Your feet play an important role in getting you around and carry your body weight, as well as pressures from movements and constraints from footwear.
Sometimes, pressure placed on the feet becomes out of balance or extra friction falls on particular areas of the foot. When this happens, the body may respond to the pressure by producing thickenings in the surface layer of the skin. These hard patches of skin are called calluses and are part of the body’s defense system to protect underlying tissue. If the cause of pressure is not relieved, calluses become painful.
If pressure becomes concentrated in a small area, a ‘hard’ corn may develop. Sometimes the pressure of the corn or callus may produce underlying inflammation, which can result in acute pain, swelling and redness. Avoid corn pads and corn removal lotions as they can be quite harmful to the healthy skin. Podiatrists can assist with the removal of a corn.
Calluses and corns are generally signs of underlying problems and in some cases, early warning signals are more complex foot disorders. Continuous pressure in one particular area may indicate abnormalities or deformity in the bone structure in the way a person walks.
In people with poor circulation or with medical conditions such as diabetes, the use of medicated corn pads or self treatment may be harmful. It is important to have a podiatrist to examine your feet to work out what could be causing the pressure.
Make an appointment for an assessment and consultation with our podiatrists.
Every Step Podiatry - Sydney Podiatrist 