The Bottom of Your Feet: Some Common Problems

If you have pain in the bottom of your foot, you are not alone.  Many of our patients have been treated for various conditions affecting the bottom of their feet.  Here are two common scenarios:

Recently, a professional business woman came complaining that after wearing her high heels all day, the ball of her foot would throb for days.  After consultation, we determined that it was most likely a Morton’s neuroma.  A Morton’s neuroma is a ‘pinched nerve’ classically between the third and fourth toes. This is typically a result of compression of the metatarsals or long bones of the foot as a result of wearing inappropriate or too narrow of shoes.  Affected individuals usually experience burning pain between the toes, as well as intermittent sharp shooting pain to the toes. Neuromas can be treated conservatively with wider and lower heeled shoes, orthotics, anti-inflammatories, and injections. If necessary, neuromas can also be successfully treated through surgical excision.

Another patient came in and said, “Should I be concerned with a dark mole on the bottom of my foot?  I noticed it a few months ago.”  Any changing or new pigmented lesion on the foot or body should be evaluated.  Among other factors, evaluation is based on the ABCD method.  ‘A’ is for asymmetry, meaning one half the mole should match the other half.  ‘B’ is for borders, which should be smooth and not poorly defined.  ‘C’ is for color, which should be consistent throughout the mole.  Finally, ‘D’ is for diameter or size, which should be smaller than 6 mm or roughly the size of a pencil eraser.  Any new or changing mole or any mole that exhibits any of these characteristics should be checked.

Contact us if you have any problems with the balls or heels of your feet.  Let us help determine the best course of treatment and help you quickly alleviate pain.

 

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