If you think that Dupuytren’s contracture of the hands is bad, imagine it happening to your feet. Ledderhose disease is a condition that causes nodules to form on the underside of the foot. The skin and tissue on the underside of the foot become thick and stiff, causing pain and discomfort when you walk.
This is the reason why Ledderhose is also known as “Dupuytren’s in feet.” It is very similar to Dupuytren’s contracture disease as it has the same effects; the only difference is that Ledderhose affects the foot while Dupuytren’s contracture affects the hand.
Ledderhose, however, is considered a rare disease by WHO. It is very infrequent that the thickening and tightening of the skin and tissue of your foot pull your toe back. However, the symptoms of Ledderhose disease are common, including pain around your ankle joint, tightened skin, and the feeling of pins and needles in your feet.
How to treat it
We all know how important our feet are: if they are affected by a painful condition, our whole day is affected.
To begin addressing your foot condition and seeking treatment, you need to figure out what shoes you’re going to wear and what is comfortable. Try and get some soft padding or soft soles that ease your feet. You may also want to cut out the part that touches the lump area, which will prevent disturbance to the area and provide comfort.
Further, you may try to take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine, which may provide some relief by reducing swelling and pain. You may also try using heating and cooling pads to relax your muscles, ease the swelling sensation, and, eventually, the pain.
If trying to treat Ledderhose at home isn’t working for you, you can ask your doctor about enzyme injections or cryosurgery. Enzyme injections are used to weaken the chord formed in your foot so that the doctor can break it. This restores flexibility and movement in the foot. Furthermore, cryosurgery is a process that uses cooling probes that are inserted into the nodules that have formed and freeze the diseased tissue.
If your symptoms of Ledderhose last more than 4 months, or if your condition is getting worse, you may need to undergo surgery.