- We focus on what has worked for 10,000+ patients & medical research.
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Outside of the Foot Pain [Lateral Foot Pain]
Does The Bone on the Outside of the Foot Stick Out? [Best Treatment]
Does the bone on the outside of the foot stick out? 95+% of the time, this is a bone called your 5th metatarsal or the metatarsal styloid process!
Look:
- We will show you an animated diagnosis & treatment guide, photos, and the best FAST treatment options outside the foot pain!
- These are Simple & EASY options that we have seen success with.
- Also included is our outside of the foot pain treatment video guide!
So, Let’s Get STARTED!
Table of Contents
What is the bone on the outside of my foot? Video Guide:
Bone on the outside of the foot sticking out causes:
Outside of the Foot Pain Picture Gallery:
Look:
- Fifth toe pain usually has nothing wrong with the bone unless it has recently been broken. The pain usually results from pressure against the front of the shoe, causing a callus or ingrown toenail.
- The fifth toe joint can cause a Tailor’s bunion to occur. This can also result in nerve pain and arthritis of the fifth toe joint.
- The bone connecting to the fifth toe is called the fifth metatarsal. It is possible to develop a stress fracture or “Jones” fracture.
- It is also possible to have pain and tendons and nerves outside the ankle from pressure against the outside of the shoe.
- The peroneal tendons can also be causing pain. This means the peroneus brevis tendon and the peroneus longus tendon.
- Cuboid syndrome can also cause pain at the back and outside of the foot.
Click on the photo gallery to see descriptions!
Overview of bones that stick out on the side of the foot:
- The bone on the outside of the foot that sticks out is called the 5th metatarsal bone, and it is the bone that connects your midfoot/rearfoot to your 5th toe.
- This bone is the first bone in your forefoot to contact the ground during walking and run.
- Your heel bone and 5th toe could also be the bones sticking out on your foot!
- It is very commonly injured during running and ankle sprains. It can also develop a mini-bunion called a bunionette.
Causes of bones sticking out on the outside of your foot:
- There are many different causes of foot pain on the outside of the foot.
- Most of the time, this is just normal anatomy and has more to do with genetic differences within your foot.
- But sometimes, there could be abnormal diseases and problems developing.
- 95% of the time, in our experience, it is normal foot anatomy.
- Read below to find what is causing your pain!
Specific outside of the foot bone sticking out conditions:
These are the specific disorders and treatments for the bone sticking out on the outside of your foot!
5th toe hammertoe:
- One of the most common prominences on the fifth toe is the formation of a hammertoe.
- Hammertoe is the abnormal bending of your fifth toe due to tightness in a shoe 90+ percent of the time.
- The pressure from the shoe will cause a thickening of the skin. This is a combination of either a corn or a callus.
- This can become very painful and become red and start robbing for some people.
- Hammertoe is best treated by gel padding and trimming down this court callus.
- We generally have success by changing shoes, patting, and avoiding surgery for the fifth toe.
Tailor’s Bunion:
- Just behind the fifth toe, where the toe connects to the big toe joint/foot, a person can develop a Tailor’s bunion.
- A Tailor’s bunion is caused by the improper function of the foot and can slowly progress through your life.
- Some people naturally have thickening in this area, but for other people, it can be caused by tight shoes and lead to sick, inflamed tissue called the bursa.
- The fifth metatarsal joint bursa is a sack of inflamed tissue that protects and rubs against the bone prominence against your shoe.
- A Bursa is very spongy to the touch but can also become very painful.
- In our clinic, we generally treat this bursa with a cortisone injection, and almost in one visit, it can go away for most people.
- At other times a gel pad can be utilized to really make the pain go away quickly. Sometimes surgery could be utilized to make this go away.
5th metatarsal injuries or pain:
- Further down the foot closer to your ankle, along the side of the foot, you can develop further bone prominences. There is a bone here called the fifth metatarsal bone. This is behind the fifth toe joint closer to your ankle. A long bone flare out roughly in the middle of your foot is called your styloid process of the fifth metatarsal.
- In children ranging from ages 10 to 14, there can be a growth plate here that could cause pain. It can deftly cause the area to become swollen.
- If you feel like you have an injury here, an x-ray can show what is going on in this area. It could be a growth plate in the age range of 10-14, and you must be very careful that you don’t truly have an injury.
