Have you noticed a bump on your wrist, finger, or foot that’s got you worried? Maybe it’s causing pain, numbness, or tingling in your hand and fingers? If it’s on your foot, you might feel discomfort with every step as it rubs against your shoes. Don’t panic—you’re most likely dealing with a ganglion cyst, a completely benign condition that we see and treat successfully every day here at New York Bone & Joint Specialists.
Here’s some reassuring news: between 60-70% of soft tissue masses on your hand or wrist are ganglion cysts, and many of them actually go away on their own without causing any discomfort. However, if your ganglion cyst is causing significant pain or making it nearly impossible to grasp objects, our team of specialists is ready to help with a conservative treatment program. And if those methods don’t provide the relief you need, our expert hand and foot specialists have the experience to perform successful removal surgery.
Understanding Ganglion Cysts: What’s That Bump?
What is a ganglion cyst?
Think of a ganglion cyst as a small balloon that grows from your joint capsule or tendon sheaths. It’s filled with synovial fluid—the same jelly-like substance that naturally lubricates your joints. The good news? These cysts are completely non-cancerous.
Your cyst will appear as a bump under your skin and can range from tiny (about one-sixteenth of an inch) to roughly an inch in diameter. Some ganglion cysts resolve on their own, while others may continue to grow larger over time. Interestingly, while most are visible, some remain hidden under your skin—we call these “occult ganglions”—but they can still cause pain.
You’ll typically find ganglion cysts on the front or back of your wrist, on finger joints close to your palm, or below your fingernail. If you have one on your foot, it usually appears near your ankle or close to your toes.
Signs you might have a ganglion cyst:
Your cyst might not cause any symptoms beyond being visible, but if it presses on a nerve, you may experience:
- A round or oval bump on the affected joint
- A cyst that feels either firm or soft and may move when you touch it
- Growth in size occurs when you use the joint repeatedly
- Pain, especially if the cyst hits a nerve
- Tingling and numbness from nerve pressure
- Muscle weakness—if it’s on your hand or wrist, you might struggle to grasp your morning coffee cup or subway pole
Where Ganglion Cysts Show Up: Wrist vs. Foot
Ganglion Cysts on Your Wrist
Most all ganglion cysts develop on the back or top of your wrist (the part facing up when your palm faces down). The other common location is on your palm side.
When you have a wrist ganglion cyst, you might experience pain, tingling, and numbness in your hand or fingers, along with restricted movement. Bending or extending your wrist becomes uncomfortable, and because the cyst can compress nerves, your hand or wrist may feel weak—making everyday tasks like typing at work or lifting groceries more challenging.
Ganglion Cysts on Your Foot
Foot and ankle ganglion cysts are less common, making up only about 11% of all ganglion cysts, but they cause pain in about 68% of cases.
If you have one on your foot or ankle, you’ll notice a visible lump on the top of your foot or ankle area, possibly with a dull ache if it hits a nerve. The pain often gets worse when you wear shoes that rub against the cyst—especially frustrating when you’re navigating New York’s streets all day.
What’s Causing Your Ganglion Cyst?
While experts aren’t entirely sure what causes ganglion cysts, we’ve identified several factors that might put you at higher risk:
Risk factors include:
- Gender: Women are three times more likely to develop ganglion cysts than men
- Age: Most develop between ages 20 and 50
- Previous injury: Trauma to a joint or tendon increases your chances
- Repetitive motions: Athletes like gymnasts, or workers who regularly strain their wrists are at higher risk
- Arthritis: Cysts near your fingernail are often arthritis-related and tend to affect women between 40 and 70
How We’ll Diagnose Your Ganglion Cyst
At New York Bone & Joint Specialists, our team will use several techniques to confirm your diagnosis:
- We’ll review your medical history and discuss when you first noticed the cyst
- We’ll perform a physical exam, including gently pressing on the cyst to assess any pain
- We might shine a light through the cyst to determine if it’s fluid-filled or solid
- We may take a fluid sample to check if it’s thick and clear (indicating a ganglion cyst)
- We’ll order imaging tests like X-rays, MRI, or ultrasound to rule out other conditions and detect any hidden cysts
Your Treatment Options: Getting You Back to Comfort
The good news is that ganglion cysts often dissolve on their own. However, if yours is causing significant pain or limiting your mobility, treatment can help. Important note: Please don’t try to hit the cyst with a hard object or stick a needle into it—we know it’s tempting, but this can cause serious complications.
We always start with non-surgical approaches:
Conservative treatments we’ll try first:
Observation: If your cyst isn’t causing pain, we can simply monitor it to see if it changes size.
Immobilization: A wrist brace or finger splint can relieve pressure on the nerve and help decrease the cyst’s size.
Physical therapy: Once your pain improves, our physical therapists will guide you through exercises to strengthen your joint and improve range of motion. You might do gentle wrist flexion exercises, squeeze a small ball, or use resistance bands.
Anti-inflammatory medications: Over-the-counter options can help relieve pain and inflammation.
