Foot pain outside

by Nathan Wei, MD, FACP, FACR

Nathan Wei is a nationally known board-certified rheumatologist and author of the Second Opinion Arthritis Treatment Kit. It's available exclusively at this website... not available in stores.

Click here: Second Opinion Arthritis Treatment Kit



There are many factors that can contribute to pain on the outside part of the foot:

• On the lateral or outside of the foot, a common complaint is a tailors bunion, a bony prominence at the fifth metatarsal head where it connects to the toe. This condition can cause pain on the side of the foot.
• Ganglions, sacs of jelly-like fluid that develop following a leak in the joint capsule, commonly form on the side of the foot, and can also contribute to pain on the side of the foot.
• If you have pain on the side of the foot and also to the back under the ankle, you may have sinus tarsi syndrome, a condition that often follows a severe inversion ankle injury.
• Spraining any foot ligament connecting the calcaneocuboid joints, cuboid-fifth metatarsal, etc. can also result in pain on the side of the foot.

Bunions, referred to in the medical community as hallux valgus, are one of the most common forefoot problems. A bunion is a prominent bump on the inside of the foot around the big toe joint. This bump is actually a bone protruding towards the inside of the foot. With the continued movement of the big toe towards the smaller toes, it is common to find the big toe resting under or over the second toe. This causes a common forefoot condition called overlapping toes. Some of the symptoms of bunions include inflammation, swelling, and soreness on the side surface of the big toe. The discomfort commonly causes a patient to walk improperly.

Another type of bunion which some individuals experience is called a Tailor's Bunion, also known as a bunionette. This forms on the outside of the foot towards the joint at the little toe. It is a smaller bump that forms due to the little toe moving inwards, towards the big toe.

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