Have you discovered a lump on your heel? If so, you probably have plenty of questions and more than a little concern. What does this new lump mean? What caused it to appear there in the first place? Is it serious? And how can you make it go away?
While finding a lump on your heel can be very concerning, the first thing you should know is that lumps on the back or bottom of your heel aren’t usually a sign of a serious underlying condition, despite the fact that they can be painful. And most can be treated at home, with non-invasive, natural methods.
Let’s take a look at the symptoms, causes, and treatments associated with a lump on your heel.
Symptoms
Symptoms depend a great deal on the cause of the lump itself.
The lump on your heel might show up in either one or both heels. You may notice redness and swelling around the lump, and the lump may be tender to the touch. Lumps may appear on the sides, back, or bottom of the heel.
In most cases, pain you experience from the lump on your heel will get worse if you rise up on your toes.
Causes
There are several conditions that can cause a lump to appear on your heel. Identifying which one you’re dealing with is helpful in determining how to treat the lump, and prevent it from returning!
Haglund’s Deformity or “Pump Bump”
Haglund’s Deformity is also known as “pump bump” because of its primary cause: wearing shoes with a tight heel, like men’s dress shoes or women’s pumps.
The bump develops as the bony section of your heel (which is connected to your Achilles tendon) is irritated and rubbed by ill-fitting shoes causing the tissue of the heel to become irritated. This condition can quickly lead to bursitis, another common cause of heel bumps (read more below!)
People with high arches are particularly at risk for Haglund’s Deformity, since their gait puts extra pressure on the outside of their heel.
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Bursitis of the Heel
Bursas are fluid-filled sacs located at the joints in your body. Retrocalcaneal bursitis, or swelling of the heel bursa (located where your Achilles tendon connects your calf to your heel bone), in response to overuse or irritation, can cause a painful lump to appear as the bursa becomes inflamed.
Haglund’s Deformity, caused by irritation to the heel bone, can quickly cause bursitis if left unaddressed. Other causes of bursitis include repetitive motions that involve the feet and heels, such as running and jumping.
Retrocalcaneal bursitis can sometimes be mistaken for Achilles tendonitis, because of the location of the bursa on the heel. A painful lump can often be a distinguishing characteristic.
If not treated promptly with rest, anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen, and greater support to the heel and foot, bursitis can become chronic and require more invasive and costly treatment.
Plantar Fibroma
If the lump on your heel develops gradually, appears on the bottom of your foot, and is less than an inch in diameter, it may be a plantar fibroma–a benign lump that is a mass of cells.
Plantar fibromas usually show up on the bottom of your foot, beneath the heel. Wearing shoes, or putting pressure on the fibroma may cause pain. There’s some debate as to the cause of fibromas, but most doctors believe there is a genetic component.
Soft-Tissue Masses
While most other lumps on the heel or foot are simply cysts, a benign soft-tissue mass that is not painful to the touch, a few conditions that present as a lump on the heel may be more serious. Synovial Sarcomas, which are malignant, can also show up as a lump on the foot or heel, and are typically small, firm, and painless.
If you have experienced previous trauma to the foot through an accident, in which an object penetrated your foot, you may develop a mass caused by a foreign body reaction.
When in doubt, consult your doctor!
Treatments
Whether the lump on your heel is caused by Haglund’s Deformity, Bursitis, or a Plantar Fibroma, the recommended treatments are similar. If inflammation is present, icing and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or aspirin can help reduce redness and discomfort.
Rest is also an important treatment; try to stay off your feet when possible, and give your feet breaks throughout the day. If repetitive exercise or motion is the culprit, you may need to do more cross-training or change your exercise regimen.
If shoes are the cause of the irritation, wearing comfortable shoes with a less restrictive heel or an open back for a period of time can reduce irritation to the heel bone and bursa.
Specialized orthotic inserts for plantar fasciitis can also provide a great deal of relief, particularly if the bump is on the bottom of the heel, by realigning the foot and reducing pressure on the lump.
Special stretches that help strengthen the tendons and ligaments of the feet and heel can also improve the underlying conditions that are causing the lump on your foot to appear, by giving your foot and heel more support and flexibility.
Your doctor may also recommend an ultrasound or MRI to ensure a correct diagnosis of the lump on your foot.
