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Foot Notes

Posts for tag: calluses

By Clark Podiatry Center
February 13, 2019
Category: Shoes
Tags: blisters   calluses   ingrown toenails   overpronation   Running   injury   fit  

Gearing up to participate in a running event is no simple task. If you want to do your best, you’ll want to start training months in advance, especially if you are running a long race. Additionally, you’ll want the best gear to support you and keep you safe from injury.

What gear could we mean? Your running shoes, of course! To keep your feet supported and as comfortable as possible during your training and the actual race, look for the following features when choosing your running shoes:

  • Shoes designed for running – While cross-trainers and other athletic shoes could work, running shoes are designed with running in mind.
  • Fit – Make sure that the shoes fit the feet well. They shouldn’t be too big or too small as that can also cause problems.
  • Lots of cushion – The repetitive impact you encounter while running can impact your feet, ankles, knees, and hips. This can cause pain while you run, which can limit your performance.
  • Arch and heel support – The arches will be working hard to keep your entire foot engaged. If the arches become tired, they may flatten out, which can cause you pain toward the end of your race and for days after. Additionally, the heels need to be planted in heel cups so that they don’t slide about in the shoes, causing instability.
  • Firm heel counter – A firm heel counter will increase support in the shoes. It will help prevent overpronation (straining the arches) and keep the feet stabilized in the shoes.
  • Good outer sole grip – You’ll most likely be running outdoors during these events, so you’ll want shoes that have a good grip on the outer soles. At any point, if there are slippery or slick surfaces, it can create instability for your feet while you run if you don’t have good or enough tread.
  • Breathable material that supports and flexes at appropriate points – When you check the shoes and take it for a test run, make sure that your feet are not overheating. This is a sign that your shoes are not breathable and can cause you to excessively sweat. That will make perfect conditions to cause foot issues like foot odor, blisters, and calluses.

As you prepare, make sure you keep good hygiene, trim your toenails properly (to prevent ingrown toenails), and stretch your feet and ankles before and after each run. If you experience an injury, it’s important to rest and recover, rather than continuing to train on it.

If you experience foot pain while you are training, see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy at Clark Podiatry Center. He can assess your feet and find the best treatment for any concern you may have. Make an appointment at our Clark, NJ office so we can keep you walking (or running!).

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By Clark Podiatry Center
February 06, 2019

Your children grow up in what seems like a blink of the eye. They start to crawl, take their first steps, are running, and jumping, and before you know it, tying their own shoelaces! Then it’s off to college!

Okay, so it’s not quite that quick, but time sure can fly by. That’s why we want to encourage you to start teaching your children to take care of their feet early. Children are pretty perceptive and can learn by example starting from a young age. Take advantage of the years when they are soaking up knowledge and teach them some of the following ways to take care of their own feet:

  • Washing feet – This is a skill they can learn as they learn to wash their bodies during bath time. Have them reach their toes while they are sitting, and gently rub, rub, rub. Remind them to clean the tops and bottoms of their feet, as well as in between the toes and under the toenails. Teach them to properly dry their feet and moisturize if their skin is dry.
  • Wearing socks with shoes – Other than with sandals, teach them that they need to always wear socks before they put on their shoes. Children’s feet can get just as sweaty and stinky as our feet, so it’s important that they wear socks. That way, their shoes will not become stinky! Additionally, wearing shoes without socks can lead to blisters, corns, and calluses, which can be painful for your little one.
  • Understanding how their feet fit into shoes – As your children’s feet grow, observe their feet when they seem to either not put their shoes on, or want to take them off quickly. Look for any redness or swelling as these signs can indicate that shoes are too small. When you buy new shoes, have them try the shoes on and ask them if their toes have room to wiggle. Are the feet sliding around in the shoes? Do they feel snug or are they clunky? As they get older, they will recognize whether or not shoes fit them correctly.
  • Feeling out when they need to have their toenails trimmed – It’s not always easy to be on top of when your children need to have their toenails trimmed. When they are old enough, you can teach them to trim their own toenails, but before then, you’ll need to teach them an approximate length in which they should come to you for a trim. When the whites reach the edge of their toes, or when they feel the nails hit the top or front of their shoes (which can cause ingrown toenails) are both good times to trim toenails.
  • Foot exercises – Children generally get a lot of foot exercise from their general playtime. However, it doesn’t hurt to teach them some exercises by example. When watching TV together, you can help them with motor skills by doing foot circles or testing their ABCs in a silly way – draw them with your feet!

If you need tips on how to help your child with foot care, come see our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy at Clark Podiatry Center. He can assess your child’s feet at New Jersey Children's Foot Health Institute and find the best treatment for any concern you may have for your child’s feet. Make an appointment at our Clark, NJ office so we can keep your child walking.

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By Clark Podiatry Center
November 13, 2018
Category: skin conditions
Tags: blisters   corns   calluses   warts   Athlete's Foot   Shoes   diabetic   ulcer  

Your skin is one tough organ. It literally holds you together! But it’s also your first defense, making it more prone to attack from the outside world (and maybe some from inside your body). Your skin might not have 99 problems, but they surely are at risk of a lot!

Bacteria, Viruses, and Fungi, Oh My!

  • These microorganisms usually live on and around us, but when we have a break in the skin and they get inside, that’s when an infection can occur. In most cases, cleaning and treating any cuts and scrapes can help to stop infections. However, other infections like Athlete’s foot (caused by the fungus tinea) might need more special care. Viral infections, like warts, can be more difficult and stubborn, ultimately needing podiatric intervention. Hygiene is the first defense and prevention tactic against these little troublemakers.

