Corns

Well-made Shoes Help You Prevent Getting Corns.
By Dr. David Zuckerman

During your lifetime you will walk, run, dance, hop, skip and jump the equivalent of four times around the earth - all on the same two feet. They are made to last, but abuse your feet and you'll pay with every tortured step.

Corns are a common example of avoidable foot pain. Soft corns grow between the toes in response to moisture and the friction of one toe rubbing against another. Hard corns - calluses with a tough core in the center - result when bone edges squeeze toes or parts of the feet against footwear. The small toes are especially prone to corns.

Shoes don't cause corns, but they do aggravate them. Arthritis, trauma, bunions and heredity can create structural changes in foot bones and cause hard knobs to form around toe joints. These enlarged or abnormally shaped bones rub against the shoes, too narrow, too shallow or too flimsy for the human foot. Sometimes corns become infected, especially in patients with diabetes, poor circulation or loss of sensation.

If you notice a corn developing, soak your feet in warm water, dry them thoroughly and smooth the corn with an emery board. Then relieve pressure on the area with soft padding. Avoid over-the-counter remedies. The harsh acid they contain can be harmful.

Toe Spurs Before & After

All of these chronic soft corns were caused by a bone spur underlying the
corn. The patient had been suffered for years without relief. With minimal
incision surgery the patient's corn was cured. These pictures are over
twenty years post-op.

When a corn is painful, see a podiatrist for treatment. He or she can remove chronic corns in a few minutes, using in-the-office minimal incision surgery with a local anesthetic. Ninety to 100 percent of corns don't recur after this procedure.

Minimal incision surgery dramatically reduces recovery time, pain and risk of infection. The podiatrist makes a tiny incision in the skin and, using specialized instruments, removes the sharp bony projection - or spur - that is under pressure and causing the corn. Stitches are seldom needed and the patient can resume normal activity immediately after the procedure.

To help prevent corns or keep them from recurring, go through your closet and throw out all of the shoes that aren't shaped like human feet.

When you buy new shoes, look for:
Soft leather. Synthetic materials cost less, but your aching feet will pay.
Extra cushioning in the heel and ball areas.
Wide, rounded toes and room for your feet to spread out.
Heels no higher than 2¼ inches.
At least a half-inch of space between your longest toe and the front of the shoe.
Smooth lining, with no rough seams to chafe your feet.
Shoes that feel as comfortable on a hard floor as they are on carpeting.
Your feet are flexible, sturdy, bio-mechanical marvels. Take care of them and they'll support you for a lifetime.

The writer is a surgeon podiatrist with offices in Woodbury, NJ. He is board certified by the Ambulatory Division, American Board of Podiatric Surgery.

This is a reprint from the Pulse Section of the Courier Post.

email: info@thefootspecialist.com

David Zuckerman DPM
The Foot Specialist, P.C.
341 S. Evergreen Ave.
Woodbury, NJ 08096

Telephone: (856) 848-3338
Fax: (856) 848-5122