Activity modifications: We’ll help you identify activities that cause pain and suggest ways to modify how you grip objects or perform repetitive tasks. For office workers, this might mean adjusting your workstation with ergonomic keyboards, mouse pads, and wrist supports.
The Aspiration Procedure: Draining the Fluid
If your cyst causes significant pain and severely limits your daily activities, we might recommend aspiration—especially for cysts on top of your wrist.
Here’s what happens during this minimally invasive procedure:
- We’ll numb the area with local anesthetic
- Using ultrasound guidance, we’ll insert a needle into the cyst
- We’ll drain the fluid from the cyst
- We may inject a steroid to reduce inflammation
You’ll likely feel immediate pain relief. However, there’s about a 20% chance the cyst could return because this procedure only removes the fluid, not the cyst’s connection to your joint or tendon. If it does come back, we can repeat the aspiration.
When Surgery Might Be Your Best Option
We may recommend surgery if:
- Non-surgical treatments haven’t helped
- You’re experiencing persistent pain, numbness, or tingling
- Nerve compression is severely limiting your hand movement
- You want the cyst removed for cosmetic reasons
What to expect from ganglion cyst surgery:
We can perform your surgery either as an open procedure or arthroscopically (using a tiny camera):
- You’ll receive local or general anesthesia
- We’ll make a small incision and use a camera for clear visualization
- We’ll remove both the cyst and its “root”—the part that connects to your joint or tendon
- We’ll suture and bandage the area
You’ll go home the same day. We’ll keep the area bandaged for several days, and you’ll need to elevate the joint above your heart and use it only for light activities. If we operated on your wrist, you might need to wear a sling for a while.
Recovery timeline:
- You’ll regain full joint function within 2-6 weeks
- Only a 10% chance of recurrence (much lower than aspiration)
- If you experience continued stiffness, we may refer you to physical therapy
Preventing Future Ganglion Cysts
While we can’t completely prevent ganglion cysts since their exact cause is unknown, you can take steps to reduce your risk:
Lifestyle changes:
- Take frequent breaks if your work involves repetitive hand or wrist movements
- Use ergonomic tools at work—keyboards, mouse pads, wrist supports
- Keep your wrists straight while typing (parallel to your keyboard, not bent up or down)
- Choose comfortable, loose-fitting shoes if you’ve had foot cysts
- Stay active with low-impact exercises like swimming or cycling to keep joints lubricated
Why Choose New York Bone & Joint Specialists?
As a leading orthopedic practice serving New Yorkers, we understand how ganglion cysts can interfere with your daily life—from your commute to your work to enjoying the city. Here’s what makes our approach special:
Our expertise:
- Board-certified orthopedic specialists with advanced training in hand, wrist, and foot conditions
- Patient-first approach—we always try conservative treatments before surgery
- We’ll be with you every step of the way, from diagnosis to full recovery
- State-of-the-art diagnostics for accurate diagnosis
- Minimally invasive surgical techniques when needed
- 90% of our patients recover fully without surgery
We’re committed to preserving your natural joint structure and getting you back to comfortable movement as quickly as possible. Our patients consistently tell us about our dedication to their full recovery with minimal discomfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of doctor should I see for a ganglion cyst?
Look for orthopedic surgeons, hand specialists, or podiatrists (for foot cysts) who specialize in treating ganglion cysts. At New York Bone & Joint Specialists, our team has extensive experience with these conditions and can discuss our treatment methods and success rates with you.
Do ganglion cysts need to be removed?
Not necessarily! Many ganglion cysts disappear on their own and cause no pain—they’re just a cosmetic concern. If you’re experiencing pain, we’ll start with conservative treatments that often resolve the condition without surgery. We only recommend removal surgery if non-surgical treatments fail or if the cyst causes significant pain and severely limits your joint movement.
How successful is ganglion cyst removal surgery?
Our surgery has a 90% success rate with only a 10% chance of the cyst returning. Aspiration (draining) is less invasive but has a 20% recurrence rate. If your cyst does return after either procedure, we can repeat the treatment.
What’s the difference between treating wrist and foot ganglion cysts?
Wrist cysts (about 70% of cases) often cause pain, numbness, and tingling in your hand or fingers and may restrict wrist movement. We typically treat these with braces or splints, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and workplace ergonomic improvements. Aspiration works well for cysts on top of your wrist but is more complex for palm-side cysts due to nearby vessels and nerves.
Foot cysts (only 11% of cases) usually cause a dull ache that worsens with narrow shoes. The main treatment involves switching to comfortable, loose-fitting shoes with plenty of toe room.
Will my ganglion cyst come back after treatment?
There’s a 10% recurrence rate after surgery and 20% after aspiration. You can reduce your risk by staying active with low-impact activities, making your workstation more ergonomic, and taking breaks from repetitive hand or wrist movements.
Ready to Get Relief?
Don’t let a ganglion cyst keep you from enjoying everything New York has to offer. Whether it’s affecting your work, your daily activities, or just causing you worry, we’re here to help you get back to comfortable, pain-free living.
