A callus, or callosity, is a section of skin that has become toughened and thick as a result of friction, pressure or irritation. If the friction (rubbing) is excessive, blisters will form rather than calluses. Calluses on feet are most commonly caused by frequent walking. In general, calluses are not harmful, but may occasionally lead to infections or ulcerations of the skin.
A corn, clavus (plural: clavi) is a specially-shaped callus of dead skin. It usually forms on hairless and smooth (glabrous) skin surfaces, especially between the toes or fingers.
Corns and calluses generally form when the skin tries to protect an underlying area from injury, pressure or rubbing. They are not usually painful, but can become sore if they grow.
Corns and calluses affect women more commonly than men, as well as people who wear ill-fitting shoes, individuals with sweaty feet, and those who have to stay standing for long periods each day. Corns and calluses are also more common among people with foot problems, such as hammer toes or bunions.
Veruccas/warts
What are veruccas and warts?
Warts and verrucas are small, non-cancerous growths within the skin caused by the human papilloma virus.
Warts may occur on their own or in clusters. There are many different types including:
• Common warts - these raised growths with a hard uneven surface are the most familiar type of wart, which usually appear on the hands and feet
• Plantar warts (known as verrucas) - these are warts on the soles of the feet that have been pushed into the skin surface by the weight of the body
• Plane warts - these are smaller and lie flatter in the skin, mostly on the hands or face
PLANTAR FASCIITIS
Plantar Fasciitis is a painful condition resulting in symptoms of pain under the heel. It is often caused by overuse of the plantar fascia or arch tendon of the foot
Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms?
• Symptoms include heel pain, under the heel and usually on the inside, at the origin of the attachment of the fascia.
• Pain when pressing on the inside of the heel and sometimes along the arch (see plantar fasciitis diagnosis).
• Pain is usually worse first thing in the morning as the fascia tightens up overnight. After a few minutes it eases as the foot gets warmed up
• As the condition becomes more severe the pain can get worse throughout the day if activity continues.
• Stretching the plantar fascia may be painful.
• Sometimes there may also be pain along the outside border of the heel. This may occur due to the offloading the painful side of the heel by walking on the outside border of the foot. It may also be associated with the high impact of landing on the outside of the heel if you have high arched feet.
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome symptoms can be very similar. If you have any shooting pain or tingling / numbness then consider this as an alternative diagnosis.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
The Plantar Fascia is a broad, thick band of tissue that runs from under the heel to the front of the foot.
Plantar fasciitis can also be known as a heel spur although they are not strictly the same. A heel spur is a bony growth that occurs at the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel bone (calcaneus). A heel spur can be present (through repetitive pulling of the plantar fascia) on a foot with no symptoms at all and a painful heel does not always have a heel spur present.
Plantar fasciitis is traditionally thought to be an inflammatory condition. This is now believed to be incorrect due to the absence of inflammatory cells within the fascia. The cause of pain and dysfunction is now thought to be degeneration of the collagen fibres close to the attachment to the calcaneus (heel bone).
What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?
• Plantar fasciitis or heel spurs are common in sports which involve running, dancing or jumping. Runners who overpronate (feet rolling in or flattening) are particularly at risk as the biomechanics of the foot pronating causes additional stretching of the plantar fascia.
• The most common cause of plantar fasciitis is very tight calf muscles which leads to prolonged and / or high velocity pronation of the foot. This in turn produces repetitive over-stretching of the plantar fascia leading to possible inflammation and thickening of the tendon. As the fascia thickens it looses flexibility and strength.
• Some practitioners think overpronation can always be determined by the dropping and rolling in of the arch. This is not always the case. Sometimes it can only be seen with foot scans, especially if the patient has a high arched foot.
• Other causes include low arch or high arched feet (pes planus / cavus) and other biomechanical abnormalities including oversupination which should be assessed by a podiatrist / physiotherapist / biomechanist.
• Excessive walking in footwear which does not provide adequate arch support has been attributed to plantar fasciitis. Footwear for plantar fasciitis - both prevention and treatment - should be flat, lace-up and with good arch support and cushioning.
• Overweight individuals are more at risk of developing the condition due to the excess weight impacting on the foot.
Bunions
What is a Bunion?
Even though bunions are a common foot deformity, there are misconceptions about them. Many people may unnecessarily suffer the pain of bunions for years before seeking treatment. A bunion (also referred to as hallux valgus) is often described as a bump on the side of the big toe.
The big toe leans toward the second toe, rather than pointing straight ahead. This throws the bones out of alignment – producing the bunion’s “bump.” This is caused by a developing deformity of the metatarsophalangeal joint, the joint at the base of our big toe. The big toe is forced to lean inwards towards the second toe.
The lump becomes more pronounced and with pressure from our shoes becomes inflamed and very painful.
A bunionette is the same problem but occurs on the other side of the foot at the base of the little toe. The symptoms and treatment are essentially the same.
Bunions are a progressive disorder. They begin with a leaning of the big toe, gradually changing the angle of the bones over the years and slowly producing the characteristic bump deformity, which becomes increasingly prominent. This can lead to deformity of the second too also.
For ladies, finding suitable comfortable footwear can become impossible.
