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Outside of the Foot Pain [Lateral Foot Pain]
Protruding Bone on Outside of Foot [Causes, Symptoms & Best Treatment]
Causes of a protruding bone on the outside of the foot are usually injuries to the 5th metatarsal. Learn to FIX the pain today!
Look:
- We will show you an animated diagnosis & treatment guide, photos, and the best FAST treatment options for your protruding bone on the outside of the foot pain.
- These are Simple & EASY options that we have seen success with.
- Also included is our outside of the foot pain treatment video guide!
So, Let’s Get STARTED!
Table of Contents
Most common outside of the foot pain causes:
Outside of the Foot Pain Picture Gallery:
Look:
- Fifth toe pain usually has nothing wrong with the bone unless it has recently been broken. The pain usually results from pressure against the front of the shoe, causing a callus or ingrown toenail.
- The fifth toe joint can cause a Tailor’s bunion to occur. This can also result in nerve pain and arthritis of the fifth toe joint.
- The bone connecting to the fifth toe is called the fifth metatarsal. It is possible to develop a stress fracture or “Jones” fracture.Β
- It is also possible to have pain and tendons and nerves outside the ankle from pressure against the outside of the shoe.
- The peroneal tendons can also be causing pain. This means the peroneus brevis tendon and the peroneus longus tendon.
- Cuboid syndrome can also cause pain at the back and outside of the foot.
Click on the photo gallery to see descriptions!
Overview of a protruding bone on the outside of your foot:
- This 5th metatarsal bone makes up the vast majority of the outside of the right foot. It can become very prominent depending on your foot type.
- This is not a tumor! It is a normal bone, but this can still really hurt.
- There are many different types of injury and pain that this bone can cause.
Symptoms of bones protruding on the outside of your foot:
- This is more likely to cause tissue irritation.
- Irritation leads to nerve compression.
- Bone compression will be more of a sore and aching pain.
- Nerve compression can act as numbness, burning, or tingling.
- It is also possible to have tendon pain, stress fractures, or broken bones!
Causes Of Protruding Bone on Outside of Foot:
- The outside of your foot is a hard rigid beam of bone compared to the inside of the foot.
- A few different bones on the outside of your foot could be protruding and causing you pain.
- These can be at the front of your foot, including your pinky toe and your fifth toe.
- They could be in the middle outside of your foot. These include your fifth metatarsal, your fifth metatarsal styloid process, and your peroneal tendons.
- The fifth metatarsal is probably your most common cause of protrusion on the outside of your foot.
- Towards the back of your foot on the outside, you could have pain along the heel bone, which is your calcaneus, and your ankle bones, called your fibula.
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1)Foot Pain Outside Edge Of Pinky Toe:
- The most common causes of damage and injury to the pinky toe include having to stand on your feet all day, and being too tight in your shoes, and your foot flattening out against the outside of your shoe.
- Most people donβt think that this is happening to them, but this comments to almost every person we see to a certain degree when we evaluate people.
- Read below for the treatment of all these fifth toe problems. While they do seem very different, they are actually very similar and have very similar solutions.
- Pinky toe pain is widespread:
A)5th Toe Numbness, burning, or tingling:
- Numbness and burning, and tingling usually mean that you have a lot of bruising going on throughout the day and that your nerves have had enough!
- Your foot cannot continue taking damage getting compressed against the front of your shoe on the floor. This is a universal sign that you are simply taking too much damage to the front of your foot.
- There are much larger biomechanical causes, such as the tight ankle, tight hamstrings, and increased weight. But a good pair of orthotics and a good shoe is the most common solution to start with.
- This is most common after standing, walking, or running.
- This is usually associated due to compression of the 5th metatarsal against the shoe.
- Consider wearing a larger shoe in the front.
B) 5th Toe Callus, Bump, Or Corn:
- Calluses or corns can really cause pain!
- Corns and calluses do not form on your fifth toe by themselves. They only develop after months or years of increased pressure and rubbing.
- This is persistent pain from tight shoe gear, tight ankle joint, and tight hamstring muscles.
- Many factors can add up to cause rubbing and bending here.
- Eventually, you could have a hammertoe develop, and on top of the knuckle joint of this hammertoe, you can develop a corn or callus.
- We will focus on trimming down these calluses and making them feel better, but you still have to correct the biomechanics and get yourself some great shoes.
C)Pinky Toe Sprain:
- It is also very possible to sprain or injure your pinky toe.
- Spraining your pinky toe can lead to long-lasting pain.
- Just like for your knee or ankle, you have ligaments that hold your fifth toe bones together. A sprain is damaging or possibly even a rupture of these ligaments. In extreme cases, you can even have a dislocated fifth toe.
