How long after bunion correction does it take to walk without pain?

It takes 12 weeks after bunion surgery before you can walk with no pain; however, the worst pain is limited to the first 3 days, and most of the pain is gone after 10.

Walking without pain after bunion surgery happens in the three stages. For the first 72 hours the surgical pain is real, and you will take medications to keep comfortable. From 72 hours up to ten days you're still in a splint; walking is moderately painful and awkward. Once your reach the ten day mark things start getting better fast. After the splint is taken down and your doctor removes your stitches your foot is then placed in a walking boot. That is the point you will notice that the bump you had in your foot, the deformity, is gone. Your foot will feel straighter and more normal than it has in years. And you will start physical therapy. The pain level during this stage (after 3 weeks) is like the back end of a roller coaster, it declines consistently from week 3 to week 12 until you are back to shoes, with a normal shaped foot, and pain free.

[shelleycharlesworth]

So do all bunion surgery patients go to PT? And at what point is it "OK" to do a little walking even though it hurts? 4 weeks?
6 weeks?

[purpleness]

I'm here while recovering to find out what it will be like

[jaygoodman]

Who pays while missing work 1/3 of a year😮