Corns Specialist

What Are Corns?

Corns are one of your body’s responses to friction or pressure on the skin of the foot. Corns usually grow on tops and sides of the foot, often at near the toe joints. Corns range from a slight thickening of skin to a painful soft or hard bump. They often form on top of buckled toe joints (hammer toes). If your toes curl under, you may develop corns on the tips of your toes. You may also get a corn on the end of a toe if it rubs continuously against your shoe. Corns can also develop between toes, often between the first and second toes. In many cases, corns and calluses look bad but are not harmful although in more severe cases, corns may become infected, destroy healthy tissue, or affect foot mobility.

What Causes Corns?

Corns are often caused by pronation issues although incorrectly fitting footwear is the most common culprit. High heeled shoes put pressure on the toes and shift all of a person’s weight forward, affecting the movement of the foot and the stride.

How Are Corns Treated?

The doctors at the Foot & Ankle Specialists of New Jersey offer both preventive care and advice and corn removal treatments. Patients should never attempt to remove a corn by themselves as cutting too deeply or gouging into the foot can harm healthy tissue, nerves, and blood vessels. Your podiatrist will gently and expertly remove the corn and provide advice on modifications to protect your feet from corns developing again in the future. The doctor may suggest wearing shoes with increased cushioning, padded insoles or orthotics, changing the kind of shoes you wear, as well as exercises and foot manipulations. While some corns may gradually disappear when the friction or pressure stops, the doctors at the Foot & Ankle Specialists of New Jersey can provide much more quickly effective treatment. If your podiatrist thinks your corn is caused by abnormal foot structure, walking motion, or hip rotation, orthopedic shoe inserts or surgery to correct foot deformities may help correct the problem.