Lifestyle and home remedies

To relieve pain, consider an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve). In some cases, modifying your shoes or how you lace them can relieve the pain associated with ganglion cysts on your ankles or feet.

Things not to do

An old home remedy for a ganglion cyst consisted of "thumping" the cyst with a heavy object. This isn't a good solution because the force of the blow can damage surrounding structures in your hand or foot. Also don't try to "pop" the cyst yourself by puncturing it with a needle. This is unlikely to be effective and can lead to infection.