Peroneal tendonitis:
- At the styloid process of the fifth metatarsal, there is also a very thick tendon that attaches into this joint.
- If this tendon becomes swollen, it can deftly create a swelling on the side of your foot that can look like a bump. This is called peroneal tendinitis.
- If you felt that you might have twisted or sprained your ankle, this tendon might have been injured. It is widespread when your foot turns down and in.
Fracture of the fifth metatarsal:
- Suppose you feel like you suffered an injury like a bump, a twist, or a large fall. You could’ve very easily broken your fifth metatarsal joint.
- This is many different names, but it is most commonly known as a Jones fracture.
- If you feel like you might’ve fractured this area, see a podiatrist or us near you and get this foot and ankle joint x-ray. An x-ray of this fifth metatarsal bone will show whether you have a fracture or not.
- Unfortunately, if you do have a fracture, it takes a long time, six weeks or more, to take pressure off this bone and let it heal. Some people do need surgery.
Lumps, Bumps, and soft tissue swelling on the outside of the foot:
- On top of the foot, but still on the outside, is a muscle called your extensor digitorum brevis muscle. This is a soft area on top of your foot. This muscle could easily get bruised with a bump, or it could even develop a large ganglion cyst that could appear like swelling.
- If the area is shrinking and decreasing in size, they could easily be fluid buildup in this muscle or cystic area. The best thing to do is get this ultrasound or even get an MRI for it continues to cause a problem.
- There is no way to 100% guarantee that there is not something cancerous here, although statistics show that it is a deficient percent of the time.
- If the area is painful, and a ganglion cyst is shown to be the cause, sometimes it makes sense to train this with the syringe in the office. Most podiatrists can do this in the office without taking you to the operating room.
Fat pad on the side of the foot:
- At the same time, if you stand and small little regions develop on the side of your foot, especially in groups, this could be a fat herniation.
- Herniation of your fat pad on the outside of your heel or foot is called a Piezogenic papule.
- A Piezogenic papule sometimes can look very scary, but it is not anything dangerous to worry about.
- I have never personally seen one removed, and you probably don’t need surgery or injections. Treating the cosmetics of your foot can sometimes result in even bigger problems.
- We personally discourage surgery for any cosmetic reason, only for functional reasons.
Porokeratosis:
- This can be a hard clump that develops on the side of your foot. It is a combination of a callus that plugs sweat glands on your foot.
- Visiting your podiatrist for a porokeratosis can lead to the excision of these with the blade.
- There is not as painful as it sounds! Sometimes we can solve horrible pain within a couple of minutes, and it stays away for good.
Tumors on the side of the foot:
- The most common type of tumor is what’s called a safe tumor.
- This is called lipoma. Lipomas are very common in people in this is a buildup of fat in a certain area.
- Lipomas generally are not dangerous.
- It is 100% impossible to guarantee that something is not dangerous.
- Sometimes you can develop a cancerous tumor on your foot, although this is extremely rare.
- This is one in a million type stuff. But that being said, you do have to visit your podiatrist or foot and ankle specialist to have this evaluated.
- Tumors that are cancerous or malignant on foot are sporadic.
Skin conditions on the side of the foot:
- Sometimes you could have foot fungus, dermatologic conditions such as inclusion cyst, or strange-looking calluses.
- Something we see frequently is also warts. Warts can be painful and very difficult to treat.
The bone can stick out in 3 places:
1) At the Outside of the Base of the 5th Toe:
- This Bunionette can be treated at home, and the pain could be removed by following the treatment guide provided by clicking on the picture. Still, sometimes only surgery is the only way to remove the deformity and get your foot looking normal.
- If you choose to control the pain at home, you should get yourself some wider shoes, some over-the-counter inserts, and correct and conditions that are causing poor foot biomechanics.
Learn More with this guide:
2)At the Edge of the Outside Heel:
- 3 conditions commonly occur at the base or styloid process of the 5th Metatarsal.
- A fracture of the 5th met base, as shown above- may require surgery or casting for a month or more; this really hurts, and you are barely able to walk on the side of your foot.
- If it does not hurt, then this thickening is a completely normal bone.
