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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

hard painful lump on ball of foot

by Carole
(Levittown, PA)

I have been noticing a hard painful lump on the ball of my left foot (now it is appearing on my right foot also)near my last 2 toes (the two smallest toes). It is very sensitive to walk on and if I wear certain shoes the balls of my feet burn. I have noticed that the pain seems to be worse first thing in the morning then gets better as I walk around. I walk about 3 miles a day to and from work and am standing in almost the same spot for 6 hour shifts (I am a cashier at a grocery store). When I am working I stand on a pad and my feet do not bother me. I notice it when I am walking and as I said..it is especially bad in the morning. I am new to my area but I figure I really need to make a doctor appt. Any ideas before I go? Thank you


ANSWER

Hi Carole,

On the surface at least it sounds like a callus but I guess in the back of my mind I would think most people would know what a callus is.
So I will take this one step further and assume you may have a soft tissue growth like a wart or porokeratosis which is nothing more than a plugged sweat gland. Since the feet contain around 250,000 sweat glands, it is not uncommon for one or more of these to get "plugged" up and become hard and painful.
Since you mention the growth appears near the area of the fourth and fifth toes. This to me does not sound like the growth is directly under the metatarsal heads which is where calluses generally form.
So, with the idea of wart or a porokeratosis, both these conditions are readily treated by a foot specialist. I am not too sure any other medical specialist will be very good at handling these types of growths.
In most cases these growths are treated by having them scraped, which should not be a painful procedure and then have some medication applied to them.
The nice thing about treatment of these growths is that relief is instantaneous.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that I am only guessing as to what type of hard growth you have and if for no other reason, you should see a doctor to get an accurate diagnosis.

Marc Mitnick DPM
DISCLAIMER

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May 11, 2017
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starstarstarstarstar 		Same Pain
by: Bill

I too have just started to experience the exact same condition. Was there a diagnostic determined?

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Dr. Marc Mitnick

151 Summit Ave.
Summit, NJ 07901
908-522-0761


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DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this site is purely informational in nature. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any medical condition. This information is not a substitute for advice from a medical professional. Please consult your healthcare provider for accurate diagnosis and treatment. The information presented here may be subject to errors and omissions.


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(location unknown)
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(location unknown)
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Unknown location

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Arizona
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Poland
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South Carolina
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San Clemente, CA


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location unknown


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location unknown


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location unknown


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anonymous



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Seattle, WA


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Bonnie

location unknown



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New Jersey



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Debbie

location unknown



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Evansville, IA



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San Diego, CA



Dr. Mitnick, Just want to say thank you so very much for your quick response and very informative reply! After reading what you had to say, I called the doctor's office and was able to get in and see him the same day as my injury. Toe was x-rayed and luckily, it is not broken or fractured. Very badly bruised and will probably lose the toe nail. And although my toe and toe nail are still very black and blue and very sore, they ARE both starting to feel a little better. So again, thank you! I am so very happy that I came across your website. The service you provide is outstanding and immeasurable!

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Albany, NY



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location unknown



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Whichita, KS



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Boston, MA



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Colorado



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Colorado

Wonderful advice

by: Anonymous

This is the best site for foot problem info.

Thank you for this information. This description fits my pain and inflammation behind my 2nd toe perfectly.

by: Max

location unknown
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Canada
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location unknown
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Wisconsin
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location unknown
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Renae

North Carolina
Many Thanks Dr Marc!
Thank you for your response. It sounds like a good plan to me. He did not cut the wart out first ...

KG

location unknown

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Bessie Mae

Florida
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Lynne T.

location unknown
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New Jersey


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a mom

location unknown


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Lenoir, NC


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Bellevue, WA


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location unknown

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