What is a Foot Neuroma and How Can You Treat It?

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A neuroma is a painful foot condition that develops between your toes. You may also hear your podiatrist in Austin, TX refer to a foot neuroma as a nerve tumor or simply a pinched nerve. Foot neuromas are a benign condition caused by an overgrowth of nerve tissues.

Symptoms and Causes of Foot Neuromas

The symptoms of neuromas sometimes mimic those of other food conditions, making it difficult to determine a diagnosis without visiting a podiatrist. The most common things to look for include:

  • Pain in the ball of the foot when you apply pressure to it
  • Pain towards the front of your foot and in between your toes
  • Numbness and tingling in the ball of your foot
  • Swelling between your toes

Foot neuromas are more common in women than men, mainly because women wear high heels and other types of shoes that can contribute to the problem. Be sure to wear shoes with low heels that provide your toes with adequate room to move to avoid developing neuromas. Look for shoes with laces or buckles that make it easy for you to adjust the fitting and avoid squeezing your feet too tightly. Other potential causes of foot neuromas include:

  • Having flat feet or feet with high arches
  • Repeated stress, such as a job that requires you to stand all day
  • Trauma to the nerves of the foot

Your shoes should also have thick and shock-absorbent soles along with insoles to take pressure off the foot. Wearing additional padding in your shoes near the toe area can also help prevent nerve damage to the toes that results in neuromas.

This problem typically gets worse without treatment. Dr. Jeffrey Lamour will determine if you could benefit from custom orthotics in Austin, TX or any other remedies during your initial appointment.

Modern hardworking young female feeling tired after long walk on

Recognizing and Treating a Ganglion Cyst on Your Foot

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Ganglion cysts contain jelly-like fluid and form a hard lump at the point of a joint or tendon. The word ganglion refers to the knot-like lump or mass that forms beneath the surface of your skin.

Causes and Symptoms of Ganglion Cysts of the Foot

Despite being the most common type of benign soft-tissue mass, doctors still do not know the precise cause of ganglion cysts. The most logical explanation is that they develop in response to repeated micro-traumas or a single trauma. Your ganglion cyst may change size and even appear to go away for a time only to return. Typical symptoms include:

  • Appearance of a hard lump
  • Pain and irritation when wearing shoes due to the friction caused between the lump and shoe
  • Burning or tingling sensations if the cyst has developed near a nerve
  • Dull ache or pain if the cyst presses against a tendon or joint

If you suspect you could have a ganglion cyst on your foot, schedule an appointment for podiatry services in Austin, TX right away.

What Are Your Treatment Options for a Ganglion Cyst?

If the cyst does not cause you pain or affect your walking, Dr. Lamour may decide to monitor it to see if it will go away on its own. Wearing different shoes or a temporary slipper shoe can also help. Draining the fluid from the cyst and injecting it with steroid medication in a process called aspiration and injection can also help. You may need to complete the process more than once, and the cyst may grow back even larger in some cases.

Surgical removal of the cyst is another possibility and it has a much lower recurrence rate than aspiration and injection. As an experienced podiatrist in Austin, TX, Dr. Lamour will discuss all treatment options and allow you to choose the one that seems right for you.

How Diabetic Neuropathy Affects Your Feet

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Approximately two-thirds of people with diabetes develop some type of nerve damage. Neuropathy, which mainly affects the limbs, is the most common. You are at highest risk of developing neuropathy if you have uncontrolled blood sugar levels for a long time. Your age and the number of years you have had diabetes also play a role in whether you develop diabetic neuropathy and the severity of the nerve damage.

How Peripheral Neuropathy Affects the Feet and Legs

As the most common type of neuropathy in diabetics, peripheral neuropathy typically affects the feet and legs first followed by the arms and hands. Common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy in the feet include:

  • Burning, stabbing, or shooting pain
  • Tingling sensation best described as the feeling of pins and needles against your feet
  • Sensitivity to touch
  • Sores and ulcers that heal slowly and can lead to other complications
  • Numbness
  • Intolerance to hot and cold temperatures
  • Problems with balance and coordination

People with diabetes are also more prone to developing toenail fungus, cuts, blisters, and calluses on the feet. Due to diminished sensations in your feet from the peripheral neuropathy, you may not notice these problems until you have developed an infection. Left untreated, each of these diabetic foot problems can cause an ulcer that could lead to amputation of a foot or lower leg.

Prevent Serious Diabetic Foot Problems by Working with an Experienced Podiatrist

Routine foot check-ups are vital when you have diabetes. Dr. Jeffrey Lamour will assess your feet at each visit and recommend appropriate treatment for any problems he detects. He can also recommend custom orthotic footwear and provide you with tips to properly care for your feet at home. With something as important as your mobility at stake, you cannot afford to overlook the importance of quality care from your local podiatrist in Austin, TX.

How to Know if You Have a Heel Spur

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Heel spurs contain a bony outgrowth made up of calcium deposits. They develop under the skin and can be difficult to see, but you can usually feel them. One of the most common reasons that people develop heel spurs is that they have plantar fasciitis. The cause of plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is the tissue that stretches across the bottom of the foot and connects the heels and toes together.

Other Causes of Heel Spurs

Heel spurs can also develop in response to other underlying conditions, including arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Here are some additional reasons you may develop a heel spur:

  • Wearing non-supportive or improperly fitted footwear such as flip-flops.
  • Overuse injuries that develop from jumping and running on hard floors and other surfaces. These actions can cause heel spurs by wearing down the arch and heel of your foot.
  • Being overweight or obese puts extra pressure on your feet and can eventually lead to heel spurs.

Typical Symptoms Associated with Heel Spurs

Although heel spurs are not always visible without an X-ray, some people notice a small protrusion on the area of their heel where they feel pain. Other common symptoms include:

  • Hot and burning sensations
  • Inflammation and swelling
  • Tenderness in the heel makes it difficult to walk barefoot or with non-supportive shoes

We encourage you to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Lamour, your local podiatrist in Austin, TX, if you notice any of these symptoms. He will examine your foot and take an X-ray to help him make a formal diagnosis.

Heel Spur Treatment

Resting your foot and placing ice on the heel is the first-line treatment for heel spurs. Dr. Lamour will also give you stretching exercises and advise you to take anti-inflammatory medication if needed. Physical therapy, special orthotic shoes, and cortisone injections are additional options to consider.