- There are many different grades for these types of sprains. They range from irritation to a full sprain with rupture and dislocation of the toe.
- This could happen even without a broken pinky toe. But donβt worry. If this were to happen, you would likely have some bruising or purple formation around this toe.
- The only way to confirm this for sure is to get an x-ray.
- If you jammed it very hard, consider a sprain!
D)Bunionette:
At the front of the foot, you can develop a bunionΒ at the outside of the foot by the base of the toes.
- The pain can be relieved with 5th toeΒ bunionΒ padding & shoe accommodation.
- Just like you could get a bunion on the big toe joint, you can develop a bunion on the fifth toe joint.
- This is almost like dislocation of the metatarsal joint. The key here is not to fix the fifth toe bunion but once more to correct your biomechanics.
- You must ask yourself what caused this bunion to develop in the first place. It is the portion of your choices and poor biomechanics.
- It is possible to greatly go away by treating the pain initially, wearing good orthotics and good shoes while you do your walking. It is still possible to wear nice shoes but just not all the time. The other alternative to wearing good shoes and orthotics is surgical correction.
- This is something that is done in the hospital. Although it does seem like minor surgery, it is not standard of care to have something like this be done in the office.
- We work at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital so that you can expect the best possible care for this procedure.
- But in the end, only surgery will permanently correct the deformity.
Home Treatment of a protruding 5th toe:
Physical Exam:
- When we see you, we will first evaluate your fifth toe joint.
- Very quickly, we can see whether there is a corn callus, a bunion, or a hammertoe. We will get some imaging while you are in the office and present you with the pros and cons of a good treatment plan.
- By evaluating the toe and how flexible you are in your foot and ankle in your knee, we can see exactly why this protruding bone is developing in the first place.
- It is almost impossible to diagnose over the Internet without evaluating the biomechanics of your foot. Think of the protruding bone as a symptom, not the cause of the problem.
Imaging:
- Whenever you have a protruding bump on the outside of your foot, it makes sense to get an x-rayβan x-ray rules out the possibility of any tumor or broken bone, or foreign object.
- Furthermore, an x-ray lets us tell you whether you have a hammertoe, a bunion, corn, or something worse!
- Very rarely does a protruding bone on the outside of the foot require anything beyond what we can provide in the office. We can take an ultrasound in the office if it is a soft tissue mass. If it is something larger, we may require a CT scan or an MRI, which would be performed in the hospital.
Lab tests:
- it is scarce ever to require any lab testing unless you have a rare tumor or cancer. This is extremely rare.
Protruding bone at the middle outside of your foot:
Foot Pain Outside The Arch is usually two to one of 2 widespread problems.
A) 5th Metatarsal Bone and Styloid Process:
- The most common cause of protruding bone on the outside of your foot is your fifth metatarsal. This bone is normal, that is. It protrudes more as you have a high arched foot that is very flexible and rotates outward as you walk.
- I frequently see patients come in thinking that they have a tumor or an extremely large bone that they want to be filed down, but this is actually a normal bone!
- If you were to come in and get an x-ray at our office, you could see very quickly that this is normal anatomy. I have personally never seen any tumor or any soft tissue mass growing here out of thousands of feet.
- Almost always, a high arched foot that is bending out words in this bone is protruding and rubbing against her shoe. This can then lead to a condition called peroneus brevis tendinitis. Conditions like this can lead to extensive pain, especially as you are standing during the day and take a very long time to go away.
- The real solution to this problem is just like any other outside of foot pain, is to prevent your foot from twisting outward so much and rubbing your shoe during the day. Prevent this bruising and rubbing with a good pair of cost-effective over-the-counter orthotics in a good pair of shoes.
B)Β Peroneus Brevis Tendonitis:
- This is the most common source of injury.
- This is a tendon that inserts into the outside of your foot.
- It can become irritated very easily.
C) Jones Fracture:
- A Jones fracture is a break in the base of theΒ fifthΒ metatarsal of the foot.
- You can feel it on the side of your foot right around the middle.
- This is a notoriously difficult part of the foot to heal because theΒ Peroneus BrevisΒ Muscle is always pulling it apart.
If you think you may have a Jones fracture, consider the following treatment options because you will need a good 2 months of staying off the fracture site!
Pain On Outside Of Foot Below Ankle:
- Outside of the Ankle & Below the Ankle, pain is widespread.
- This can be due to previously sprained ankles, instability, bone pain, tendonitis, or pain after running.
Consider the following causes:
- Ankle Sprain Treatment.
- Rolled Ankle Recovery Time.
- High Ankle Sprain Recovery Time.
