Chiropodist near me: How to Treat Corns and Calluses
Corns and calluses are common foot conditions that can be very painful and debilitating. If you’re searching for a “chiropodist near me”, they can provide expert care and guidance on how to treat these conditions.
In this blog post, we will explore what corns and calluses are, their causes, prevention methods, and treatment options.
Understanding Corns and Calluses
Corns and calluses are areas of thickened and hardened skin that typically develop on the feet, although they can occur on other parts of the body as well. They are formed as a natural defence mechanism to protect the skin from excessive friction and pressure.
What are calluses?
Calluses are larger, more diffuse areas of thickened skin that can develop on the soles of the feet or other weight-bearing areas. They are usually painless but can become uncomfortable if they become too thick, or very sore if the callused skin cracks open.
What are corns?
Corns are concentrated areas of hard skin that form over specific pressure points. They commonly occur over weight-bearing points on the ball of the foot, or on top of the toes, where the skin rubs against the shoes.
What are soft corns?
Soft corns are corns which develop between the toes. Here they are more likely to trap moisture and the tissue involved often becomes very soggy and turgid and can cause the tissue under the corn to break down.
Causes of Corns and Calluses
Corns and calluses are caused by repetitive friction or pressure on the skin. This speeds up the rate of skin production in that particular area, but the skin grows too fast, and you end up with excess skin.
Our podiatrist or chiropodist in Eastbourne will endeavour to the identify and, where possible, help you avoid the causes of overloading or rubbing the skin. These often include:
- Ill-fitting footwear: Tight, shallow or narrow shoes can cause excessive pressure and rubbing against the skin, especially in the toe area.
- High-heeled shoes: Wearing high heels shifts your body weight forward, placing increased pressure on the balls of your feet, the side of the big toe and the topside of your little toes.
- Foot shape deformities: Bunions, hammertoes, and other foot deformities can lead to abnormal pressure distribution on the feet.
- Sports or activities that involve repetitive motions.
- Biomechanical imbalance causing an overload.
As corns and calluses are chiefly induced by mechanical strain, ensuring you are wearing suitable footwear that doesn’t pinch is vital to successfully managing them.
Using over-the-counter padding may help, but it is best to have the podiatrist first reduce the excess mass of skin and advise or provide tailor-made offloading devices (where possible).
Seeking Professional Treatment – Chiropodist Near Me
Unfortunately, once skin has learnt to grow wrong once, it usually repeats its mistakes; especially if there is no change in the stress and friction it must cope with!
The treatment of corns and calluses aims to remove the painful excess skin, offload and/or cushion the impact area and train how the skin grows. Thus, the treatment with a podiatrist/chiropodist at the clinic in Eastbourne will involve:
- Assessing the cause of the corn or callus: is it caused by footwear, a foot deformity or a biomechanical problem?
- Reducing and enucleating: A podiatrist/chiropodist can safely remove thickened skin using sterile instruments. This normally gives immediate pain relief.
- Padding and cushioning: Special padding or re-usable silicone toe props, tailor-made to your foot, can relieve pressure on corns and/or calluses, promote healing and reduce the chance of recurrence.
- Orthotics/insoles: these can be custom-made to help redistribute pressure and correct abnormal foot mechanics, preventing further corn and callus formation.
- Supply and/or advise on the use of emollients: the podiatrist can direct you on how to make the best use of emollients, particularly urea-based foot creams, to help slow down and manage skin thickness.
The first step (excuse the pun!) towards good foot health is to search “chiropodist near me” and see what Lushington Chiropractic has to offer. Click here to get in touch.
Conclusion
Corns and calluses can be uncomfortable and affect your daily activities. If you’re experiencing persistent pain or discomfort from them, it’s essential to seek professional help from a chiropodist near you in Eastbourne.
They can provide expert care, diagnose the underlying causes, and recommend appropriate treatment options to alleviate your symptoms and restore the health of your feet.
Have you enjoyed this blog? Want to read more? Check out these other blogs that we have written:
Podiatry and Chiropody – What’s the difference?
Your First Visit to a Chiropodist
I hope you enjoyed reading,
Rosannah Burden, podiatrist/chiropodist at Lushington Chiropractic
BSc (Hons), mRCOP, HCPC registered
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