Ledderhose disease treatment ideas similar to Dupuytren and Peyronie treatment

Ledderhose disease is a problem of the sole of the foot at the arch, known by several different names: Ledderhose’s disease (LD), Morbus Ledderhose, and plantar fibroma.   This condition was first described in 1897 by the German surgeon Georg Ledderhose, for whom it is named.  Regardless of what it is called, the technical description of the actual tissue pathology is a plantar fibromatosis, just like Dupuytren’s contracture and Peyronie’s disease.  Ledderhose disease occurs less frequently than Dupuytren contracture, but usually in combination with it and less so does it appear with Peyronie’s disease.

Because there is similarity with many aspects of Ledderhose disease and Dupuytren contracture and Peyronie’s disease, anyone with plantar fibromatosis or Ledderhose disease who wishes to avoid surgery, and the probability of recurrence of the problem after surgery, should consider using Alternative Medicine methods to increase the ability of the body to eliminate these plantar nodules or lumps on the bottom of the feet.   Simply go to either the Dupuytren Contracture Institute or the Peyronie’s Disease Institute websites for natural treatment information.

Fibroma is a medical term that means a non-cancerous growth or tumor composed of fibrous or connective tissue elements.

Fibromatosis is a term that describes a non-cancerous soft tissue swelling or mass that contains a large group of well developed and distinct tissue cells known as fibroblasts and collagen protein, a tendency to aggressively infiltrate normal healthy tissue and to recur within the same local area.  The fibromatosis mass of Ledderhose disease usually takes the form of one or more nodules or lumps appearing the superficial layers of the tissue on the bottom of the foot near the highest point of the arch, but occasionally can also present as a cord – just as in Dupuytren contracture, but not as often.

Ledderhose disease characteristics

The Ledderhose nodules are usually painless; as they enlarge they can cause considerable pain when pressure or rubbing is applied as when walking or standing.  Size of these nodules range from 0.5 to 3.0 cm.  The skin overlying the Ledderhose nodules tend to be moved laterally with ease, at least during the early stages of the problem.  Over time, as the condition progresses and as the nodules enlarge they are able to apply pressure to blood vessels and nerves of the foot, causing even greater pain with less walking or standing.

Both feet are involved about 20%–50% of the time, and when involvement is bilateral the extent of involvement is seldom the same in both feet.

Because Ledderhose disease likely has the same or similar genetic cause as Dupuytren’s contracture, and is thought to also be triggered the same by trauma, liver and lung disease, diabetes or chronic alcohol consumption, and stressful work that involves that part of the body.  And just like Dupuytren contracture, Ledderhose disease predominantly appears primarily in men (10:1) during the fifth decade and beyond.  Of four people with Dupuytren contracture, one will also have Ledderhose disease. Unlike Dupuytren’s contracture which affects the hands and causes progressive flexion of the involved fingers toward the palm, Ledderhose disease seldom causes flexion deformity of the toes.  As another point of differentiation, the nodules of Ledderhose are larger than in Dupuytren contracture.   Just as with Dupuytren contracture, recurrence of the lesion of Ledderhose disease is high at 50-75% five years after surgery to remove the fibrous nodules and plantar aponeurosis thickened tissue.

The absence of contracture of the toes in Ledderhose disease is explained by the way the foot is typically used on an almost constant basis to walk, stand and climb stairs; all requiring frequent and repetitive stretching of the plantar (bottom of foot) soft tissue.