Callus & Corns

 

A corn or callus is a thickening of the outer layer of the skin on your foot. Corns usually grow on the top of the foot, often at a toe joint. Calluses spread on the bottom of the foot, on the outer edge of a toe or on the heel.  

 

Corns and calluses are your body's response to friction or pressure against the skin.

Corns can range from a slight thickening of the skin to a painful, hard bump.   

 

 

Cause :

Both are caused simply by excessive pressure but this commonly occurs in two ways.

 

    1. boney prominence - where a part of the foot is prominent such as over a hammertoe or bunion, a corn or callus will frequently form due to excessive pressure (see picture below). This is also often associated with tight footwear particularly over the little toe. Arthritis can also cause a prominence to develop & as a result lead to callus or a corn developing.

 

    2. altered walking pattern - this is commonly seen if the foot rolls inwards excessively. This results in the placement of more pressure along the inside edge of the heel & ball of the foot. This irritates the skin & gradually causes it to thicken & become painful.

 

  • Corns often form at the top of buckled toe joints (hammer toes).
  • If your toes curl under, corns may grow on the tips of the toes.
  • A corn can form on the end of the toe if it rubs against your shoes. 
  • Corns can grow between the toes, often between the fourth and fifth toes.

 

  • This type of callus is usually due to a problem with a metatarsal (the long bone at the base of a toe, near the ball of the foot). 
  • A pinch callus may grow along the outer edge of the heel or the big toe. 
  • Some calluses press up into the foot instead of spreading on the outside. 
  • A callus may form a central core or plug of tissue where pressure is greatest.

 

 

 

SYMPTOMS : 

Callus's & corns cause varying degrees of pain depending on their location & type. If the callus or corn is under the ball of the foot where you place a lot of pressure when you walk, the pain can be uncomfortable. Particular types of corns contain nerves & blood vessels & these can be significantly painful. Other common sites are the tops of toes particularly the little toe & in between the 4th & 5th toes. This type of corn is called a 'soft corn'.  People often mistake a corn for a wart. See a Podiatrist to have a proper diagnosis made but generally, warts have small black dots in the middle. These are small blood vessels that have broken due to pressure. Corns have generally a consistently coloured core.

 

 

PREVENTION :

 

Prevention of callus's & corns is centred around good general care of the feet from a young age. Unfortunately if your parents had bad feet though, you may be unable to avoid problems. Wear good fitting shoes from a young age as much as possible. Females particularly, should avoid narrow, tapered footwear as much as possible. A good idea is to get your feet measured regularly as our feet change shape as we get older. Research has shown the women wear footwear 1-1 1/2 sizes too small! 

 

Feet for most people, are a sadly forgotten part of the body. Yet, without them, we would not be able to enjoy life. To have comfortable feet throughout life is rare for most people. If we all cared for our feet like we do our teeth or eyes, there would be far less foot problems. 

DON'T WAIT TILL YOUR FEET HURT TO SEE A PODIATRIST. 

 

 

TREATMENT :

Simple, but complex! The pain associated with callus & corns can be simply relieved, but a cure is complex & often impossible. Follow the basic advice below, but it's far quicker, less painful, & cheaper in the long run, to see a Podiatrist. A cure is very difficult because the cause is often a combination of poor fitting footwear, together with the anatomy or shape of the foot, & finally the way we walk & place our weight through our feet. One good piece of advice is avoid any home treatment that involves placing an acid on the callus or corn. These treatments often create more trouble than what you started with. Also if you have diabetes or other circulation problems, NEVER use these products. See a Podiatrist immediately. 

   

SELF TREATMENT

soak the foot for 10-15 minutes then gently rub the hard skin back with a file or pumice stone

purchase some padding from a Podiatrist to place over the area to protect it

use a good quality moisturising cream to keep the skin soft

avoid any tight footwear

if the problem persists, see a Podiatrist immediately

avoid using any over the counter products that burns the hard skin

PODIATRIC TREATMENT

identify the cause i.e. is it due to incorrect fitting footwear, boney prominences on feet such as hammertoes or bunions or are you placing your weight excessively onto a certain part of the foot. Then the Podiatrist will treat the cause.

painlessly remove the callus or corn & apply any padding to protect or remove weight from the area.

use of different insoles & custom made orthotics to further remove weight from the area.

advice regarding appropriate footwear & self-care

surgical correction of underlying problems such as hammertoes & bunions

 

 

 

Footmed can simply & painlessly provide relief of callus or corns. They also can advise you of further options including appropriate footwear, various insoles & supports & surgical options for permanent correction.

 

 

 

Private health insurance generally covers a percentage of the cost of Podiatric consultations. Podiatric consultations are also covered under Workcover, 3rd Party Insurance & Veterans Affairs.  

 

[THIS INFORMATION IS OF A GENERAL NATURE & SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS A DIAGNOSIS. SEEK ADVICE FROM A PODIATRIST FOR SPECIFIC ADVICE]