A bunion is a misalignment of the bones in the big toe. This increased angle from the bones can cause a bump on the side or top of the big toe joint. There are however several treatment methods that will slow down or stop the bunion from increasing in size. A painful bunion can be treated conservatively, but often requires surgical intervention.
A bump that isn’t caused by bones that shows up on the foot is called a soft tissue mass. While usually benign, they can still be painful. To determine if they are malignant (cancerous), a biopsy or removal should be performed.
A bone spur can occur anywhere on the foot, and may form a visible bump. Bone spurs occur from muscles pulling on bone or from bone rubbing on bone. Bone spurs can be removed surgically, or offloaded with conservative treatment.
If a bump is noticed on the top of the foot, it may be due to a bone spur, cyst, gout, soft tissue mass, hammertoes, bursitis, injured tendon, or injured nerve. An X-ray, MRI, or possible surgical intervention can be used to diagnose and determine what is causing the bump.
A bump on the bottom of the foot can have a variety of causes also. It can be due to an inclusion cyst, plantar fibroma, soft tissue mass, callus, corn, or a wart. An X-ray, MRI, or possible surgical intervention can be used to diagnose and determine what is causing the bump.
