I need Dr. Oster to answer this when available. I have a lump (or swelling) on my ankle just to the right and above where the tendon attaches to the heel bone. i went to the podiatrist yesterday and he took an x-ray and didn't really see anything, he said there is a tiny projection on the heel bone, nothing he could do surgery on (nothing really to cut he said) and he felt the area and believes it's just swelling from wearing bad shoes. i had a bad pair of shoes i wore, and just this past week i noticed the swelling after wearing the shoes (after they had broken in, they became much better, but then started to hurt again). the lump seems hard, doens't move in the skin, it is not tender really at all, i have some slight pain when i walk, not really much. do you know what this is? is it just swelling? does that mean swelling of the tendon or something else? how do i treat it? just ice it?

Hi and welcome.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself? Age, weight, general health and occupation?

In the following image can you pinpoint where it hurts?



Jeff

1) In your feet photo, i have a hard lump on the right foot between the lower number five and the purple 6 line on the right.
2) i am a 37 year old male, 135 pounds, 5'8", good health, i am an engineer, i basically sit in an office all day at a computer
3) i had dress shoes back in the spring of this year that were really bothering me when i first bought them. they bothered me for like two weeks till i broke them in, there was a lot of pain on my heel from the rubbing, and a blister. i continued to wear the shoes, since they felt more comfortable. within the past two weeks, they became uncomfortable again and that's when i noticed the hard lump. i'm not sure how long it has been there, it's slightly red, not really painful to the touch.
4) i went to the podiatrist, he took an x-ray and saw bascially no born deformities (his words). he felt the area and thinks it's just swelled from the bad shoes. i guess i'm just concerned after reading a lot of stuff online about swelled bursa, tendonitis, etc. it's a bit uncomfortable now, i've been icing it twice a day.
5) i walk a lot. like two miles a day or more.
6) i have two young toddlers that i carry around a lot, up and down stairs.
7) let me know if you need more info, i really appreciate your insight and help. let me know if i need a second opinion.

Dr. Oster,

A little more info, this morning my leg where the problem is feels a bit 'warm'. That is, almost a bit like it's been falling asleep, a bit tingly. Also a rather dull ache in the lower leg. I don't know if this is helpful. I'm not in any severe pain, but i'm trying not to walk much and when i walk i am trying to favor the other leg.

Hi moyboy,

Take a look at our pages on Haglund\'s deformity. Do the symptoms seem to fit?

Jeff

I had an x-ray done and the doctor said he didn't see any 'deformities'. i read your article on haglund's deformity; it says that a lateral view of the heel will show it flat, not rounded. I'm assuming the lateral view means from the side? When I saw the x-ray of my foot from the side view of the foot, I think I remember the heel had a flat edge; honestly i'm not sure. based on everything i read on the internet, i thought i had haglund's deformity, but apparently my podiatrist doesn't think so. what do you think? the bump is nowhere nearly as big as the one in the photo in your article, it is a good deal smaller than those. should i go for a second opinion?

Maybe. Remember, you don't have to have a whopper Haglund's deformity (as seen in the picture) to have a sore heel.

Did you try a heel lift

Jeff

I have not tried a heel lift yet, but i plan on getting one tomorrow. Can you buy them at pharmacies or shoe stores? I'm just a bit confused, I have been icing the area, the swelling seems the same as it was, I'm developing a limp, I just wonder if the podiatrist didn't realize what I might have, etc. But if he took an x-ray, you would think he would notice a deformity? Can I have a swollen bursa or tendon without a haglund deformity? The lump is not really tender to the touch, it's rather hard. It's a bit red, and my ankle aches somewhat, though I don't know if that's from limping to avoid aggravating the bump. I'm just worried I"m going to aggravate the bump, so I've been favoring the leg. should i wait a lengtth of time, keeep icing it (how much do i need to do this every day by the way), get heel lifts, and then see another podiatrist? is it better to see someone in orthopedics? foot/ankle specialist?

I bought heel lifts, they seem to help a bit, but it's still awkward wearing a shoe closed in the back (even when it's a bit loose). I've made another appointment with a different doctor for Thursday, I just want to know if this is something that will take some time, etc. I have some general pain in my heel occasionally, and my lower leg also feels tight a bit at times. Emotionally, this is affecting me, i'm upset at myself for wearing tight shoes for so long (though i have to say beyond the initial two weeks, they seemed fine). What I don't understand if it turns out that i have haglund's, is how conservative care will help. Is that because the lump is just swollen tissue and bursitis? Or is the lump itself the bony projection? In other words, if i use conservative care and ice it, take NSAIDs, change my shoes to open heel, then the lump will gradually disappear? It just seems to me that if the lump that i see is basically a bony projection, that the only recourse for me to ever put a shoe on again will be to remove it. Dr. Oster, I really appreciate your take on this.

The purpose of a heel lift in this case would be two fold. First, the heel lift is used to weaken the pull on the Achilles tendon. A portion of the pain that you have is due to tugging on the bone by the Achilles. So the lift can help weaken that.

The second use for the lift is to raise the sore portion of the heel above the heel counter on the shoe. It doesn't work in every case, but it can help in most.

Which doctor? I think the most important thing is communication. If you can sit and talk a bit with your doc and leave knowing that all of your questions were answered, then you're at the right office.

Jeff