If the lump on your heel doesn’t respond to the treatments listed here or gets worse, it’s never a bad idea to consult with a medical professional. But for the most part, lumps that appear on the back or bottom of your heels can be treated at home and will go away on their own with a little time and attention–particularly if you begin treatment quickly!
i have kind of knots under my heels and when i walk or tocu i feel pain.ANY home remedies please.
Hi Kulwinder
You can find a video library of stretches and home remedies here: https://heelthatpain.com/home-remedies/
Hope it’s helpful for you 🙂
Lump and pain is on the back of the heel. Soaking in cold water has helped pain, but lump is still there.
Get the high arch support from a good insert. The insert may feel uncomfortable at first, but if it is plantar faciatis, you will experience discomfort at first, but in a few days to a few weeks, you will grow to love your inserts. I have had this condition, and the high arch support I added hurt at first, but soon afterwards, the pain started to go away. Six months later, completely gone. My inserts are no longer necessary, but mine was from an injury that was able to heal once I used the inserts.
I have a small lump on bottom near centre of my heel. I grind it down but it keeps coming back. Like hard callous but not
I am having this exact issue. what did you end up doing to get rid of it?
I went to a foot dr and he said I core of the callus is probably so deep he will have to numb the foot and remove it. It throbs all the time and the pain goes up my leg.
First doctor he wanted to cut out the ligaments and tendons to take it out I found that to be horrible because I had surgery a bunionectomy and it was the worst pain I’ve ever had in my life.so when the doctor suggested to cut out the ligaments in the tendons it was a nightmare for me so I got another opinion.
Second opinion Plantar Fibromatosis I have this on the bottom of my foot in they want to do radiation
Please tell me what to do and what will happen to me after the radiation
I also have a dime size lump on the bottom of my heel. And I had that same bunion surgery back when I was 14 and again at 17. Both were done at the same time and it was some of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. So I wouldn’t want em to go back and do any type of surgery..the 2nd opinion why did he suggest radiation?? Is it cancerous or wouldn’t u think some insoles would jus help correct our arch and it would eventually go away
i also had the bunion surgery worse pain ever,i have a painful lump on the bottom of my heel on the same foot,
I have a fluid filled lump deep under the skin on the outside of my heel. It itches, burns & is painful. Yesterday fluid started coming to the surface that made a blister which I opened & let drain. It keeps refilling and itches & hurts a lot. I don’t know if I got bit by something or if its just occurring but its not getting better…..yet anyways.
I have a softt spungy lump on the inside part of my heel on my right foot. It just appeared one day. Been putting it in cold water. Its still here. No pain….
Do still have the bump? I have one like that on my left heel. Just wondering if you did anything for it?
I have a bump on my right foot on the back of my heel it doesn’t hurt or anything but I’m not sure how it appeared because I only wear sneakers but they aren’t tight …
i may be because you are walking around a lot and it has rubbed on the tissue and inflamed try putting creams on it and rub it to break up the tissue
I have a large bump on the back of my heel that is painless and very hard. My doctor says it is my bursa, but it is very hard and not painful. Any ideas?
I have bumps on the left side of my heel and it hurts when I walk. What can this be?
I have the same thing.
ihave pain on my right heel makeing it difficult towalk hurts when iput my feet down extemly painfull anytips or help?
I have pain in the heel of my foot and it difficult to walk or stand, what can it be?
what are the best inserts that i can buy for myfeet
I woke up dismorning fine the I felt two lumps appear on both my heels I really felt them when I tried to walk, 10 minutes they were gone..can you tell me if they will reappear?? & what caused them ??
I have a small lump on the bottom of my heel that just feels like a bruise but it’s a solid bump
I have a bump under both my foot which is not visible , I can feel it when walking . I got this problem due to bad footwear . I have consulted doctor who recommended arch support .I’m looking for permanent solution . I’m not sure how to get rid of this.Please help
I need to read the book
Hi I think I have Bursitis of the Heel but it hurts when idle and touched. I can’t walk on it at all because it I scream in pain badly!!! Do you think I should stick to that treatment or go for more research into the matter?
Hi
I have a lump in my arch for 1 year what can I do. I have had physical therapy and a cream but it seems it will not go away. What should I do?
Hello
I have a seed like lump in my heel . I think it is the scar tissue ligament formed by the imflammation of the plantar fascia . What can I do to break it ? I am afraid of surgeries because of its never damage , instability of foot , scar tissue at cutting region .