- Ankle Tendonitis.
- Sore Ankles After Running.
- Broken Ankle Recovery Time.
- Broken Ankle or Sprained Ankle?
- Peroneus Longus Tendonitis.
- Peroneus Brevis Tendonitis.
Home treatment of middle outside of the foot pain:
- This part of the foot can become a little bit more complex. Really it isn’t easy to evaluate this portion without getting an x-ray. Great over-the-counter orthotics for a reasonable price. This will improve all of your foot pain.
- Then there is further advice, such as work on your flexibility or stretching your Achilles tendon to your hamstrings. This will always take a lot of pressure off the front of your foot.
- It is obvious that if you were to weigh less, your foot would hurt much less. Working and standing less can also cause less pain.
Sharp Pain On Outside Of Foot:
- Sharp pain on the outside of the foot is usually due to nerve compression.
- This occurs when your foot compresses against your shoe during walking or running.
- This pain is known as neuropraxia.
- The most common site is the base of the 5th metatarsal.
- This will cause theΒ pinky toeΒ to go numb.
Outside Foot Pain After Running:
- This is also most commonly felt as a sharp, numbness, burning, or tingling feeling.
- This is nerve compression due to excess pain and friction.
- This is almost always at the 5th toe or pinky toe.
Protruding Bone Home treatment:
- You can do the things at home for your pinky toe pain focus on adding and biomechanical control.
- First, I want to start by saying it is sporadic to need surgery to fix this condition. We see these hundreds of times every year, and rarely do we need to perform a procedure. This is even after people see us for a second, third, fourth opinion, convinced that they need some surgery.
- I can promise you that even in the most challenging cases, low cost and quality orthotics combined with a good shoe gear choice can solve this problem almost always.
- Orthotics work extremely well in offloading the foot, especially over-the-counter orthotics that cost $30 or less. You do not have to shell out $500 on the most advanced form of an orthotic. The main benefit of custom orthotics is that they are made from much better materials and are durable.
- So, things you can do at home are number one get a good pair of shoes. This specifically means getting a good high-quality running shoe that you canβt bend in the middle of your foot when you walk.
- The next best thing you can get for your foot in your fifth toe is a good gel pad. This can prevent your fifth toe from rubbing against your shoe. But doesnβt it just make sense to get better shoes that prevent the rubbing in the first place?
- The next best thing that you can do is see your podiatrist. Thereβs always a reason the bone is protruding in situations like this, and it starts further up your leg, including your ankle, your calf muscle,e your knee,e or your hamstring. So get an x-ray and get evaluated for your biomechanics.
Outside of the Foot Home Treatment:
- If you have 5th toe pain, tailor’s bunion pain, outside of the foot pain, or other lateral foot pain, this guide is for you!Β
- These are the recommended treatment products that will help you get better the fastest.
- The key is to stop your foot from turning outward and causing further damage to your foot.
The real key to fix outside of the foot pain in order:
1) Most important is a good shoe & a good insole for your shoe.
- Good shoes and good foot insoles are the best value and best long-term option.
- This will stop your foot from turning outward.
- Give these 1-2 weeks of effort, and you will really notice the pain relief.
- This does not instantly fix the pain but prevents future damage.
2) Gel pad to offload the toe.
- This will give your toes some cushion to keep pressure off the toes.
- Read below to see the specific gel pads for each specific condition.
3) Ankle brace for a possible correction.
- Check the recommended braces below.
- For ankle pain, this is almost guaranteed to improve your problem.
4) Menthol-based cream for pain relief.
- Creams and gels like Biofreeze act like ice but save you 20 minutes!
- Check below for our recommended pain relief options.
Best Treatment Products:Β
5th Toe Gel Pads:
- Fifth toe gel pads can stop your fifth toe or your Taylor’s bunion from rubbing against the side of your shoe.
- There are downsides because these don’t last forever, and they do start to break apart and develop older.
- They can be a low-cost option for tighter shoes during business meetings and at work.
Topical Pain Relief Creams:
- Menthol-based creams have been studied medically and show safety and excellent results.
- This is best for nerve irritation.
- This can help with the nerve pain on the outside of the foot. Just don’t use this as your only treatment option.
- This is not fluff, and these are scientifically backed!
- Bio-freeze is cost-effective and shows great results.
- This is more for people who have difficulty sleeping or walking due to significant issues.
Massage & Ice Products:
- Ice is an excellent option that can be safe for almost everyone.
- There are many nerves, ligaments, and tendons on the outside of your foot.
- This can help calm the inflammation until you fix the biomechanics making your foot turn outward.
- There is some debate about whether icing is worth doing, but this can help limit the need for medications and keep your options open for chronic pain.
