A bunion is an extra bone that has grown on the side of your foot. How can a piece of plastic get rid of that? I had surgery – it didn’t actually hurt as much as the bunion did. To get the operation you have to tell your doctor that it is excruciatingly painful and stops you from doing everyday activities. It wasn’t until after the op I realized how much I had stopped doing because of the constant pain. I did try an orthotic once, made by a chiropodist but it didn’t make any difference.