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Now my pain is finally gone!- Rosemarie Widmann
For nearly 15 years, Rosemarie Widmann has suffered from Germany’s secret complaint - hallux valgus. This technical term, also known as “bunion”, is given to one of the most common deformities of the foot. The big toe deviates outwards and the corresponding metatarsal bone and head of the metatarsal – the “bunion” – projects greatly. About 10 million people in Germany are affected by this disease, mainly women. At the start, this deformity is usually perceived as merely a cosmetic problem but later, inflammation and swelling of the bunion, incorrect loading and early joint wear (arthrosis) can lead to severe and constant pain.
This was the case with the 63-year old sales assistant from Markt Schwaben close to Munich, whose pain in time became so severe that she sometimes even had to serve her customers barefoot. This is how Rosemarie Widmann describes her suffering: “I had such agonising pain in the bunion that I sometimes could only stand in the shop without shoes“. The pain was not particularly severe at the start of the disease. It was only over the years and with increasing deformity that it became well-nigh unbearable for this active woman. The passionate leisure athlete finally even had to give up her beloved hobbies. “I had to give up inline skating, skiing and cycling as I had to stop after a very short time because of severe pain. I could no longer even play with my grandchildren without pain”, she says.
The inlays prescribed by the doctors did not help much. Rosemarie Widmann stopped the treatment with the rigid, inflexible night splints after a short time as they caused her severe pain. An operation was out of the question for her. Wearing more comfortable footwear hardly helped. No wonder, since, although wearing narrow pointed shoes and high heels is a reinforcing factor in the development of hallux valgus, the bunion arises more from an inherited predisposition, a tendency to weak connective tissue and muscle imbalance.
The longed-for solution for Rosemarie Widmann came at a fair where Bunion Aid™ was presented. Spontaneously enthused by the functions and advantages, this agile lady was immediately willing to try out the novel splint system. The outcome showed that she was right. “After just three weeks of wearing Bunion Aid™, my pain got much better – today it has vanished“, she recalls. This is not surprising, since the splint is secured to the foot with a toe and midfoot bandage, holds the transverse arch of the foot and also supports the midfoot by a pad. The midfoot is optimally stabilised, the toe deformity is corrected and the foot is brought back to and held in its natural shape.
From the start, Rosemarie Widmann wore Bunion Aid™ only at night. Because of the splint’s mobile joint the big toe can also move freely in the night. “After just a few days, there was a marked improvement in my symptoms“ was the resolute Bavarian’s conclusion.
This sporty senior citizen still wears Bunion Aid™ every night. During the day it has not so far been necessary for her to put on the orthosis, despite her severe hallux valgus, since the deformity was considerably improved within a short time just by wearing Bunion Aid™ at night. Nevertheless, Bunion Aid™ can also be worn readily during the day as the patented splint system fits easily into nearly every shoe. The deformity is then corrected not just at rest but also when standing and walking and the foot is supported at every step. For Rosemarie Widmann the years of pain are now finally over. „Bunion Aid™ can be recommended without exception“, she sums up happily. “I can work again without restrictions, do sports and romp with my grandchildren. I have already recommended Bunion Aid™ highly to all my friends. I even carry a few brochures in my bag – who knows who I’ll meet“.
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On tour in the Himalaya thanks to
Bunion Aid™ - Walter Biberger
Summertime is hiking time. Unfortunately people who suffer from a Hallux valgus are often highly reduced in their activities, as every step causes agonizing pain. A Hallux valgus also called painful bunion, shows in the beginning mostly as an unpleasant lump on the inside of the foot´s ball. Then this disease causes very often inflammation and swellings, so that many affected persons have to stop early their free-time activities.
