How Can I Manage My Ledderhose Disease?

Ledderhose disease is a rare condition that affects the connective tissue in the feet. It can cause problems, like chronic foot pain and difficulty walking. While there is no cure for Ledderhose disease, there are treatments to relieve symptoms. An experienced podiatrist in New York City can help.

Board-certified podiatric surgeon Dr. Suzanne Levine is one of the only specialists on the East Coast to offer noninvasive treatment options for Ledderhose disease. Below, our team at Millennium Podiatry will discuss the characteristics of Ledderhose disease and how patients can manage symptoms at home. Call for an appointment and see how we help patients improve their comfort and quality of life.

What causes Ledderhose disease?

Ledderhose disease typically affects middle-aged men or older. It is a rare condition that affects the connective tissue on the bottom of the foot. Patients with Ledderhose disease have a hard lump or nodule that causes foot pain or discomfort when walking around.

The main cause of Ledderhose disease is not known, but genetics may play a role. Other factors include repeated trauma to the area, long-term alcohol use, diabetes, chronic liver disease, and health conditions like epilepsy. People with diseases that affect the connective tissue (such as Dupuytren’s contracture) are also more likely to develop Ledderhose disease.

What are the symptoms of Ledderhose disease?

The most common symptom of Ledderhose disease is a hard lump on the bottom of the foot. This may be accompanied by foot pain when walking, especially when wearing ill-fitting or tight-fitting shoes. Most patients experience foot swelling and tightening of the skin. The lump may also cause a pins-and-needles sensation when pressing on the surrounding nerves and tissue.

How can I manage Ledderhose disease at home?

A trained podiatrist in New York City can help you manage symptoms of Ledderhose disease with a combination of at-home treatments and in-office care. Dr. Levine recommends wearing custom orthotics to relieve pain and pressure from the lump on the bottom of your foot. We also suggest avoiding wearing tight, narrow, or high-heeled shoes to prevent irritation that can trigger symptoms.

A combination of anti-inflammatory drugs, gentle massages, and stretches may reduce discomfort and increase mobility. But if these interventions don’t help, it's best to schedule an appointment at our clinic for more advanced Ledderhose disease treatment options.

How do you treat Ledderhose disease?

While surgical options can be used to remove hard lumps on the bottom of the foot, an invasive procedure may damage the surrounding tissue. Plus, there is a chance the lump will return. Instead, Millennium Podiatry uses nonsurgical approaches for reducing symptoms associated with Ledderhose disease.

Dr. Levine begins by diagnosing your condition using advanced ultrasound imaging. We may recommend an anti-inflammatory injection that combines a homeopathic steroid, lidocaine, and hyaluronic acid based on our findings. This reduces the overall size of the lump. Patients may need to undergo 4 – 5 sessions at our office before achieving the desired results, but treatments are easy and require no incisions or other invasive methods.

Properly manage Ledderhose disease

Foot pain from Ledderhose disease can be debilitating for patients struggling to walk. If you cannot manage symptoms at home or want to avoid surgery, call a trusted podiatrist in New York for a consultation. Board-certified podiatric surgeon Dr. Suzanne Levine can address the lump on the bottom of your foot without surgery. Millennium Podiatry is proud to improve your quality of life with advanced solutions for this rare condition.