What is a corn? What is a callus?

Corns and calluses are hard, thickened areas of skin that form as a consequence of rubbing, friction or pressure on the skin.

Corns and calluses form on the feet and can make walking painful.

Although corns and calluses are often talked about together, they are separate conditions.

Corns generally occur on the tops and sides of the toes. A hard corn is a small patch of thickened, dead skin with a small plug of skin in the centre. A soft corn has a much thinner surface, appears whitish and rubbery, and usually occurs between the toes. Seed corns are clusters of tiny corns that can be very tender if they are on a weight-bearing part of the foot. Seed corns tend to occur on the bottom of the feet, and some doctors believe this condition is caused by blocked sweat ducts.

Calluses are hard and rough-feeling areas of skin that can develop on hands, feet or anywhere there is repeated friction – even on a violinist’s chin. Like corns, calluses have several variants. The common callus usually occurs when there has been a lot of rubbing against the hands or feet. A plantar callus is found on the bottom of the foot.

What causes corns and calluses?

Some corns and calluses on the feet develop from an improper walking motion, but most are caused by ill-fitting shoes. High-heeled shoes are the worst offenders. They put pressure on the toes and make women four times as likely as men to have foot problems. Other risk factors for developing a corn or callus include foot deformities and wearing shoes or sandals without socks, which leads to friction on the feet.

Rubbing or pressure can cause either soft corns or plantar calluses. If you or yourchild develops a callus that has no clear source of pressure, have it looked at by a doctor or a podiatrist, since it could be a wart or be caused by a foreign body – such as a splinter – trapped under the skin. Feet spend most of their time in a closed, moist environment, which is ideal for breeding fungal and bacterial infections. Staph (bacterial) infections can start when bacteria enter corns through breaks in the skin and cause the infected skin to discharge fluid or pus.

What are the symptoms of corns and calluses?

• A callus is a patch of compact, dead skin anywhere on the body that is subject to friction. There are different common names given to various types of calluses.
• A hard corn is a compact patch of hard skin with a dense core, located on top of a toe or the outside of the little toe.
• A soft corn is a reddened, tender area of skin, has a thin, smooth centre and is found between toes.
• A seed corn is a plug-like circle of dead skin, often painful, on the heel or ball of the foot.
• A plantar callus is a callus on the bottom – or plantar – surface of the foot.

How do I know if I have a corn or a wart?

To find out whether a hard patch of skin is a corn or a wart, your doctor will examine the affected area. Warts are viral and often have black dots present in the affected skin. They also require specific treatment. Most calluses are corrected by a variety of measures, including a change in shoes, trimming of the calluses and sometimes surgery.

What are the treatments for corns and calluses?

Most corns and calluses gradually disappear when the friction or pressure stops, although your doctor may shave the top of a callus to reduce the thickness. Properly positioned moleskin pads can help relieve pressure on a corn. There are also special corn and callus removal liquids and plasters, usually containingsalicylic acid, but these are not suitable for everyone.

Oral antibiotics generally clear up infected corns, but pus may have to be drained through a small incision.

Moisturising creams may help soften the skin and remove cracked calluses. Apply the moisturising cream to the callus, and cover the area for 30-60 minutes with a plastic bag or a sock – but only if instructed to do so by your doctor or podiatrist.

Then gently rub off as much of the callus as you can with a coarse towel or soft brush. Using a pumice stone first to rub off the dead skin from a callus after a bath or shower and then applying moisturising cream can also be effective.

There are also stronger creams containing urea that might be more effective, but do not use these unless recommended by your doctor or podiatrist. Do not usehydrocortisone creams, which only help with rashes and itching and are not needed for calluses. Moisturising your skin incorrectly can aggravate a fungal condition and should be avoided – especially moisturising between the toes.

You may consider surgery to remove a plantar callus, but there are no guarantees that the callus will not come back. A conservative approach is best initially. Keep your feet dry and friction-free. Wear properly fitted shoes and cotton socks, rather than wool or synthetic fibres that might irritate the skin.

If a podiatrist (a foot specialist) or orthopaedic specialist (a bone and jointspecialist) thinks your corn or callus is caused by abnormal foot structure, your walking motion or hip rotation, orthopaedic shoe inserts or surgery to correct foot deformities may help correct the problem.

How can I prevent corns and calluses?