The attack of the shoes

  • You chose them and bought them – how could they be out to get you? Well, all of us have encountered uncomfortable shoes at one point or another. They can cause blisters, corns, and calluses if they are uncomfortable or cause excessive pressure on certain parts of the feet.
  • Don’t forget that bacteria and fungus can thrive in the moist and warm environment of your shoes, especially if you wear the same shoes every day.

Oops! and Ouch!

  • Oops, you dropped a heavy object on your foot! Ouch! That can really cause swelling, bruising, and turn your toenail black.
  • Oops, you forgot to wear sunblock with your sandals on a hot summer day! Ouch, sunburn got you good. Yes, even your feet are prone to sunburn!

Attack from within

  • Your own body can be your skin’s worst enemy. How? When you have neuropathy (such as diabetic neuropathy), your feet lose feeling. The nerves stop communicating and you can have poor circulation. Your skin can begin to break down and become an ulcer. When left untreated, that ulcer can lead to a really bad infection, gangrene, or even amputation!

Have we made our case for you to take care of your feet, including the skin? Be sure to wash your feet with soap and warm water each day. This is especially important if you go to communal locker rooms where you can easily pick up microorganisms while barefoot.

Noticed a skin problem on your foot? We can help assess your skin. Make an appointment today for a consultation at Clark Podiatry Center. Our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Brandon Macy will assess your children’s feet to find the best solution for stinky feet! We are located in Clark, NJ and serve patients in all the surrounding Union County towns!

 

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By Clark Podiatry Center
April 18, 2018
Category: Common Treatments
Tags: corns   calluses   Bunions   Hammertoes   High Heels   Shoes   orthotic   deformities   gaits  

Do you have hardened bumps on your toes or patches of thickened skin on the bottom of your feet? Because of the various surfaces on which your feet walk, they have a way to protect themselves from harm. Skin begins to thicken in spots where they experience a lot of pressure or friction.

Who is likely to get corns and calluses?

Corns: Those with foot deformities like hammertoes, curly toes, claw toes, or bunions are more likely to experience corns. This is especially the case if you wear shoes that are too tight or too short. Additionally, those who stand or walk for long periods of time can experience constant friction. Corns are usually localized to a small, specific location, such as the toes.

Calluses: Those who wear high heels, have lost fat padding on the balls of the feet, or have abnormal gaits can experience constant pressure on certain wider parts of the feet, like at the base of the balls of the feet.

Should you treat corns and calluses at home? Or go see a podiatrist?

You may have noticed some over-the-counter corn and/or callus medications. Before applying any type of medications, try some of these following adjustments before corns or calluses become painful or to relieve painful symptoms:

  • Try wearing shoes that are snug, but not too tight. You shouldn’t buy shoes expecting that they will stretch out. Make sure you always wear socks with shoes to reduce friction on the skin of the feet.
  • There are pads you can apply to the areas of the shoes that seem to cause friction against the skin of the feet.

When the abovementioned tips don’t do trick, you may need to have corns or calluses filed down or removed by a podiatrist.  They may use one or more of the following:

  • Trim down or cut away thickened skin with a scalpel. Trying it at home can lead to an infection, so it’s best not to try this at home.
  • Use salicylic acid in patches or gels to remove corns or calluses.
  • Prescribe or custom-make orthotic inserts to cushion problems that develop from deformities or bony protrusions.

If your corns or calluses are painful and you need help treating them, make an appointment to see our board-certified podiatrist, Brandon Macy, DPM at Clark Podiatry Center. He can find the best treatment options to get you feeling better. Come see him at our Clark, NJ office, which serves the surrounding Union County areas.

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By Clark Podiatry Center
February 07, 2018
Tags: corns   calluses   hammertoe  

Can’t you just get out the root?” is a regular question patients ask when they return for a 2nd, 3rd, 4 visit (or more) over time to relieve their painful corns and calluses. Unfortunately, corns and calluses don’t work that way and there’s a reason for that.  Let’s get to the “root” of the matter.

First, there is no difference between a corn and a callus.  They are more descriptive terms for thickening of the outer layer of the skin in spots due to an excessive amount of pressure and friction on a given spot.  Corns are typically on the toes, calluses elsewhere on the foot. They often become painful due to their bulk, much like if you had a pebble stuck in your shoe.

The underlying cause is a bony deformity—a hammertoe deformity for corns or an imbalance of the metatarsals in the ball of the foot for calluses.  These issues are largely determined by how your feet were built by your parents and how they developed as a result.  The corns and calluses are the results of these deformities, not independent growths, as would be the case if there was a wart present. Occasionally, the corn or callus will have a deep spot in the center which some people think is a root, but is actually just the focus point of the pressure and is thicker than the rest of the lesion.

Initial symptomatic treatment involves carefully paring down the corn or callus, which relieves pain and that is enough for many people. Padding or cushioning help even more. Wearing well-fitting comfortable shoes is also advisable.  Although shoes don’t really cause corns and calluses--they will make the best (or worst) out of the given situation.

Often we’ll recommend orthotics to go in your shoes with accommodations to relieve pressure from calluses. In the more severe cases, symptomatic treatment just isn’t enough and the only way to deal with it is to address the underlying foot deformity by correcting it surgically.

The takeaway point is this:  corns and calluses are symptoms of foot deformities. Treating the symptoms alone will get you temporary relief, which can be OK.  But if you want to prevent them from returning, you need to address the deformity. That is the only way to get at the REAL root of the problem.

For more information or an appointment, contact us at 732-382-3470 or visit our website at www.clarkpodiatry.com.  At Clark Podiatry Center, we want to keep you walking!

#ClarkPodiatryCenter #Calluses #Corns #Footpain

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Podiatrist - Clark, Dr. Brandon Macy, 1114 Raritan Road, Clark NJ, 07066 732-382-3470