- This works great for your arch, less for the ball of the foot.
- The more muscle and ligament tissue there is, the better ice will work there.
Massage Sticks:Β
- These can work great for loosening your muscles.
- More flexibility will make your foot turn out less.
- This is a very counter-intuitive way to take pressure off of the outside of your foot!
- This allows less tightness and pressure on the ball of your foot.
- This is very effective for the arch, the gastrocnemius, calf muscle, and the hamstring and thigh muscles.
- This also works very well for the gluteus muscles if you are having butt cheek or hip pain.
Best Shoes for Side of Foot Pain:
- Getting a great supportive pair of shoes will make sure that there is pressure removed from the outside of your foot
- This is especially important if you have flat feet.
- Consider shoes combined with a good supportive orthotic for the best pain relief!.
- The following link will show you what our favorites are.
Best Orthotics for Side of Foot Pain:
- Orthotics are the single most important way to improve your outside of the foot pain, Seriously!
- Most people don’t think orthotics will fix their foot pain.
- Besides trauma,Β 95% of all 5th toe, middle of the foot, and outside of the ankle pain can be improved with orthotics.
- This is because orthotics help your foot from twisting out and compressing against your shoe when you walk.
- Would you please not take our word for it? Read the reviews!
Most Important Tips For Orthotics:
- Make sure you have a roomy enough shoe.
- I’m warning you right now, don’t try to stuff a full-length orthotic into a tiny tight shoe. It won’t work.
- If you have tighter or dress shoes: try the dress shoe or 3/4″ orthotics.
Full-length orthotics give you the most correction and improvement:
- If you have roomy enough shoes like running shoes or work boots. Get a full-length orthotic.
- The cushion under the front of your foot prevents it from twisting out against the outside of your shoe as much as possible.
- These are one of the best possible options for the medium and heavy-duty correction!
These orthotics are for slimmer shoes without laces:
- If you are tight in the front of your shoes, or the shoes are tighter, these 3/4″ might be the best choice for you.
- But if you have a choice, the full-length orthotics are much, much more supportive!
- So if you wear work boots or running shoes, get the full length. They get you more support.
Dress Shoe orthotics:
- These are premium leather orthotic recommendations for dress shoes.
- If you have a tight dress shoe get the 3/4″ orthotic.
Outside of the Foot Trauma:
- If you think you might have a broken 5th metatarsal fracture, a Jones fracture, a stub, or a broken 5th toe, these products may be of assistance.
- This guide is meant only after getting your foot evaluated by a foot and ankle specialist first!
- Always remember to see a foot and ankle specialist like a podiatrist if you have severe outside of the foot pain or a broken bone!
5th Toe or 5th Metatarsal Injury Treatment:
- If you have a traumatic injury such as a broken 5th metatarsal fracture, a Jones fracture, a stubbed, or a broken 5th toe: consider protecting your foot!
- The best way to do this is, of course, to see your podiatrist and get evaluated with an x-ray, ultrasound, and potentially even an MRI or CT scan.
- If you cannot do so, it may benefit you to be in a cast, fractured boot, or even keep the weight off of it with a rolling knee scooter or other protective devices.
- We as podiatrists frequently take patients off work for a very long period of time when they suffer a traumatic injury. Unfortunately, there is no other way around us in labor jobs.
- If you have a sit-down job, there are ways to get people back to work quicker, but this can be impossible otherwise.
Outside of the Foot Boot Treatment:
- There are pros and cons to using a boot to treat your outside of the foot injury. The Pros are that your injured lateral foot will hopefully have a chance to heal gradually! If you are immobilized too long, the cons are that you will gradually become stiff and overworked to your other leg.
- Our favorite fracture boots and their supplies:
Offloading and Scooter treatment:
- Sometimes the best thing to do is to keep pressure off of the outside of your foot completely.
- There are benefits to offloading in the early stages of the disease and can give you outside foot relief!
- These are favorite knee scooters and walking devices:
Outside of the Foot Compression Brace:
- A good compression brace can stabilize your foot from turning outward.
- This prevents your foot from pronation.
- The pronated foot will turn your foot outward, in your foot will rub on the outside of the shoe.
- This has solved their pain for many of her patients and is very comfortable to wear inside your shoe.
- This solves both pain and outward pronation for a relatively low cost.
Outside of the Foot Stability Brace:
- The stability brace goes a little bit further than the compression brace to stop your foot from turning out.
- At the same time, this is a little bit bulkier and does not affect every shoe.
- We find people are a little bit happier trying the compression brace before the stability brace.
Outside of the Foot Pain [Lateral Foot Pain]