Corns

What causes corns?

Corns develop as your skin’s way of protecting itself when there’s too much pressure on a specific area, often over a bone. 

Similar to calluses, corns start forming gradually over time because of friction or rubbing. But corns tend to be smaller than calluses and develop on non-weight-bearing areas, like across the tops of your toes.

While anyone can get corns at any age, and your risk is higher because of:

• Overly dry skin, possibly due to diabetes
• Development of bunions, hammertoes, or mallet toes
• Ill-fitting shoes that have little room in the toe box, like high heels

Your chances of struggling with corns are also high if you have arthritis-related deformities that lead to joint stiffness, since shoes may rub your feet abnormally. 

Do I need treatment for corns?

Yes. Ideally, you’d come into North Star Foot & Ankle Associates to get started on corn treatments at the first sign of corn development. 

This way, you can stop the progression of corns and prevent serious foot pain. It’s especially important to come into the office right away if your corns lead to:

• Tenderness
• Inflammation
• Flaky skin 
• Bleeding 

These issues can lead to serious infections and agonizing pain while walking when left untreated.

Additionally, as corns progress, they turn into raised firm, cylindrical bumps and can often resemble foot warts. 

Because it can be difficult to determine if the painful bumps on your feet are corns or warts, it’s important to have a comprehensive evaluation at North Star Foot & Ankle Associates, rather than trying to treat the issue on your own.

How are corns treated?

Your corn treatment plan is personalized to you and the severity of your corns and related symptoms. Treating corns can include:

• Prescription-strength salicylic acid medications
• Routine foot soaks
• Shoe modifications
• Custom orthotics
• Corn pads

If you have severely painful and tender corns, your dedicated podiatrist at North Star Foot & Ankle Associates can remove them with a specialized surgical-grade blade, which causes minimal discomfort. Your podiatrist also helps you prevent future corn development. 

You can get effective treatment for painful corns at North Star Foot & Ankle Associates. Click the online scheduler or call to book your corn evaluation.