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What is That Lump in My Arch?

Understanding Plantar Fibromas: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Imagine having tiny, tough lumps growing on the bottom of your feet. These bumps, known as plantar fibromas, are a bit puzzling but also quite common. Let's learn about them—what they are, why they happen, and what can be done about them.

1. What are Plantar Fibromas? Plantar fibromas are like small, hard lumps that appear on the arch of your foot on the bottom of your foot. They're attached to a thick band inside your foot called the plantar fascia. These lumps are made of a kind of tissue that's a bit like a scar. Doctors call them "hyperproliferative" because they're a result of the body growing too much tissue in one place.

2. How They Grow: At first, plantar fibromas can be as tiny as a pea, but over time, they can grow as big as a marble or even larger. Imagine a little bump getting bigger and harder under your skin.

3. Not Bad, Just Different: The good news is that these lumps are not dangerous or harmful. They are called "fibromas" because they are made of special tissue that is like a scar. People can have more than one of these lumps on their feet.

4. Similar to Hand Stuff: Did you know there's a similar thing that happens in hands? It's called Dupuytren's Contracture. Both foot lumps and hand problems have some things in common, even though they're not exactly the same.

5. What Happens Inside: Inside these lumps, there's a lot of a special kind of tissue called collagen. Collagen is like the building blocks of our body. It helps fix things when we get hurt. But sometimes, the body makes too much collagen in one place, like with these lumps.

6. Healing Process Gone Wrong: When we get hurt, our body goes through different steps to heal. One step involves making scar tissue, which is a bit like a patch that helps fix things up. These lumps happen because the body makes too much of this patch and doesn't stop.

If you have a painful lump in the middle of the arch while walking or standing we can help.  We have suggestions and solutions to soften them and make your feet comfortable. Contact us or give us a call today at 207-774-0028.