Our feet are burdened with carrying our full body weight. Sometimes these forces and pressures can become excessive or unbalanced causing unwanted friction and resulting in corns and calluses.
As a result of this, the body produces thickening in the surface layer of the skin to protect the underlying tissue. These hard, thick and rough patches which commonly occur on the feet, are called calluses (‘hyperkeratosis’) and may cause pain or discomfort when walking.
The body can also produce a corn. These are soft and can develop between the toes where skin is moist and pressure from toe bones rub against overlying skin. They can also occur at areas where the callus thickens up under the ball of your foot.
Sometimes the pressure of the corn or callus may produce underlying inflammation, which can result in acute pain, swelling and redness. Calluses are usually larger than corns and have a more yellowish appearance. Corns and calluses can be found on the balls of the feet, heels, the tops of toes and along the sides of toenails.
If you have corns or calluses on your feet, you should see our friendly team of Podiatrists, who can treat and advise you. It is important to seek professional advice as Podiatrists will also examine your foot function and your footwear and endeavour to identify and treat any underlying functional issues you may have. Corns and calluses will not get better unless the cause of the pressure is dealt with. A Podiatrist can remove corns and calluses by using a sharp blade to remove the thickened skin. This should be painless and help decrease pain and discomfort.
Over the counter treatments, such as corn plasters only treat the symptoms and not the underlying problem. In fact, these plasters and ointments may damage the normal, thinner surrounding skin if not used properly. Corn plasters may not be suitable for people with diabetes, fragile skin or circulation problems.
If you would like to learn more about our services, or have some questions regarding our treatment options in our Mount Lawley clinic, feel free to give us a call.
You can reach us at (08) 9271 8805 and one of our friendly team members will be happy to answer your questions.
