Corns have been the bane of your toes since the invention of closed toe shoes. People resort to all sorts of home remedies to try and relieve themselves of the little devils. The cure is really very simple…prevention.
Corns are those thick, often painful excrescences that pop up on the top joints of your toes after wearing shoes that are either too short or too narrow (or both). Toes like to lie flat inside of shoes for a comfortable walking experience. Style often dictates otherwise in the form of shoes that are too narrow, or in the case of ladies shoes, having a high heel that pushes the toes together and rubbing them at the top of the shoe. Over time, this cramping of the toes causes the tendons on the tops of the toes to shorten causing a contracture of the toe till it assumes the shape of a “hammer”. Thus the “hammertoe” is born. That round, thickened skin on the top of the toe joint is in fact the “corn”. Shaving off the corn or padding it only gives temporary relief. The cure comes in two forms.
First part of the cure would be prevention. The shape of the shoe must fit the shape of the foot. Corns and the contracted digits don’t occur with the wearing of just one pair of shoes for an evening. They occur over several years of shoe abuse to your toes. Many people feel they know the size of their feet and, and buy shoes without even trying them on. Fashion often dictates the shape of the shoes and height of the heels. Over years, this is the recipe for painful corns and hammertoes.
Second part of the cure if you fail to heed the advice of the above paragraph, would be correction. This involves the surgical correction of the digits with the removal of a small piece of bone that has come to form the corn as well as the lengthening of the tendon that caused the toe to hammer. The human body is an amazing thing. If the toes are continuously stuffed into shoes that are too small, the tendons contract and eventually stay that way. “Hammertoe” correction to relieve the pain of the corns is a simple outpatient procedure, but why not try and avoid the problem in the first place?
Ladies…I’m not saying that you can never wear fashionable, high heels shoes. All I am saying is that you should use sensibility in when and where you wear them.
Men also suffer from this painful malady. Though they may not be in high heels, men also fall victim to wearing shoes that are too narrow or too pointy for the shape of their feet.
So folks what do you say? Let’s just “shoe “ a little common sense when buying and wearing shoes. Save those high heeled and pointy shoes for the weekend.
Rob Kosofsky D.P.M.
Showing posts with label corns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label corns. Show all posts
Monday, January 9, 2012
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Summer Bumming Hard on Your Feet!
Though it is hard to admit in a heat wave, summer is coming to a halt. It won’t be long until the kids are at school, and pumpkin picking, football games, and turkey dinners will be on the agenda! Thankfully there is still a good month of sandals and barbeque left! But, are your feet still up for the summer challenge or has summer gotten the best of them already. You may need to pay special attention to your feet on the last stretch of fun in the sun!
Complaint: My feet are dry and cracked. My feet are itchy, red, and sometimes have blisters.
Cause: Believe it or not, both of these complaints will often root from the same problem! Warm, dark, humid environments create a delightful home for fungus! Dry feet are a sign of sweaty feet and sweaty feet are a precursor to fungal feet.
Prevention: The number one thing to avoid is going barefoot in public. Wear sandals around the pool, in the locker room, and in public showers. When possible wear sandals over shoes to allow your feet to breath. Wear dry shoes, change socks often and inspect your feet on a regular basis.
Complaint: I have calluses or corns making my feet ugly. I have thick skin on my foot and it hurts.
Cause: The summer shoe selection can be referred to as the podiatrist’s best resource for job security. Too often men and women put their feet in shoes or sandals that are nowhere near the shape of their foot. This causes the foot to rub against the shoe. Friction causes a buildup of skin that can become painful or unsightly.
Prevention: Wearing wide toed shoes or just properly fitting shoes can help with this problem! Over the counter creams and lotions can help soften the skin, but be careful with corn pads. They often make the problem worse over time. If the callus or corn is continuously painful see a podiatric physician to properly remove the ailment.
Complaint: I have warts. I have a hard, flat, bump on the bottom of my foot.
Cause: Warts are caused by the human papilloma virus. It only takes a small cut or opening in the skin to allow the virus into your skin. These opening are often unseen by the naked eye. Some people are more susceptible to getting warts and need to take extra precautions to avoid the virus.
Preventions: Avoid walking around barefoot, even in your own home! If your family members have warts, you can all get warts! Avoid at home or over the counter treatments. Picking at the wart or improperly removing them can make the wart spread and what started out as one wart can quickly multiply creating a mosaic of many warts.
So as summer comes to an end make sure you keep your feet healthy and safe. If you have any
questions or concerns about your foot health or other summer threats to your feet, seek medical help
from a foot and ankle specialist also referred as a podiatrist. They are trained to treat all foot ailments of children and adults.
Complaint: My feet are dry and cracked. My feet are itchy, red, and sometimes have blisters.
Cause: Believe it or not, both of these complaints will often root from the same problem! Warm, dark, humid environments create a delightful home for fungus! Dry feet are a sign of sweaty feet and sweaty feet are a precursor to fungal feet.
Prevention: The number one thing to avoid is going barefoot in public. Wear sandals around the pool, in the locker room, and in public showers. When possible wear sandals over shoes to allow your feet to breath. Wear dry shoes, change socks often and inspect your feet on a regular basis.
Complaint: I have calluses or corns making my feet ugly. I have thick skin on my foot and it hurts.
Cause: The summer shoe selection can be referred to as the podiatrist’s best resource for job security. Too often men and women put their feet in shoes or sandals that are nowhere near the shape of their foot. This causes the foot to rub against the shoe. Friction causes a buildup of skin that can become painful or unsightly.
Prevention: Wearing wide toed shoes or just properly fitting shoes can help with this problem! Over the counter creams and lotions can help soften the skin, but be careful with corn pads. They often make the problem worse over time. If the callus or corn is continuously painful see a podiatric physician to properly remove the ailment.
Complaint: I have warts. I have a hard, flat, bump on the bottom of my foot.
Cause: Warts are caused by the human papilloma virus. It only takes a small cut or opening in the skin to allow the virus into your skin. These opening are often unseen by the naked eye. Some people are more susceptible to getting warts and need to take extra precautions to avoid the virus.
Preventions: Avoid walking around barefoot, even in your own home! If your family members have warts, you can all get warts! Avoid at home or over the counter treatments. Picking at the wart or improperly removing them can make the wart spread and what started out as one wart can quickly multiply creating a mosaic of many warts.
So as summer comes to an end make sure you keep your feet healthy and safe. If you have any
questions or concerns about your foot health or other summer threats to your feet, seek medical help
from a foot and ankle specialist also referred as a podiatrist. They are trained to treat all foot ailments of children and adults.
