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

Pain on outside edge rolling up to top outside edge

by Kathryn
(Mount Holly, NC, USA)

I feel this same pain whenever I step on an object on the outside edge of my foot. It's as though there is a weak place located at a 45 degree angle forward 2" below my ankle. All my weight pressed down only on this part of my foot while I unwittingling stepped on a tree root in this exact spot. I usually release pressure immediately to stop the pain, but this time was running in the dark playing with the dogs and had done the damage before I realized it. Now I'm still limping 12 hours later. The pain is localized to a golfball sized spot inside my foot from the bottom to the top, feeling most of the pain at the top edge now.


ANSWER

Hi Kathryn,

The first thing that comes to mind is cuboid syndrome. Basically, this is a displacement of the cuboid bone which is located in the area that you describe.
It could very well displace by stepping on something in that area of the foot that was thin enough to just hit the cuboid bone.
This is not to say that a displaced cuboid is the only possibility but your description sounds very much like that.
You will probably need to make an appointment with a foot specialist in your area to have a thorough exam of the foot including an x-ray to make sure there is nothing else going on.
Other possibilities include a fracture of one of the bones on the outside of your foot as well as the possibility of an injured peroneus longus tendon which is a tendon that comes down the outside of your ankle, goes along the outside of the foot and just about in the area you describe,makes a sharp turn to go under the foot and attach to the first metatarsal.
Where the tendon makes the sharp turn is an area that is subject to trauma particularly by stepping on something on the outside of the foot.
You do not mention how long this has been going on but if you have been having pain for ten days or longer and it does not seem like it is getting better, than medical examination and treatment are your only options.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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Sep 19, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		That's the spot...
by: Anonymous

Thank you, I agree, the bone was displaced enough... may have agrevated the tendon this time, too. I have notice the potential for this pressure point to hurt all my life. I usually feel no pain until an object (step corner, toy, root, stone) presses specifically at the cuboid bone alone. If I catch the pain happening quick enough and stop applying weight, the pain is gone in seconds. I feel the pain of this current injury easing up as the day progresses. I was wearing tennis shoes when this happened... without shoes this kind of incident is worse. I will follow your suggestions, thanks again!

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Wonderful advice

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