So it also happened to Walter Biberger from Munich. A trekking tour to the Himalaya was a long cherished dream of the man. He registered for a 16 days Himalaya trekking tour of DAV Summit club. After that he started to get trained with hiking tours in the mountains of the Tegernsee valley to prepare for the exhausting tour. Completely unforeseen he had to stop his training preparations due to heavy pain in his left ball toe. After some research he soon recognized, that his pain probably was caused by a Hallux valgus. “On average I could walk two hours a day, then I had to stop because of heavy pain. But this is not enough training time for a Himalaya tour. My dream was about to burst like a bubble.“
To Himalaya thanks to Bunion Aid™
The solution came the day before his trip to the Himalaya: He discovered an ad in a local newspaper about the newly developed Bunion Aid™ day and night splint and immediately bought it. Bunion Aid™ relieves the hurting ball and brings the foot back to its natural position. An installed joint on the height of the ball makes it possible to wear the Bunion Aid™ splint also at daytime in motion. The flat splint fits on behalf of its slim material in almost every shoe. With the Bunion Aid™ splint in his luggage Walter Biberger started his trip to Kathmandu. Already the next day the group went to Lukla, the starting point of the trekking tour. They made 135 kilometres in length and about 11,000 metres in height, partly on a height of 4,000 metres, back to Kathmandu. With the help of Bunion Aid™ Mr. Biberger had no pain at all: ”We walked six to eight hours a day and with the bandage everything worked uncomplicated and without pain,” he told. Thanks to Bunion Aid™ a big life dream was fulfilled.
The splint is available at medical suppliers, pharmacies or in the web: www.alphaorthotics.com.
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Beauty pageant participant wears
Bunion Aid™ after hallux valgus surgery - Julia Kraft
Even when Julia Kraft, now a 21-year old student in Regensburg, was still a child, it was noticeable that both of her big toes were slightly deformed. Physicians confirmed to her worried mother that hallux valgus could develop because of the girl's existing joint weakness. Hallux valgus, also called “bunion“, is one of the most common deformities in the foot. The big toe deviates outwards. The “bunion“ usually first appears as an ugly bump at the base of the big toe and is perceived at the start more as a cosmetic problem. Later, however, inflammation, swelling and early arthrosis can cause severe pain. In Germany about 10 million people, mainly women, are affected by this toe deformity.
Deterioration even at a young age
The “bunion“ became more and more obvious as the years went by so that it began to bother her increasingly after puberty. Julia Kraft perceived the progressive deformity more and more as a cosmetic problem. In recent years she also suffered pain which tormented her during sports and especially when she wore tight and narrow shoes. Alongside her studies, the attractive student also works as a model. It was particularly when modelling that the torment of high tight shoes became a torture: she found it increasingly hard to cope with the pain and constant pinching on her feet. Nevertheless, despite her suffering and the associated inconvenience, the pretty girl from Regensburg came third in this year’s vote for Miss Bavaria.
Bunion Aid™ after surgery
On her doctor’s advice and to be able to walk again without pain, Julia Kraft decided on a joint-preserving operation on both feet. After the operation, wearing forefoot relief shoes was prescribed for several weeks. To further stabilise the surgical result, she wore the Bunion Aid™ dynamic splint system inside the shoes. She also used Bunion Aid™ consistently in the postoperative period at night and when lying down. “Bunion Aid™ is made of a great material and does not pinch. It seemed ideal to me for postoperative use. I got on much better with Bunion Aid™ than with the usual rigid hallux valgus night splints.“ Other experience reports and observational studies confirm the positive effect of Bunion Aid™ during postoperative use. Because of the mobile joint at the level of the bunion, the corrected big toe joint can move freely and its natural motion is encouraged. This means that early mobilisation is possible with a greater build-up of strength and rehabilitation is shorter. Today, six months after surgery, Julia Kraft is again just as active as before. She works as a model and is currently doing practical training in Australia as part of her studies. Nevertheless, she continues to wear Bunion Aid™ regularly, especially at night and is certain about one thing: “I can stabilise the surgical result permanently with Bunion Aid™“.
Bunion Aid™ is available in medical requisite shops, pharmacies or at www.alphaorthotics.com.
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