What can I do to break it up ?
To deal with my bone spurs, I will put my thin soled converse tennis shoes on and go find a curb to hit my heel on. I hit my heal as hard as I can tolerate on the corner of the curb. Then I will be in pain for a day. The following day, I am back to normal with no pain. I am not sure if this is the proper way to deal with a bone spur but I have been doing it for years.
All I can say, you are one tough cookie.
I have a dime sized, and shaped, hard surface on the bottom of my right heel. I hurts when I walk barefoot and it doesn’t when I’m wearing shoes. It’s weird because it almost looks like it was planted there, it even has like dot in the middle!!! It hurts when I touch it and when I apply pressure on the heel when I’m barefoot. What is that???? Does anyone have the answer? Thanks for any information you might have
That sounds like a planters wart.
I have a dime sized lump on the heal of my foot and have had it for years. It seems to be fluid filled and painful at times. When the throbbing pain is there, it keeps me awake at night and feels as if someone is burning the bottom of my heal with a cigarette. It’s also sore to the touch. At time is feels as if a main nerve on my foot is being impacted by this lump. Several years ago I got an MRI on it and the doctor said it was an area of deep separation of the underlying muscle and deep (hypodermis) layer of skin. I reluctant to get any surgery on it as this is a tender part of the foot and directly engaged with the ground/shoe when walking/standing.
Has anyone else experienced this or know what it is?
My bump on my right heel is the size of a half dollar and very painful. I have to wear slippers to work because I can’t stand anything touching it. I was diagnosed with Achilles Tendinitis. The only way to help it is surgery – which my podiatrist says is quite risky because it is on the tendon. Icing does help but just for a short time.
Have lump at the bottom of my left foot heel.I often walk on pebbles,foot massage,soak it with water with salt but i can nothing changes.When stationed burning pain occur about 5minutes pain then stop.Can this be cured for a long time?since i got this 7monthz already.
Before I was suffering from planta fasciitis and it was cured but the pain returned so I went to the doctor and doctor told me to do an x ray, in x ray it showed extra muscle attached to back of my left heel. Its very painfully while walking and I can’t stand more than 5 minutes, pain returns and it pains severely.Can you tell me what it is.Pain is severe especially at night
My planta fasciitis was cured but now pain has returned and doctor said I have extra muscle attached to back of the left heel. Its very painfully while walking and I can’t stand more than five minutes, the pain starts to return .I feel severe pain especially at night.
I have a lump on my heel and is sore when I touch it. I only noticed it this morning.
You guys may not like my answer, but years ago, I had this happen on my heel. My whole heel was hard and sore and I was in constant pain. I started filing it with my foot callus file and it started peeling off layer after layer. I thought, oh my word, it going down to the bone. I didn’t keep filing when it started peeling. I just keep peeling. It would grow back and I would file some more and peel some more and the place got deeper! Finally I got down to a hard core and when I got that out (of course I am putting Neosporin in it all this time and keeping it covered) and filled it with more Neosporin and covered it again, it finally healed up! I won’t lie you, it wasn’t fun but it worked!
I keep getting a pain from time to time at the side of my heel which starts with it being itchy and warm followed by a small lump which feels like bruising. It keeps coming back and happens with both feet. I have also had some discomfort to the outer bottom parts of my feet I think with some swelling but this is only sometimes and not every time I have the itchy sore heel.I have seen a foot specialist and he mainly focused on my high arches and passed it off to be some kind of infection and ignored the issue after that. Any ideas on this please its painful when walking and is currently causing a limp, I expect it to be gone in about 2days as it usually is.
I finally read something that is exactly what I have.. Lump on the side, feels like a bruise, on both sides, comes and goes, often hurts.
No one can tell me what to do.
My son has a lump about 4month at the side of his heel and it is very painful when it is touch or bump we try everything and nothing seem to work .we even went to a doctor
I have a hard warm lump at the bottom of my foot , I cannot walk or put pressure on it and it is very painful , ? What is it
I have a bump on the back of my heel. I will say that most of the time I do walk on the outside of that foot. I have read that it is Haglunds bump. Not sure what to think. It does get very sore and Ice really burns. What should I do?
Hi I have a small lump about 10cm diameter on the outside between ankle and Achilles, currently it’s non painfull and feels solid Under the skin, I am quite active on my feet and have no injuries, curious as to what it could be, should I be concerned