Corns are differentiated from calluses in a way that these are small areas of circular patches with hard and thickened skin which develops around the top or sides of toes or sole of the foot, whereas, calluses are relatively larger patches with a yellowish tinge to the hardened skin.
Corns commonly occur under bony surfaces which poses the skin under constant friction rub and pressure. Therefore, arthritic conditions leading to deformity of the foot predisposes to corn development. A few of the conditions are
Another commonly encountered reason for the corn is the use of ill-fitting shoes. Whether the shoes are loose to wear or high-heeled, both can develop corn by excessive friction rubbing and excessive pressure on the toes, respectively.
There are a wide range of therapies, surgeries, lasers, hot cauterization, available for treatment of corns, however, none of those guarantee the recurrence of the disease. The reason simply being none of the abovementioned treatment modalities offer a cure to the underlying cause of the disease condition. Thus it is of vital importance to have a therapy which corrects the cause and not simply the symptoms (corn) of the disease.
Therefore, a specialist’s opinion is sought who is an expert in the field of podiatry. A podiatrist will be able to unveil the underlying problem leading to the development of corn and thus customized foot orthotics can then be offered fully individualized to the patient’s problem.
Use of customized foot orthotics will help in minimizing and undoing the corns through following means