A ganglion cyst is a benign, fluid-filled sack that can form a bump under the skin on the top of your foot. The abnormal growth usually occurs on a tendon or muscle and often doesn’t cause any pain. However, a cyst can also grow on a nerve causing numbing, tingling, and shooting pains in the foot. Ganglion cysts can form in clusters and mimic other conditions.  So see your foot doctor for the proper diagnosis.

Treatment for a ganglion cyst may consist of one or more of the following methods:

• Drain the fluid from the cyst—A hypodermic needle is used to extract the fluid from the cyst, and a steroid solution is injected to help prevent the cyst from returning.
• Redirect pressure with custom orthotics— The use of custom made orthotic inserts can divert pressure from the cyst to decrease irritation and avoid other complications.
• Surgical removal—For cysts that don’t respond to conservative treatments, surgery may be necessary to remove the growths.

Ganglion cysts are non-cancerous and may not always cause problems, but since cancerous tumors can have many of the same symptoms, you should have all skin growths and lesions checked out by your foot doctor to rule out cancer.

If you think you might have a ganglion cyst or other growth on your foot, have it inspected by your podiatrist. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, and Downingtown, PA. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.