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29th May 2023

Bump on Top of Foot?: 7 Potential Causes

Dr. Jill Barat, PharmD
Bump on Top of Foot?: 7 Potential Causes

Having a newly discovered bump on the top of your foot can be alarming, but most of the time this can be attributed to an injury to the area or a few other relatively minor conditions.

In this article, we will cover the most common reasons that you might have a bump on the top of your foot, but if it becomes painful, larger, or is concerning, you should have a visit with a doctor.

 

1. Injury

Maybe you recently dropped something heavy on your foot, or you were in a crowd and were the unfortunate victim of a foot-stomping.

Minor injuries to the top of the foot may cause some local inflammation and swelling that cause a lump to form on the foot.

Luckily, unless the pain is severe or worsening, minor injuries like these can be treated by using the RICE method, or Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

However, if the pain is severe, there is a lot of bruising, or open wounds, you will want to see a doctor about the injury.

 

2. Bone spur

Bone spurs are common in the foot, and they can even develop off of the bones on the tops of your feet.

Bone spurs occur when there is excess bone tissue that grows too far out.

A few clues indicating that you are likely dealing with a bone spur include a bony-feeling protrusion, stiffness around the area, or pain when pressure is put on the bump either with a shoe or your hands.

 

3. Ganglionic Cyst

Ganglionic cysts can also form on the top of the feet, and cause discomfort when wearing shoes or pressing on the area.

Ganglionic cysts are sacs of fluid that form when the protective fluid-filled covering surrounding a tendon or joint bulges out.

These cysts may need to be professionally drained during an office visit with your podiatrist or foot and ankle surgeon.

 

4. Sarcoma

Less often, a painful bump on the top of the foot can be a type of cancerous growth of the connective tissues, called a sarcoma.

If your doctor suspects that the growth may be cancerous, they will take a biopsy of the lump and report their findings.

If the biopsy is positive, you will be referred to an oncologist for treatment and/or surgery.

 

5. Gout

If the bump is located on or near your big toe and it comes along with severe pain and inflammation, you may be dealing with a flare-up of gout.

Gout occurs when excess uric acid crystals accumulate in the joints and cause pain and inflammation.

Gout is normally treated with oral prescription medications and diet changes to help clear and reduce the amount of excess uric acid in the body.

 

6. Lipoma

A lipoma is a non-cancerous growth of fatty tissue that can occur anywhere in your body - including the top of your feet.

It may be a clue that you are dealing with a lipoma if the lump feels soft to the touch and you can easily move it around under the skin.

Since lipomas are not dangerous, your doctor may suggest just leaving it alone, or they may recommend that you have it surgically removed.

 

7. Rheumatoid nodules

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you may notice small firm growths appearing on top of your found generally around the joint areas.

These nodules may get better and be less painful by improving the rheumatoid arthritis overall and taking your RA medication regularly.


Zen Nutrients PodiVite for general foot health

Here at Zen Nutrients, we carry a multivitamin for foot support crafted by doctors and pharmacists called PodiVite. 

PodiVite may aid in general foot comfort, reduced inflammation, and nerve, joint, and ligament support.*

Learn more about PodiVite or our other expertly-crafted supplement formulations today.





*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.