Treatment: The treatment after toe splints and comfortable footwear and painkillers have failed is a simple corrective surgery.
A corn, clavus (plural: clavi) is a specially-shaped callus of dead skin. It usually forms on hairless and smooth (glabrous) skin surfaces, especially between the toes or fingers.
Corns and calluses generally form when the skin tries to protect an underlying area from injury, pressure or rubbing. They are not usually painful, but can become sore if they grow.
Corns and calluses affect women more commonly than men, as well as people who wear ill-fitting shoes, individuals with sweaty feet, and those who have to stay standing for long periods each day. Corns and calluses are also more common among people with foot problems, such as hammer toes or bunions.
Veruccas/warts
What are veruccas and warts?
Warts and verrucas are small, non-cancerous growths within the skin caused by the human papilloma virus.
Warts may occur on their own or in clusters. There are many different types including:
• Common warts - these raised growths with a hard uneven surface are the most familiar type of wart, which usually appear on the hands and feet
• Plantar warts (known as verrucas) - these are warts on the soles of the feet that have been pushed into the skin surface by the weight of the body
• Plane warts - these are smaller and lie flatter in the skin, mostly on the hands or face
PLANTAR FASCIITIS
Plantar Fasciitis is a painful condition resulting in symptoms of pain under the heel. It is often caused by overuse of the plantar fascia or arch tendon of the foot
Plantar Fasciitis Symptoms?
• Symptoms include heel pain, under the heel and usually on the inside, at the origin of the attachment of the fascia.
• Pain when pressing on the inside of the heel and sometimes along the arch (see plantar fasciitis diagnosis).
• Pain is usually worse first thing in the morning as the fascia tightens up overnight. After a few minutes it eases as the foot gets warmed up
• As the condition becomes more severe the pain can get worse throughout the day if activity continues.
• Stretching the plantar fascia may be painful.
• Sometimes there may also be pain along the outside border of the heel. This may occur due to the offloading the painful side of the heel by walking on the outside border of the foot. It may also be associated with the high impact of landing on the outside of the heel if you have high arched feet.
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome symptoms can be very similar. If you have any shooting pain or tingling / numbness then consider this as an alternative diagnosis.
What is Plantar Fasciitis?
The Plantar Fascia is a broad, thick band of tissue that runs from under the heel to the front of the foot.
Plantar fasciitis can also be known as a heel spur although they are not strictly the same. A heel spur is a bony growth that occurs at the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel bone (calcaneus). A heel spur can be present (through repetitive pulling of the plantar fascia) on a foot with no symptoms at all and a painful heel does not always have a heel spur present.
Plantar fasciitis is traditionally thought to be an inflammatory condition. This is now believed to be incorrect due to the absence of inflammatory cells within the fascia. The cause of pain and dysfunction is now thought to be degeneration of the collagen fibres close to the attachment to the calcaneus (heel bone).
What Causes Plantar Fasciitis?
• Plantar fasciitis or heel spurs are common in sports which involve running, dancing or jumping. Runners who overpronate (feet rolling in or flattening) are particularly at risk as the biomechanics of the foot pronating causes additional stretching of the plantar fascia.
• The most common cause of plantar fasciitis is very tight calf muscles which leads to prolonged and / or high velocity pronation of the foot. This in turn produces repetitive over-stretching of the plantar fascia leading to possible inflammation and thickening of the tendon. As the fascia thickens it looses flexibility and strength.
• Some practitioners think overpronation can always be determined by the dropping and rolling in of the arch. This is not always the case. Sometimes it can only be seen with foot scans, especially if the patient has a high arched foot.
• Other causes include low arch or high arched feet (pes planus / cavus) and other biomechanical abnormalities including oversupination which should be assessed by a podiatrist / physiotherapist / biomechanist.
• Excessive walking in footwear which does not provide adequate arch support has been attributed to plantar fasciitis. Footwear for plantar fasciitis - both prevention and treatment - should be flat, lace-up and with good arch support and cushioning.
• Overweight individuals are more at risk of developing the condition due to the excess weight impacting on the foot.
Bunions
What is a Bunion?
Even though bunions are a common foot deformity, there are misconceptions about them. Many people may unnecessarily suffer the pain of bunions for years before seeking treatment. A bunion (also referred to as hallux valgus) is often described as a bump on the side of the big toe.
The big toe leans toward the second toe, rather than pointing straight ahead. This throws the bones out of alignment – producing the bunion’s “bump.” This is caused by a developing deformity of the metatarsophalangeal joint, the joint at the base of our big toe. The big toe is forced to lean inwards towards the second toe.
The lump becomes more pronounced and with pressure from our shoes becomes inflamed and very painful.
A bunionette is the same problem but occurs on the other side of the foot at the base of the little toe. The symptoms and treatment are essentially the same.
Bunions are a progressive disorder. They begin with a leaning of the big toe, gradually changing the angle of the bones over the years and slowly producing the characteristic bump deformity, which becomes increasingly prominent. This can lead to deformity of the second too also.
For ladies, finding suitable comfortable footwear can become impossible.
Treatment: The treatment after toe splints and comfortable footwear and painkillers have failed is a simple corrective surgery.