In the past three years, Keira Johnson has had surgery on both of her feet. She may be young, but the 19-year-old from Wyndmere, North Dakota, is no beginner when it comes to bunions.
“If I was going on like a longer walk, by the end of the walk, it would hurt. So like, if I was doing physical activity for at least an hour, I would say that’s when I would start to notice,” Johnson said.
Johnson, who played volleyball at the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton last fall, says that in high school she would go through two pairs of shoes each season. Each pair lasted less than two months.
“My bone stuck out, so I think it just caused the shoe to rip,” Johnson said. “By the end of every practice my foot would hurt. Just kind of felt like an aching pain.”
All in the family
Johnson and her family sought help at the Sanford Health Foot and Ankle Clinic in Fargo, and specifically from podiatry specialist JP Naughton, DPM. Bunions run in the family, and Dr. Naughton previously treated Johnson’s mom.
“She had surgery with Dr. Naughton too and loved him. So that’s kind of how I found him and got the idea of having the surgery,” Johnson said.
“That’s a great compliment that we can get as physicians and surgeons,” Dr. Naughton said. “If you have a family member or friend who is very happy with us, that they’ll refer their family or friends to us.”
Dr. Naughton explained that bunions are most often passed down from generation to generation, and aren’t typically caused by any outside factors. That’s why a freshman in college can need surgery so early in life.
“Typically, a bunion is just a deformity of the foot. Essentially you have your first metatarsal, and what happens is it’ll kind of drift out to the side. Then what happens is your big toe will get pushed over,” Dr. Naughton said. “What you want to do is try to bring the bone back nice and straight. And that’s what I did with Keira.”
Pain-free future
Johnson had surgery on her right foot in 2022. Her recovery took a few months, and afterwards she didn’t want to miss out on any more high school sports. She waited to have her left foot done until January 2025. Now she says her pain is gone.
“Now it just feels totally normal, like a normal foot,” Johnson said. “I don’t have the feeling I had before when I wore shoes. I couldn’t really fit into tighter shoes because of it. Everything is just more comfortable. I can run now and walk normally with no pain.”
Dr. Naughton says Johnson is on track for a full recovery and shouldn’t need any more surgeries in the future. From here on out, she can put her best foot forward.
Learn more
- What to do when your feet develop bunions
- The best summer shoes according to a foot doctor
- Advice from a podiatrist: Match your shoes to the occasion
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Posted In Fargo, Orthopedics, Sports Medicine
