Corns: Foot Health

Samantha Moss DipCFHP MPSPract. Foot Health Practitioner shares her (almost!) 20 year experience of this common Foot issue.

A Corn?

A corn isn’t the same as a verruca (although they do occasionally look similar) and they do not have a ‘root’!

Put simply, a corn is an area of very hard callus (hard skin) that can be very painful.  Corns are not usually serious in themselves but anyone who has experienced a corn will know how painful they can be.

How?

A corn can form anywhere on the foot where there is too much pressure or friction.  So, for example, corns are common on the tip of your toe if you have a ‘claw’ toe deformity or on the top of the toe if you have a ‘hammer’ toe deformity. It is also quite common to have a corn on the sole of the foot if one of your metatarsals has dropped. 

With this excessive pressure, the body naturally tries to protect itself by building up callus.  As this gets thicker and harder a corn can form.

Top Tips?

Unless you have diabetes or a serious circulation problem there are some things you can do to help yourself. 

·         Make sure your footwear is suitable – shoes should be wide enough for your feet (but not too wide), with a soft sole and a low heel.

·         Padded insoles or cushioned socks can be worn to ease the pressure. 

·         Soak your feet in warm water to soften the skin and GENTLY use a foot file to reduce the callus. 

·         Regularly use a moisturising foot cream to keep the skin soft. 

·         Do not try to cut off your corn or callus.

·         Do not use medicated corn plasters as these can burn healthy skin and cause more painful problems.

·         Do not wear high heels or shoes with pointed toes.

Treatment?

Your FHP (Foot Health Practitioner) can remove your corn for you, using either a small blade and/or an enucleating burr. This is usually completely painless.  

Don’t forget though, that even if your FHP has completely removed the corn, it will still return if the cause of the corn has not been addressed.  If it comes back it doesn’t just mean they haven’t done a good job!

Often however, the only permanent solution for a recurring corn is foot surgery and many people prefer to keep treating their feet conservatively with a foot professional rather than going down that route.