Foot corns - the irritating bumps that can appear on the sides of your toes, at the foot sole and in between toes, are the result of friction. Foot corns are your body's response to the pressure and irritation your shoes cause as they rub against your feet.

Corns develop from a buildup of dead skin cells that become thick and hard on the foot. They usually appear on the tops, tips, and sides of the toes. The cone-shaped core of a corn places pressure on the nerve below it, which can be very painful. Corns often become more irritated by the steady rubbing and pressure from your shoes.

Types of Foot Corns

1. Hard Corns, and
2. Soft Corns

A hard corn is most commonly located on the second through fifth toes and is hard to the touch. Occasionally, a hard corn may appear on other toes.

A soft corn typically shows up between the fourth and fifth toes.

What causes Corns?

Foot corns can be painful and aren't exactly aesthetically pleasing, but a foot corn does provide protection against contact with an offending surface - usually an ill-fitting shoe. Women, who often wear poorly fitting shoes in the name of fashion, develop corns more often than men.

Some of the most common reasons people develop corns are:

• Having toes that are deformed
• Wearing shoes that are too tight
• Wearing socks or stockings that are too tight
• Shoes with narrow toe boxes, especially women's dress shoes
• Increased moisture trapped between toes
• Toe friction inside shoes or socks
• Pressure of high-heeled shoes
• Contracted Toes (Hammertoes)

Symptoms

Foot corns, thickened patches of dead skin that commonly emerge on toe knuckles, especially the pinky toe - are concentrated and feel much harder than the surrounding skin.

You can recognize a corn by asking the following questions:

1. Do you have a small patch of excess skin on a toe?
2. Is there an area on your toe that feels hard?
3. Do any patches of skin on your feet seem higher than the smooth skin surface?

Relief and Prevention Tips for avoiding foot corns

The following may help to both prevent and treat corns:

• Start wearing properly fitted shoes.
• Stop wearing shoes that inflict pressure or irritation.
• Limit the length of time you wear high heels, or stop wearing them altogether.
• Use insoles and inserts in your shoes to combat pressure points and rubbing.
• Surgical correction of contracted toes (Hammertoe correction)
• Wear socks and stockings that fit comfortably
• Orthotics

If you already have a corn, try trimming down excess skin with pedicure files, or applying softening cream to help eliminate discomfort. Also try wearing shoes with a wider toe box to decrease the pressure inflicted on current foot corns.

Although foot corns do not present a long-term or serious health risk, they can be very painful. If changing your shoes and other treatments do not alleviate symptoms, you should see a podiatrist for additional treatment.

Those who have diabetes and poor circulation should not use any chemicals to get rid of corns.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms addressed, we strongly recommend that you seek the advice of your podiatrist for proper diagnosis.

Congenital dislocated hip is an abnormality that is seen at birth. The role that podiatrists play in pediatrics is remarkable. With the first sign of stance or walking abnormality, a parent's concern will be great enough to rush their child off to the doctor. We will learn about the many tools and techniques, which cater to the pediatric patient, that allow a congenital dislocated hip to be diagnosed and treated.

Children are born with a congenital dislocated hip. The word congenital means to be born with. It is a condition in which the head of the thigh bone, the femur, is detached from the pocket that it sits in, which is called the acetabulum. Studies have shown that females are affected more than males and occur 1 in every 1000 births. Oddly enough it has even been shown that the left hip is dislocated more often than the right.

A child's birth position can cause a dislocated hip. The most common birth position for congenital dislocated hip is a breech position. This is where the child presents buttocks first. The defect can also be seen with the transverse position, where the child presents other than head first. If the child presents feet first, there is opportunity for defect due to the doctor pulling the legs. Other factors that can cause a dislocated hip are:

• Deformed Acetabulum
• Acetabulum Slope
• Ligament Laxity

So how would you know if the child has a dislocated hip? Well, on the effected hip you will see shortening of that limb. The child will present with a limp while walking. The child will also have limitation of abduction (moving the thigh out from the body) with the thigh flexed. The telescoping sign will be present. This is where the podiatrist would be able to push the leg beyond the hip joints normal articulation. The side of the deformity will present with increased skin folds on the child's buttocks.

There are tests which diagnose and confirm congenital hip dislocation. The first test is Ortolani's Sign. In this test the knees are bent and a "clunk" sound is heard as the femoral head is repositioned over the acetabulum. Now you don't necessarily have to hear a clunk sound, but you will be able to feel the relocation. The other test is Barlow's Sign. This is with the infant's knee flexed. The podiatrist will apply thumb pressure over the anterior thigh. The femoral head should displace posteriorly.

Now that we know what a congenital dislocated hip is and how to identify it, let's talk about how podiatrist treat and fix the problem. The main goal of hip relocation is to abduct the thighs and force the head of the femur back into the acetabulum. A cast called a bachelors cast, which extends from the groin to the ankles, can be applied. The knees on this casting procedure are joined by a cross bar to hold the correct abducted procedure. The best recognized treatment for congenital dislocated hip is the Pavlik Harness. With this harness the legs are held in and abducted position as well as allowed to move in flexion. This allows the child to be able to crawl.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms addressed, we strongly recommend that you seek the advice of your podiatrist for proper diagnosis.

Plantar warts are just one of several soft tissue conditions caused by a virus invading the skin. They are often contracted by walking bare foot on unclean surfaces.

Although warts may appear anywhere on the foot, plantar warts commonly grow on the soles.

They may spread from one part of the body to another, or from one person to another. Children, teenagers, and people with allergies or weakened immune systems are more prone to warts; however, some people seem to be immune and will never develop them.

Warts are usually harmless, but can be very painful.

Plantar warts are generally hard, flat, and rough-surfaced with well-defined boundaries. They tend to be brown or gray with a center consisting of black pinpoints.

What can I do to prevent plantar warts?

Proper foot hygiene and regular inspection of the feet and toes are the best ways to prevent this condition. You should also:

• Keep your bath or shower area clean
• Wear shower shoes whenever possible, in public showering facilities
• Wash your feet with soap and water every day
• Dry your feet well, particularly between the toes
• Always wear clean socks
• Change shoes after two days to give them time to dry out
• Check your child's feet regularly
• Avoid contact with warts - either from other parts of your body or from other people
• Visit our podiatrist annually

What treatments are available?

Self treatment is not recommended for anyone with warts, especially people with diabetes and those with cardiovascular or circulatory disorders.

Your treatment may include freezing or burning the affected area, over the counter medication, or a simple surgical procedure performed under local anesthetic. A procedure known as CO2 laser surgery is also becoming a more popular treatment option for people with plantar warts.

If you do not seek treatment, warts can grow to an inch or more in perimeter and multiply.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms addressed, we strongly recommend that you seek the advice of your podiatrist for proper diagnosis.