Outside foot pain

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 conditions that can cause pain on the outside 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 a patient has pain on the side of the foot and also to the back under the ankle, they 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.

The list of reasons and/or conditions that can contribute to pain on the side of the foot is endless. If a patient has pain on the side of the foot, it’s important to go to the doctor to get a thorough examination. Many conditions resulting in pain on the side of the foot can worsen if left untreated, so a person should visit their doctor or podiatrist as soon as possible to determine the real root of the pain on the side of the foot.

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