A painful lump on the bottom of your foot can be caused by a number of factors. But if you’re suddenly finding it difficult to engage in your daily activities because of it, this article will help you find out what’s going on.
First, we’ll talk about what can cause a painful lump on bottom of foot, including under the skin. Next, we’ll dive into what these causes mean for you. Finally, we’ll talk about treatment options that will work best depending on your condition.
Why Do I Have A Painful Lump On The Bottom Of My Foot?
Your foot is a complex structure with myriad bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles and tissues. It’s also packed with nerves and blood vessels. Couple this with the fact that you rely on your feet to bear your weight every day, and it makes the foot especially susceptible to injury and disease.
We’ll address the most common causes of painful foot lumps below. But, you should read on if your painful foot lump is under the skin. In this case, it may require more complex treatment.
The Most Common Causes
The most common causes for a painful lump on the bottom of your foot are calluses, warts or corns.
Calluses are thick patches of skin that form as a result of repeated pressure on the same spot through regular activity. Corns are calluses that occur on pressure points such as the balls of your feet, between your toes or on the edge of your foot. Corns typically have a hard core, which you can feel beneath the skin.
Warts are small lumps or bumps caused by viral infection. They’re typically found on surfaces exposed to friction, such as between your toes, under and around your nails, and on top of your feet.
Treating Warts, Corns and Calluses on the Foot
All three can be treated with a number of products or procedures available over the counter at your local pharmacy.
If they’re on the bottom of your feet, using an over-the-counter corn remover, callus remover or wart remover may be the quickest, most convenient option. They come in the form of a liquid that you apply to the affected area and allow to dry before rinsing off.
Another alternative is to visit a podiatrist. A podiatrist specializes in diagnosing and treating ailments affecting the foot and ankle. This may include making an incision over the growth under your skin to remove a corn or wart or simply cutting away thick layers of callused skin.
Plantar Fibroma: A Painful Lump Under The Skin On Your Feet
A pain lump on the bottom of your foot could be a fibroma, or growth of fibrous tissue. A plantar fibroma is an especially common type that grows on the bottom of your feet.
They typically exist along the arch or at the base of one of your toes and are soft in nature and moveable under the skin. They most often affect middle-aged people, but they can develop at any age. In fact, most people report that they just showed up one day.
That said, you can easily mistake a plantar fibroma for calluses under your foot or a corn. This is why it’s important to get a proper diagnosis and seek the appropriate treatment. At Genesis Pain Clinic, your foot pain specialist in Kansas can perform an MRI to confirm the presence of a fibroma before prescribing the appropriate treatment.
Pain Specialist Treatment for Painful Lump On Bottom Of Foot
If your plantar fibroma is causing you debilitating pain, there are a number of possible treatments, such as:
- Steroid injections. An injection of steroids can reduce the pain of a plantar fibroma and shrink it, reducing daily discomfort.
- Cryotherapy (cold therapy)
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Surgical removal, which is only for particularly severe cases.
At Genesis Pain Clinic, we understand the effect a bothersome painful lump on the bottom of your foot can have on your mobility and quality of life. We offer high-quality interventional pain management at our Kansas pain clinic, treating a variety of causes for foot pain. Contact us today at (913) 871-9888, and we’ll be happy to schedule a consultation for you.