• To avoid corns and calluses on the feet, always have both feet professionally measured when buying shoes, and only wear properly fitting shoes.
• Make sure that both shoe width and length are correct – for each foot – since your feet may be slightly different sizes. Allow up to 1.3cm (half an inch) between your longest toe and the front of the shoe. If you can’t wiggle your toes in your shoes, they are too tight.
• Avoid shoes with sharply pointed toes and high heels. Women who prefer such shoes, or who are expected to wear them at work, can take some of the pressure off their feet by walking to their destination in well-fitted flat shoes, and then changing them. Try to decrease heel height as much as possible.
• Have your shoes repaired regularly – or replace them. Worn soles give little protection from the shock of walking on hard surfaces, and worn linings can chafe your skin and harbour bacteria.
• Worn heels increase any uneven pressure on your heel bone. If the soles or heels of your shoes tend to wear unevenly, talk to you doctor about corrective shoes or insoles.
• If you have hammertoes – toes that are buckled under – make sure that the shape of your shoes offers plenty of room to accommodate the buckled toes.

An Achilles tendon injury can happen to anyone, whether you’re an athlete or just going about your everyday life.

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in your body. It stretches from the bones of your heel to your calf muscles. You can feel it — a springy band of tissue at the back of your ankle and above your heel. It lets you point your toes toward the floor and raise up on your tiptoes.

It’s common for this tendon to get injured. It can be mild or moderate and feel like a burning pain or stiffness in that part of your leg. If the pain is severe, your Achilles tendon may be partly torn or completely ruptured.

Causes

Achilles tendon injuries are common in people who do things where they quickly speed up, slow down, or pivot, such as:

• Running
• Gymnastics
• Dance
• Football
• Baseball
• Softball
• Basketball
• Tennis
• Volleyball

These injuries tend to happen when you start moving suddenly as you push off and lift your foot rather than when you land. For instance, a sprinter might get one at the start of a race as he surges off the starting block. The abrupt action can be too much for the tendon to handle. Men over 30 are particularly prone to Achilles tendon injuries.

These things also can make you more likely to have this kind of injury:

• You wear high heels, which can stress the tendon.
• You have “flat feet,” also called fallen arches. This means that when you take a step, the impact causes the arch of your foot to collapse, stretching the muscles and tendons.
• Your leg muscles or tendons are too tight.
• You take medicines called glucocorticoids or antibiotics called fluoroquinolones.
• 

Symptoms:

The most obvious sign is pain above your heel, especially when you stretch your ankle or stand on your toes. It may be mild and get better or worse over time. If the tendon ruptures, the pain is instant and severe. The area may also feel tender, swollen, and stiff.

If your Achilles tendon tears, you may hear a snapping or popping noise when it happens. You could have bruising and swelling, too. You also may have trouble pointing your toes and pushing off your toes when you take a step.

Treatment

Minor to moderate Achilles tendon injuries should heal on their own. To speed the process, you can:

• Rest your leg. Avoid putting weight on your leg as best you can. You may need crutches.
• Ice it. Ice your injury for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours to reduce pain and swelling. Continue this for 2 or 3 days, or until the pain is gone.
• Compress your leg. Use an elastic bandage around the lower leg and ankle to keep down swelling.
• Raise (elevate) your leg. Prop your leg up on a pillow when you’re sitting or lying down.
• Take anti-inflammatory painkillers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen will help with pain and swelling. Follow the instructions on the label to help prevent side effects, such as bleeding and ulcers. Take them with food. Check with your doctor first if you have any allergies, medical problems or take any other medication. If you need them for longer than 7 to 10 days, call your doctor.
• Use a heel lift. Your doctor may recommend that you wear an insert in your shoe while you recover. It will help protect your Achilles tendon from further stretching.
• Practice stretching and strengthening exercises as recommended by your doctor, physical therapist, or other health care provider.

 When Will I Feel Better?

It may take months, but it depends on how serious your injury is. Different conditions heal at different rates.

You can still be active while your injury heals. Ask your doctor what’s OK to do. But don’t rush things. Don’t try to return to your old level of physical activity until:

• You can move your leg as easily and freely as your uninjured leg.
• Your leg feels as strong as your uninjured leg.
• You don’t have any pain in your leg when you walk, jog, sprint, or jump.

Can I Prevent an Achilles Tendon Injury?

Here are some things you can try:

• Cut down on uphill running.
• Wear shoes with good support that fit well.
• Stop exercising if you feel pain or tightness in the back of your calf or heel.