Are you concerned about a lump or bump you’ve noticed on the bottom of your foot? If it feels firm when you touch, you very likely have a plantar fibroma.
What Is a Plantar Fibroma?
A fibroma is a fibrous knot of tissue that can occur anywhere in the body. A plantar fibroma is a fibroma embedded deep in the plantar fascia found in the arch of the foot. It can develop in one or both feet.
While plantar fibromas are benign (nonmalignant), they usually will not go away without treatment. They can stay the same size, but they can also get larger over time. There is no known cause for this condition. Plantar fibromas will usually not go away or get smaller without treatment.
Symptoms of Plantar Fibroma
The characteristic sign of a plantar fibroma is a noticeable lump in the arch that feels firm to the touch. This mass can remain the same size or get larger over time, or additional fibromas may develop. The lump you feel in the arch of your foot can also cause pain. While not everyone feels pain with a fibroma, if you do experience it your shoes are usually the culprit. However, you can also feel pain when walking or standing while barefoot.
Who Is At Risk?
Plantar fibromas are most common in middle age and men get them twice as often as women.
Diagnosis of Plantar Fibroma
In our office, Dr. Rion Berg will press on the lump in your foot to make a diagnosis. Be aware that this pressure can cause pain and can sometimes extend down to the toes. An MRI or biopsy may be performed to further evaluate the lump and aid in diagnosis.
Treatment of Plantar Fibroma
Non-surgical treatment may help relieve the pain of a plantar fibroma, although it will not make it go away. We use the following treatments in our office:
Cortisone injections
Cortisone injections can help shrink the fibroma and help relieve the pain that occurs when walking. Unfortunately, fibromas often recur and will need to be re-treated.
Custom Orthotics
Custom orthotics may help relieve the pain by changing your weight distribution away from the fibroma.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound therapy used in physical therapy can also be used to relieve the pain.
Surgery
If non-surgical approaches don’t work, the fibroma can be removed with surgery. While this can help relieve the pain, there is a high incidence of recurrence.
