoes' fault.

Most people with a bunion have been told the same two things for years: that it's a bone spur from bad footwear, and that nothing can be done short of surgery. Both are wrong, and believing them costs people years of chasing treatments that were never going to work.

In Bunion Relief, Dr. David Geier - a triple board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist - gives active adults the complete, honest picture of hallux valgus, written for people who intend to keep running, hiking, golfing, lifting, and standing through a full shift.

What's inside:

• What a bunion actually is - a joint deformity in which the first metatarsal drifts one direction and the big toe the other, with the visible bump being displaced bone rather than new growth
• Why you developed one - the heredity, foot architecture, and ligament laxity that do the heavy lifting, and the real but limited role footwear plays
• What your big toe does on every step, and why a "cosmetic" problem quietly changes your gait, your balance, and the pain under the ball of your foot
• How to get a proper diagnosis - why weight-bearing X-rays are non-negotiable, what the angles mean, and how to identify which of four distinct pain sources is driving your symptoms
• An honest audit of non-surgical treatment - footwear, orthotics, toe spacers, night splints, padding, and taping, with a clear-eyed look at what each can and cannot deliver
• A twelve-week strengthening program with beginner through advanced progressions and modifications for arthritis, stiffness, and post-surgical limitations
• Injections and regenerative medicine - corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), bone marrow concentrate, and shockwave therapy, with the evidence for the big toe joint specifically rather than extrapolated from the knee
• Choosing surgery wisely - the procedure families, what drives the choice, the recurrence and satisfaction data most patients are never shown, and eleven questions to bring to a consultation
• Recovery week by week, including the swelling nobody warns people about, and realistic return timelines for work, golf, hiking, and running
• A long-term plan covering footwear, maintenance exercises, bone health, and a six-month self-check

Who this book is for:

Runners whose long runs end early. Golfers whose weight shift has quietly changed. Hikers who dread descents. Nurses, teachers, and tradespeople who can't finish a shift. Parents of teenagers with feet that look like theirs did. And anyone who wants the next twenty years to look like the last twenty.

Dr. Geier is the author of That's Gotta Hurt: The Injuries That Changed Sports Forever and has spent more than two decades treating active people at every level. He writes the way he talks to patients - directly, without hype, and without overselling any treatment.

He is also candid about what the research doesn't settle. Where studies disagree, he says so. Where a popular product has no plausible mechanism, he says that too.

Important: This book is general information and education. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for evaluation by a qualified physician. No book can account for an individual's examination, imaging, medical history, or goals. Readers should consult their doctor or orthopedic surgeon for guidance specific to their own condition. Anyone with diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, or circulation problems should seek professional guidance before using any device, padding, or exercise program described here.