What is the Painful Lump in Your Arch? Could Be Plantar Fibromatosis?

Posted by Dr. Melissa Robitaille, DPM on Friday, 15 January 2010 in Diabetic foot care

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Have you noticed lumps on the bottom of your feet? Are they becoming larger and more painful over time especially when you walk or run? If you are experiencing these symptoms you are probably suffering from a good old case of plantar fibromatosis. Plantar fibromatosis is a disorder of unknown etiology. It is a benign reactive lesion of fibrous tissue arising through a herniation of the plantar fascia (usually the medial or cental band) through its outer covering. However, in some cases these nodules can invade the dermis of the skin and flexor tendons and become very large lesions. Usually it presents as a firm, single, or multiple lobular nodule. It has been known to be associated with certain conditions including hereditary, alcohol use, cirrhosis, diabetes, epilepsy,and thyroid disorders. So how do you treat this condition? What are your options? There are several treatment options available for you. Conservative treatment includes offloading the painful nodules with orthotics and padding. Stretching and physical therapy have also shown to be effective. Also the use of transdermal Verapamil 15% gel has been shown to reduce the size of the lesions. If these conservative treatments fail there is a surgical option to remove the fibrous nodule or the entire plantar fascia. This is usually used as a last resort due to the high recurrence rate of these lesions. If you think you may have this condition or any other problem with your feet don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your local foot care specialists here at Atlantic Foot & Ankle Specialists.

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Discover More Thursday, 28 June 2012

I've got plantar fascitis and I'm looking for something strong enough to help with foot pain..

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Melissa Robitaille, DPM Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Wednesday, 10 March 2010

Depending on the size of the mass and the length of time the mass has been present, the success rate varies.To improved my success rate: I have been using, Metanx ( vitamins to help nerves heals as they are often entrapped in the mass), ESWT ( sounds waves therapy to break down the mass) in conjunction with Verapamil with better success than Verapamil and orthotics alone.I do not recommend surgical excision until you have tried ESWT and Verapamil.ThanksDr. Melissa F RobitailleAtlantic Foot& Ankle Specialistswww.atlanticfeet.com

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Anonymous Thursday, 25 February 2010

My podiatrist has diagnosised a fibromatosis and I am having pain, especially at night severe (pain scale 10). He has prescribed one lortab 5/500 twice a day and waiting on new orthotics. This has been going on 5 weeks now, I cannot manage the pain, cannot walk for any distance, etc. What kind of success have you patients had with verapamil transdermal patch?

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What is the Painful Lump in Your Arch? Could Be Plantar Fibromatosis?

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