Corns and Callous and the Morton’s Toe, Long Second Toe
Calluses – What are They and Why Do You Get Them?
A Morton’s Toe , Long Second Toe, can cause the second through fifth metatarsal bones of the foot to abnormally push down against the ground. To protect us against this abnormal pushing down, Mother Nature makes a protective thickening of the skin (shock absorber), when needed under the affected metatarsal heads. This thickening of the skin is called a callus.
The most common location for calluses is under the second metatarsal bone. But they can also appear under the third, fourth or fifth metatarsal heads. Over a period of time, and with enough abnormal pressure, the skin under the callus can break down and cause an ulcer. Like most foot problems, calluses can be treated by using the Toe Pad that I write about in Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot. If that does not work you need to see your local friendly podiatrist. You can read even more about calluses at my other website for foot problems at Footcare4u-callous
Corns
A corn is a abnormal thickening of the skin that develops on the toes because of repeated friction and pressure. Like a callus, a corn is another one of Mother Nature’s shock absorbers. They can appear at numerous places on the toes, but, the top and side of the fifth toe is the most common.
What Causes Corns?
Corns can be caused by wearing shoes that do not fit right. But I feel they can also be caused by having a Morton’s Toe, Long Second Toe. This is what happens: We know that as a result of Morton’s Toe, the metatarsal bones will push down on the ground in an attempt to bear weight properly. This is how calluses are formed. When the metatarsal bones are pushing down, the tendons on the top of the toes of these metatarsal bones will pull up and abnormally tighten. This causes the toe to “hammer,” or go up in the shoe. When this happens, the toes will start to rub against the top of the shoe. It is this hammering, inside of the shoe, that with time, can cause the recurrent friction and pressure that leads to corns. Many times if you have flat feet you can also have corns or callous. For more information about Corns, check out my other website at Footcare4u-Corns.