3) The Entire Outside of the Foot Hurts:
- If there is pain across the entire outside of the foot, then it may be nerve pain. A nerve injury may feel like there is numbness, burning, and tingling.
- But if you have been running heavily lately or standing on your feet for long periods of time, this may be a 5th metatarsal stress fracture.
4)Pinky Toe Pain:
- This guide will help you treat your 5th toe pain.
- This may be related to an ingrown toenail, broken toe, sprained toe, or nerve pain!
Other Outside of the Foot Pain Causes:
Skin Problems:
Calluses are thick patches of skin that appear in sites of friction against the shoe, the floor, or any other part of the foot. The danger is a blister can form underneath the callus!
A corn looks like a little pebble that can form; it usually occurs with a callus around them. This can be exceptionally painful.
Follow our at-home pain relief guides, how to trim your nails properly, and even how to remove them permanently.
Is it broken, or is it just bruised? These occur from stubbing your toe, so learn how to deal with them properly! Find out with this guide.
Bone and Joint Problems:
This is when your toe looks really big and as if though it is popping out at the base.
This is when you have a crooked or curved toe.
5th Metatarsal Pain:
- Jones Fracture
- Cavus Foot- Styloid Process Protrusion
- Os Vesalanium
Muscle & Tendon Pain:
Outside of the Foot Home Treatment:
- If you have 5th toe pain, tailor’s bunion pain, outside of the foot pain, or other lateral foot pain, this guide is for you!
- These are the recommended treatment products that will help you get better the fastest.
- The key is to stop your foot from turning outward and causing further damage to your foot.
The real key to fix outside of the foot pain in order:
1) Most important is a good shoe & a good insole for your shoe.
- Good shoes and good foot insoles are the best value and best long-term option.
- This will stop your foot from turning outward.
- Give these 1-2 weeks of effort, and you will really notice the pain relief.
- This does not instantly fix the pain but prevents future damage.
2) Gel pad to offload the toe.
- This will give your toes some cushion to keep pressure off the toes.
- Read below to see the specific gel pads for each specific condition.
3) Ankle brace for a possible correction.
- Check the recommended braces below.
- For ankle pain, this is almost guaranteed to improve your problem.
4) Menthol-based cream for pain relief.
- Creams and gels like Biofreeze act like ice but save you 20 minutes!
- Check below for our recommended pain relief options.
Best Treatment Products:
5th Toe Gel Pads:
- Fifth toe gel pads can stop your fifth toe or your Taylor’s bunion from rubbing against the side of your shoe.
- There are downsides because these don’t last forever, and they do start to break apart and develop older.
- They can be a low-cost option for tighter shoes during business meetings and at work.
Topical Pain Relief Creams:
- Menthol-based creams have been studied medically and show safety and excellent results.
- This is best for nerve irritation.
- This can help with the nerve pain on the outside of the foot. Just don’t use this as your only treatment option.
- This is not fluff, and these are scientifically backed!
- Bio-freeze is cost-effective and shows great results.
- This is more for people who have difficulty sleeping or walking due to significant issues.
Massage & Ice Products:
- Ice is an excellent option that can be safe for almost everyone.
- There are many nerves, ligaments, and tendons on the outside of your foot.
- This can help calm the inflammation until you fix the biomechanics making your foot turn outward.
- There is some debate about whether icing is worth doing, but this can help limit the need for medications and keep your options open for chronic pain.
- This works great for your arch, less for the ball of the foot.
- The more muscle and ligament tissue there is, the better ice will work there.
Massage Sticks:
- These can work great for loosening your muscles.
- More flexibility will make your foot turn out less.
- This is a very counter-intuitive way to take pressure off of the outside of your foot!
- This allows less tightness and pressure on the ball of your foot.
- This is very effective for the arch, the gastrocnemius, calf muscle, and the hamstring and thigh muscles.
- This also works very well for the gluteus muscles if you are having butt cheek or hip pain.
Best Shoes for Side of Foot Pain:
- Getting a great supportive pair of shoes will make sure that there is pressure removed from the outside of your foot
- This is especially important if you have flat feet.
- Consider shoes combined with a good supportive orthotic for the best pain relief!.
- The following link will show you what our favorites are.
Best Orthotics for Side of Foot Pain:
- Orthotics are the single most important way to improve your outside of the foot pain, Seriously!
