Outside of the Foot Pain [Lateral Foot Pain]
Pinkie Toe Pain [Causes, Symptoms & Best Home Treatment!]
Pinkie Toe Pain is 90% a compression injury and not a broken toe. Make 100% pressure you get rid of your pinkie toe pain by stopping your foot from turning out!
Look:
- Outside of the foot, pain can be improved with a few simple treatment changes.
- We are foot doctors & we see this problem get better almost every day.
- The goal is to solve this problem without medication or surgery if possible.
So, let’s GO!
Table of Contents
Pinky toe pain and swelling treatment video:
Pinky toe nerve pain 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!
Causes of Pinkie Toe Pain:
- As small as the pinkie toe is, pain in it can be debilitating.
- The vast majority of pinky toe pain is not caused by an accident or damage. It is mostly a biomechanical injury.
- Friction against the side of your shoe is one of the most common causes of pinkie toe pain.
- What this means is that your pinky toe is the smallest structure on your foot, but it takes the most damage because, in your shoes, it presses against a curved hard surface.
- This can lead to numbness and burning and tingling-type pain.
- I told you this small toe needs your support! You can’t just let it keep getting beat up and bruised all day long. It likely isn’t broken unless you crushed it or really bumped it hard.
- The Video above provides you with a guide that you can follow to help diagnose the cause of your pinky toe pain.
- If you hit your toe and are unsure whether it is broken, fractured, or bruised, only an X-ray is the only sure way to know!
Symptoms of Pinky Toe Pain (Not Broken):
- Symptoms of pinky toe pain that is due to biomechanical issues and not a break is:
- An X-ray is the best way to tell if your 5th toe is broken for sure.
- Redness, swelling, and pain at the site of the enlargement.
- These are usually made worse, all wearing rub against the fifth toe joint and the fifth toe itself.
- This irritates the soft tissues underneath the skin producing what is called inflammation.
- If there is obvious deformity or bending, this likely means the toe is broken.
- But if it is swollen, chances are there is no break, but it is impossible to tell for sure without an X-ray.
- The most important sign and symptom is no specific traumatic injury.
- If you did not smash or drop something heavy on your pinky toe, then you’re probably okay and avoiding an x-ray.
Do I Have A Broken Pinky Toe or Bruised Pinky Toe? (a comparison):
- Feel for a deformity – if it is uneven, it is a broken toe.
- Wiggling your toe- if no severe pain or rubbing/popping sound, may not be a break.
- If your toe is extremely swollen (2x the size)- it may be broken.
- Compare that toe to your other foot. If it looks shorter or bent – it may be broken.
- Check your temperature- after a break, you are more likely to have the surrounding area inflamed.
- The only way to know 100% is to visit your foot doctor or podiatrist!
- Get an X-ray of your foot, if not surgery.
- Usually, this does not mean that you need any surgery.
Conservative Treatment Options:
Keep reading for a further in-depth guide on what’s practical to do at home, but these are the proven medical treatment options.
Shoe modifications:
- Choose shoes that are wide in the toes. Avoid wearing pointed or high heels.
Padding:
- Bunionette pads placed over the area can deftly help you with your pinky toe pain.
Medications:
- Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatories such as aspirin or ibuprofen can definitely help decrease your pain in the area.
Icing:
- Ice can be applied directly to the fifth toe to reduce the pain and inflammation.
- The general rule is to use 20 minutes on 20 minutes off. In terms of an injury, icing is much more important than simply saying heat.
Injections:
- Sometimes your podiatrist can use an injection to cool the joint down if it is extremely swollen and if you need a quick fix.
- But don’t make this your permanent solution. It’s meant to be more of a one-time thing to get you through a tough problem.
Orthotics:
- In some cases, an orthotic can help take pressure off the fifth toe.
- But the tough part is if done incorrectly, it just takes up more pressure in space in your shoe and makes the problem even worse.
Surgery for pinky toe pain?
- If you do all the stuff above and continue having pain, sometimes a specialist such as a podiatrist can help you decide whether you need to take care of your problem.
- We usually find that it is unnecessary to have surgery for the pinky toe, this is a very little structure, and by simply correcting your shoes and a few other factors, 99% of people tend to get better.
- If you need a second opinion, feel free to come and see us, and we love to see you for your fifth toe pain.
Conditions associated with the side of your foot (The 5th Metatarsal):
- The fifth metatarsal is the long bone shown below that connects to the little toe. Any damage to these bones can cause pain on the outside of the foot.
- Different types of fifth metatarsal fractures can occur; Jones fracture and avulsion fractures.
- Other causes of pain outside the foot and in the pinkie toe area can include a Styloid Process Protrusion and Os Vesalanium.
Associated Pinkie Toe Problems:
Other causes of pinkie toe include Heloma Molle (soft corns), Heloma Durum (hard corns), bunion (bunionnettes), bone spurs, bruises, or fractures.
- Calluses:
- 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!
- Corns:
- A corn looks like a little pebble that can form. They usually even occur with a callus around them.
- This can be exceptionally painful.
- Ingrown Toenails:
- Follow our at-home pain relief guides, how to trim your nails properly, and even how to remove them permanently.
- Swollen Painful Toe:
- These occur from stubbing your toe, so learn how to deal with them properly!
- Is it broken, or is it just bruised? Find out with this guide.
- Little Toe Bunion (Bunionette):
- This is when your toe looks really big and as if though it is popping out at the base.
- Hammer Toe:
- This is when you have a crooked or curved toe.
Jones Fracture:
- A Jones fracture occurs in the small area of the fifth metatarsal, as shown in the photo above.
- This area does not receive a large blood supply.
- It is, therefore, difficult to heal.
- A Jones fracture can be a stress fracture (hairlike fracture) or broken suddenly and more severely.
- It can occur due to repetitive stress or trauma on the side of the foot or as the result of injury.
Avulsion Fracture:
- As the photo above demonstrates, an avulsion fracture occurs when the smallest section of the fifth metatarsal is pulled off due to an injury.
- This type of fracture accompanies in conjunction with ankle sprains and is often overlooked.
Cavus Foot- Styloid Process Protrusion:
- As the photo below shows, the Styloid Process is the protrusion is the end of the fifth metatarsal bone.
- If this bone protrudes, it will cause pain because it will increase the likelihood of friction between the skin and the shoes (the area will likely be callused), and a bunion may form.
Os Vesalanium:
- The Os Vesalanium is an accessory bone at the base of the fifth metatarsal.
- In the majority of cases, its presence is asymptomatic. However, in some cases, it becomes symptomatic and causes pain on the side of the foot.
Other Common Causes of Pain in the Small Toes:
- Hammer Toes
- Black or Blood under the Toenail
- Broken Toe
- Swollen Toe
- Foot Corn
- Foot Blisters
- Callus Foot Pain
- Predislocation Syndrome
- Crossing Toes
- Foot Arthritis
- Long Second Toe.
Other Ball of the Foot Causes:
- Capsulitis
- Metatarsalgia
- Morton’s Neuralgia
- Metatarsal stress fracture
- Sesamoiditis
- Predislocation Syndrome
- Turf Toe
- Flexor Tendonitis
- Dislocated Toe
Other 5th Toe Pain Causes:
- Tailors bunion
- Cavus Foot
- Swollen Toe
- Jones Fracture
- Peroneus Brevis Tendinitis
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.
Outside of the Foot Pain [Lateral Foot Pain]