Painful Bony Lump on Top of Foot

X-ray of a woman's foot

A bone spur is an painful bump on the top of the foot which is actually a bony enlargement. This bump prevails where the first toe joint consults with the mid foot. This bump grows in reaction from friction or pressure from an imbalance. It often ends up being irritated and uncomfortable. In addition, it might develop a soft tissue bursae (sac of fluid) or Ganglion cyst.

Common Problem with Bony Lump on Top of Foot

Q. I have a small hard bump on the top of my left foot under the skin. It is really painful when I walk even without shoes on and sore to the touch. It nearly seems like it belongs to the bone. I had this issue a few years ago however my doctor did some tests and concerned the conclusion that it was absolutely nothing to worry about. Now it is back and hurts a lot more than I keep in mind. Can you please tell me what this is and what caused it?

Causes of Hard Lump on Top of Foot

What causes lumps on top of the foot? There are many causes of lumps and swellings on top of the foot, however two of the most typical are:

  • a bone lump on top of the foot called an exostosis (have the tendency to be firm and non-movable)
  • a soft fluid filled sack called a ganglion cyst.

Two things enter your mind, either a ganglion cyst or a bone spur. Presuming it is one of those two conditions, there are treatments readily available.

X-ray of a woman's foot

This page focuses mainly on the first cause: bone spurs. We’ll talk about the cause in more depth and guide you through the best treatment choices.

Information verified by the iythealth.com team.

A variety of possible conditions can produce a lump on top of your foot. A fast examination can assist you identify the cause.

Here are a possible reasons of painful lump on top of foot:

Bone spur

A bone spur that outgrows a joint on the top of your foot is typically described as a dorsal manager, dorsal exostosis, or tarsal boss. It’s an additional growth of bone tissue.

Bone stimulates normally establish when your body grows additional bone in an attempt to repair damage brought on by regular stress or pressure put on a bone for an extended period of time.

Bone spurs can take place in any bone, but they’re most typical in the joints. They’re frequently brought on by joint damage related to osteoarthritis.

Bursitis

Small sacs filled with lubricating fluid lower friction and irritation between the bone, tendons, muscle, and skin near your joints. These sacs are called bursae. Bursitis is the result of one of these sacs becoming irritated. Bursitis can hinder motion and cause pain.

Bursitis can happen on many locations throughout your body, consisting of the base of your huge toe where your toe and foot connect. Symptoms normally last a couple of weeks and can be treated by resting the impacted area, using ice and, if required, taking an over-the-counter (OTC) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory, such ibuprofen or aspirin.

Make an appointment with your physician if:

  • your bursitis does not enhance in 2 weeks
  • your pain becomes extreme
  • there’s excessive swelling in the affected area

Cutaneous horn

Cutaneous horns are an unusual condition usually discovered on the face, neck, or shoulders. Often, they appear on the foot.

The growths are made of keratin, a protein found in the leading layer of the skin. The name originates from its bumpy, spiked shape which looks like an animal’s horn.

A cutaneous horn may be a sign of cancer, so consult your doctor if you believe you have one. If you’ve been identified with a cutaneous horn, call your doctor if there’s:

  • inflammation around the area
  • rapid growth
  • the horn hardens at its base

Ganglion cyst

Ganglion cysts are lumps of tissue filled with fluid that looks like jelly. They can range in size from invisible to an inch or more in diameter. They’re not malignant.

An individual may have no symptoms or they may have:

  • tingling in the afflicted area
  • numbness
  • loss of movement

While ganglion cysts sometimes go away without treatment, you might decide to have it gotten rid of. Your doctor will remove the cyst through surgical methods or will drain the cyst by getting rid of the fluid with a syringe.

Gout

Gout is the outcome of a uric acid crystal buildup. It triggers swelling and inflammation in the foot, generally around the base of your big toe. The pain and burning sensation can come about all of a sudden.

Your physician might perform a blood test, an X-ray, or an ultrasound to detect. They’ll likely suggest medication for treatment. Way of life changes to manage symptoms include adjusting your diet and stopping smoking cigarettes.

Hallux rigidus

Hallux rigidus is a kind of arthritis that happens at the base of your big toe when cartilage is damaged or lost. It’s generally experienced in between the ages of 30 and 60. It causes pain and stiffness when walking or the inability to move your big toe.

Treatment choices consist of soaking your feet (alternating between warm and cold water) and wearing shoes that keep your big toe from bending. In some cases, if the condition intensifies gradually, your medical professional may suggest surgery.

Lipoma

If a lump appears below your skin and is soft to the touch and easily movable with your finger, you might have a lipoma. A lipoma is a noncancerous growth of fatty tissue. It can appear anywhere on the body, including the top of your foot.

