It’s easy to look back on our ancestors and feel superior in our knowledge, but there are still plenty of things left for us to discover and understand. We only recently learned that our space neighbor Mars contains liquid water; now we need to learn more about where it comes from and what it contains. There are still some mysteries in our own bodies as well, such as why a ganglion cysts forms on the foot. It might not be as exciting a mystery as water on Mars, but at least it’s closer to home.
A ganglion cyst is a round or oval lump that is filled with a translucent, jelly-like fluid. It can develop along the tendons or joints in the ankles and feet, although they might also show up on the wrists or hands as well. They are harmless growths in themselves, by which we mean they’re not cancerous. They might still cause pain or discomfort depending on where they grow, however.
So what causes a ganglion cyst? We’re still not fully sure! It’s another liquid-involved mystery, and it can happen right in our own bodies. What we suspect is that a cyst begins to develop when the tissue surrounding a joint or tendon begins to move or bulge out of place. Some sort of significant traumatic event might cause the conditions to become ripe for a cyst to form, but so might repeated smaller trauma, such as the impact of a shoe against a foot while running.
If you do have a lump on your foot, you probably won’t take much solace knowing you’re on the frontier of medical territory not fully charted. But just because nobody knows exactly why a cyst is there doesn’t mean we can’t take care of it! Call the office of Dr. Kevin Powers in Bloomington at (812) 333-4422 to schedule an appointment. We’ll check to make sure that lump isn’t something to worry about, then provide the best in treatment, if necessary. Take the first steps toward peace of mind and relief today by contacting our office.
