Seeing a bump on top of your foot is an obvious sign that something isn't right. Especially when it hurts! I've lately been seeing lots of people coming into my Houston podiatry office with pain on the top of the great toe joint. The great toe is stiff and women who are suffering with this are finding it impossible to wear heels. While it may not be a medical emergency, It certainly is a fashion one!
When you look at how much the great toe has to extend while wearing a high heel, or even with regular walking or running, it is pretty significant. When you have a bone spur on top of the great toe joint, it acts like a "door stop" and prevents the great toe from extending as much as needed and causes pain. In many cases, you'll feel comfortable with a certain heel height, but pain beyond that. In a high heel, the pain occurs because the shoe is forcing you past the point where the toe can no longer move and continuously jams the joint.
In situations where the spur restricts the joint motion even more, you may feel pain with simply walking or running. This is because of the persistant jamming with each step. This motion can be controlled with a custom orthotic or a turf toe insole and, in turn, address the pain.
Of course, the bump, lump, or knot that forms on top of the foot in the area of the bone spur can also cause pain and pressure in the shoe. While cushioning with a bunion pad may offer temporary relief, we most commonly address this with a surgical procedure called a chielectomy. A chilectomy removes the bone spur and remodels the bone to allow for more motion and less jamming. It also removes the bump on top of the foot and makes wearing shoes comfortable again.
The benefit of a chielectomy is that there is very little downtime after surgery and you can walk immediately after the procedure. In most cases you're back in shoes in about 3 weeks! If you have been sufffering with a painful bump on top of your foot, it is time to get it checked out. Contact Houston podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider for an immediate evaluation to see what the right treatment is for you.