Your doctor can test for lipoma through a physical examination or a biopsy. Because they’re usually considered safe, your physician may suggest leaving it alone. If needed, a lipoma can be surgically removed.

Rheumatoid nodules

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you might develop firm lumps under the skin called rheumatoid blemishes. They can be as large as a walnut or as little as a pea. They typically take place near joints affected by the arthritis. They’re usually not agonizing unless they’re close to a nerve or there’s a hidden inflammation.

Here is an article about the best pain treatment for arthritis.

If your rheumatoid blemishes do not shrink with rheumatoid arthritis treatment such as DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs), your physician might recommend other treatment choices. This might consist of a steroid shot directly into the nodules. If the blemishes severely restrict making use of the joint or end up being infected, your medical professional might recommend surgical elimination.

Sebaceous cyst

Sebaceous cysts are noncancerous, closed sac cysts that appear under the skin. They’re brought on by blocked glands or swollen hair follicles in the skin. Sebaceous cysts are usually found on the face or neck, but can likewise occur on your foot.

Your medical professional may suggest the cyst be injected with a steroid drug or surgically gotten rid of if the cyst becomes bothersome, such as being irritated by your shoes.

Why Does Bony Lump on Top of Foot Hurt?

The most common cause of a bone stimulate on top of the foot is a condition called metatarso-cuneiform exostosis. This hard lump happens on top of the foot normally at the junction of two bones — your first metatarsal bone and your medial cuneiform bone.

This type of bone spur happens with time due to pressure between these two bones. There is a law of physiology called “Wolfe’s Law”. It states that when pressure is used to bone gradually, bone will grow.

These top of foot bone lumps happen when the foot flattens exceedingly and these bones are compressed. In time this pressure in between the bones results in development of the bone lump.

Treatment of Painful Top of Foot Bone Lumps

We recommend that surgery needs to be thought about only as a very last option. In truth we can often treat these conditions without surgery (don’t despair). If you have a lump on the top of your foot that you need treated.

Read also: Best OTC pain relievers

We have a number of primary treatment goals to remove pain from top of foot bone stimulates:

Reduce pressure on top of the foot by using much deeper shoes. There are several brands of shoes that are much deeper than average however are still appealing.

Have your shoes extended over the bump.

Change the shoe lacing method so that the laces avoid over the area of the bump. You can also use flexible shoe laces so the shoe will give a bit over the bump.

Use orthotics to stop the two bones from jamming together. Excellent arch supports not only stop the foot from collapsing, however reduce pain and help prevent the bump from growing. The most efficient method to do this is to use specialized custom-made orthotics called “total contact orthotics”.

An excellent over the counter arch supports can help too, specifically for smaller sized lumps.

Use pads to reduce pressure on the bump. We advise using a lasting gel U-shaped pad to take pressure off of the lump.

Steroid injection: Sometimes there is a swollen bursa on top of the bone spur that can be treated with a cortisone injection. If the bump is just from bone then the injection will not help.

Painful bony lump on top of foot

If all conservative treatment fails then surgery is an alternative to remove the bone spur. The surgery is normally extremely effective but in almost all cases we can treat this problem without turning to surgery. If your doctor has suggested surgery, call others first for a 2nd viewpoint.

If you have developed a lump on either foot, you may have established a bone spur. Specifically if the bump has actually ended up being painful, please make a visit today in Seattle foot and ankle clinic, where they will make every effort to avoid surgery for foot bumps and provide you with efficient treatment and relief.

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Comments: 3
  1. GreG

    I can’t walk with that bump on my foot. Especially when I wear classic shoes. But, I confess, I’m not ready to do steroid injections and other procedures that you suggested in the article. After all, it’s tolerable if you wear soft shoes (like sports shoes or Slippers). The main thing that nothing pressed on top of the foot.

  2. Dr.Kimberly F. McKeehan

    For sudden or chronic pain, do not wait until the last one. Before the pain in the foot worsens and leads to irreparable damage, contact a specialist.

    Foot pain can be considered in stages: pain in the heel or in the Achilles tendon is characteristic of the posterior division of the foot, and the pain of the foot, instep and inner pain to the side for the middle Department.

    Painful bony lump on top of foot often as a result of transverse flat feet, is observed in the anterior part of the foot.

    With these complaints, you do not always need to consult a doctor: Sometimes in order to successfully treat pain in the foot, you only need to change shoes, reduce the load in the foot or change the walking technique.

  3. Tiffanie_1989

    You must contact a doctor if :

    -Painful swelling in the foot or ankle, lasting more than five days.
    -For open and purulent wounds.
    -In the presence of stabbing and cutting pain.
    -For repeated complaints.
    -If pain in bony lump on top of foot continues for several weeks in a row.
    -If, in addition to the pain in your foot, You have an elevated temperature.
    -With structural changes in the foot, heel bone, or ankle joint.

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