My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

General health

Anyone had a hard ganglion?

54 replies

Bellasblankexpression · 02/10/2019 21:39

I’ve had a lump on the top of my foot for a while - thought it was a lump of bone at first but when I went to see the doctor she said she thought it was the start of a ganglion. She could move it - I thought it didn’t move and it was the tendon moving but she assured me it did.
She said to go back if it got bigger but told
Me it was 3mm - yet it felt much bigger to me so shows how much I know.
Just noticed it again tonight and I think it may have got a big bigger but hard to tell. It’s stil really hard.
Wondering about going back for a second opinion as I really thought ganglion were soft!

OP posts:
Report
dementedma · 02/10/2019 21:42

Yes, I had one on my wrist as a child. the doctor whacked it with a book and it went away. Absolutely true story!!!

Report
Bellasblankexpression · 02/10/2019 21:44

A book?!
Was it squishy? The lump not the book Grin
I’m now looking at the hardback I’m reading and my foot quite dubiously. I’d probably end up with broken bones Grin

OP posts:
Report
MsMightyTitanAndHerTroubadours · 02/10/2019 21:46

i came in to say hit it with a book....I believe the Family Bible is to be recommended. But in the event of atheism then any heavy book will do :o

Report
ethelredonagoodday · 02/10/2019 21:58

My mum had one on her wrist for aaaaaages and then it just disappeared one day!

Pre that though, she was considering the book whacking approach. 😬🤣

Report
AgathaF · 02/10/2019 22:00

I had one on my wrist a few years ago. Whacked it with a very heavy book. Hurt like buggery but disappeared. Got another a couple of years later on the other wrist but couldn't face doing the same again so just left it. That one went off its own accord after a few months.

Report
Mummoomoocow · 02/10/2019 22:01

My dad had one slowly grow on his neck behind his ear. One day it just erupted? Out of nowhere. Turns out it was a hard cyst.

Report
Bellasblankexpression · 02/10/2019 22:01

Okay now I’m really tempted to whack it with the book. It feels so hard though!
I’m going to end up on bloody crutches aren’t I?Grin

OP posts:
Report
Bellasblankexpression · 02/10/2019 22:02

@Mummoomoocow Boak! That sounds grim. This feels too hard to explode in any way.
Unless I hit it with a book of course, who knows what will happen then.

OP posts:
Report
ThursdayLastWeek · 02/10/2019 22:02

I had one on my wrist that just went away after a while.
It was definitely a hard lump that felt like I had an extra bit of bone in my wrist.

I think no matter the size, go back if it’s causing you pain.

Report
WingDefence · 02/10/2019 22:04

I’ve also had one on my wrist a few years ago but didn’t go down the heavy book route and it gradually disappeared. Can’t remember how long it took though as I’m afraid I wasn’t really paying attention!

Report
NZlife · 02/10/2019 22:05

I have one on the back of my wrist, it's hard but I can move it. Every so often it will disappear/burst and is agony for a day and then slowly grows back. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it doesn't. they don't tend remove them on the NHS unless they're really painful as it's considered cosmetic unless it's causing pain.

Report
Mummoomoocow · 02/10/2019 22:05

Yeah he said it felt like bone, originally he thought his boney bit behind his ear was growing

Report
Bellasblankexpression · 02/10/2019 22:06

Gosh that sounds horrible @NZlife sorry to hear you have to deal with that. When you say movable is it very easily movable? Mine really doesn’t seem to move that much. I guess the movement I can feel is what I thought was the tendon before but the doctor was adamant she could move it I just didn’t look too closely because it felt grim!

OP posts:
Report
NigellaAwesome · 02/10/2019 22:06

I get them at the base of my fingers, on the palm side. Super hard, feel like bone. Then after months and months, they will fell hot and sore and burst. I always feel terrible afterwards, chills and fever, for about 24 hours.

Report
ExCwmbranDweller · 02/10/2019 22:06

I have one on my wrist, I was SO sure it was a bony lump but one day I had the weirdest sensation in my hand and fingers and looked down, rubbing my wrist, and it was GONE. Vanished. I was sad because I'd named him but he keeps coming back, then every so often I get funny tingly fingers and it's burst again. Most odd.

I'm adding an illustrative picture and my favourite ganglion fact: if you inject contrast that shows up on an x-ray into the wrist joint it will enter the ganglion but if you inject the same contrast into the ganglion it won't go back into the wrist joint. One way valve innit.

Anyone had a hard ganglion?
Report
Bellasblankexpression · 02/10/2019 22:10

@NigellaAwesome that’s interesting I thought mine felt to hard to “burst” IYSWIM.

@ExCwmbranDweller thanks for the ganglion fact that’s fascinating! What did you name him? Maybe I should name mine.

OP posts:
Report
honeyalmondlatte · 02/10/2019 22:11

I have one on my wrist. Quite large and painful at the mo so will be going to the drs. I've had it on and off for 20 years. It's attached to my tendons. It bursts sometimes but always fills back up in a few days. I know someone who ddI have theirs removed on the NHS as it was painful.

Report
ExCwmbranDweller · 02/10/2019 22:14

He's called Gary The Ganglion. Currently building up strength as a small lump on the back of my wrist. It's embarrassing as I'm a health professional and I was SURE it was bone. 100%. But I think I'd be in some journal or something if a bone on the back of my hand vanished like that!

We should have a competition to come up with a name for yours. Gary is taken obviously. How about Gertrude?

Report
Bellasblankexpression · 02/10/2019 22:15

I didn’t realise how common they are!
Shows how much I know. I thought they were squishy and quite rare

OP posts:
Report
Douberry · 02/10/2019 22:15

I have one on my wrist - just appeared out of nowhere one day. I was also convinced it was some sort of bone spur but the GP could move it and made me want to vomit when she did and said it was definitely a ganglion. It's changed shape over the last few months to the point where I was so tempted to try the book whacking. I did it and it did bloody hurt though it looked like it had gone... Only to come back THE NEXT DAYShock

Report
Bellasblankexpression · 02/10/2019 22:15

Gertrude is a strong name - I’ll take it Grin

OP posts:
Report
ExCwmbranDweller · 02/10/2019 22:16

Gary does feel super weird if you try to move him but even though it's only a tiny movement it's more than you would get with a bony protuberance.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

BillStickersIsInnocent · 02/10/2019 22:17

I had one on the first knuckle of by middle finger (palm up) a couple of years ago.

The GP told me to hit it with a bible. I didn’t, it went away eventually.

Report
Bellasblankexpression · 02/10/2019 22:17

I gross myself out trying to move Gertrude.

@Douberry the next day?! Christ that’s a short
Term fix haha. Might avoid the book bashing in that case...

OP posts:
Report
ExCwmbranDweller · 02/10/2019 22:17

Brilliant, Gertie if we are feeling affectionate Grin

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.