- Most people don’t think orthotics will fix their foot pain.
- Besides trauma, 95% of all 5th toe, middle of the foot, and outside of the ankle pain can be improved with orthotics.
- This is because orthotics help your foot from twisting out and compressing against your shoe when you walk.
- Would you please not take our word for it? Read the reviews!
Most Important Tips For Orthotics:
- Make sure you have a roomy enough shoe.
- I’m warning you right now, don’t try to stuff a full-length orthotic into a tiny tight shoe. It won’t work.
- If you have tighter or dress shoes: try the dress shoe or 3/4″ orthotics.
Full-length orthotics give you the most correction and improvement:
- If you have roomy enough shoes like running shoes or work boots. Get a full-length orthotic.
- The cushion under the front of your foot prevents it from twisting out against the outside of your shoe as much as possible.
- These are one of the best possible options for the medium and heavy-duty correction!
These orthotics are for slimmer shoes without laces:
- If you are tight in the front of your shoes, or the shoes are tighter, these 3/4″ might be the best choice for you.
- But if you have a choice, the full-length orthotics are much, much more supportive!
- So if you wear work boots or running shoes, get the full length. They get you more support.
Dress Shoe orthotics:
- These are premium leather orthotic recommendations for dress shoes.
- If you have a tight dress shoe get the 3/4″ orthotic.
Outside of the Foot Trauma:
- If you think you might have a broken 5th metatarsal fracture, a Jones fracture, a stub, or a broken 5th toe, these products may be of assistance.
- This guide is meant only after getting your foot evaluated by a foot and ankle specialist first!
- Always remember to see a foot and ankle specialist like a podiatrist if you have severe outside of the foot pain or a broken bone!
5th Toe or 5th Metatarsal Injury Treatment:
- If you have a traumatic injury such as a broken 5th metatarsal fracture, a Jones fracture, a stubbed, or a broken 5th toe: consider protecting your foot!
- The best way to do this is, of course, to see your podiatrist and get evaluated with an x-ray, ultrasound, and potentially even an MRI or CT scan.
- If you cannot do so, it may benefit you to be in a cast, fractured boot, or even keep the weight off of it with a rolling knee scooter or other protective devices.
- We as podiatrists frequently take patients off work for a very long period of time when they suffer a traumatic injury. Unfortunately, there is no other way around us in labor jobs.
- If you have a sit-down job, there are ways to get people back to work quicker, but this can be impossible otherwise.
Outside of the Foot Boot Treatment:
- There are pros and cons to using a boot to treat your outside of the foot injury. The Pros are that your injured lateral foot will hopefully have a chance to heal gradually! If you are immobilized too long, the cons are that you will gradually become stiff and overworked to your other leg.
- Our favorite fracture boots and their supplies:
Offloading and Scooter treatment:
- Sometimes the best thing to do is to keep pressure off of the outside of your foot completely.
- There are benefits to offloading in the early stages of the disease and can give you outside foot relief!
- These are favorite knee scooters and walking devices:
Outside of the Foot Compression Brace:
- A good compression brace can stabilize your foot from turning outward.
- This prevents your foot from pronation.
- The pronated foot will turn your foot outward, in your foot will rub on the outside of the shoe.
- This has solved their pain for many of her patients and is very comfortable to wear inside your shoe.
- This solves both pain and outward pronation for a relatively low cost.
Outside of the Foot Stability Brace:
- The stability brace goes a little bit further than the compression brace to stop your foot from turning out.
- At the same time, this is a little bit bulkier and does not affect every shoe.
- We find people are a little bit happier trying the compression brace before the stability brace.
Get The Best Shoe Fit:
- One of the most common biomechanical causes of toenail problems, bunions, hammertoes, and outside of the foot problems is poorly fitting shoes.
- A well-fitting and proper shoes can sometimes make all the difference in heel pain and overall foot pain.
- If you have too small or too big shoes, this can result in crowding or too much motion and sliding within your shoe.
- This can cause people to walk improperly and put more weight on their knees, hips, and lower back!
- We usually find that people make some of the 10 mistakes that we talk about.
- Watch the below treatment video to make sure that this never happens again!
Outside of the Foot Pain [Lateral Foot Pain]