Corns At the Tip of the Toes: Simple Corrective Options

One of the more annoying sources of pain is a corn at the tip of the toe, which can be painful in both shoes as well as barefoot. Treatment typically involves regular shaving of the corn, padding the corn, or lifting the toe upward using a pad underneath the toes. The cause of this painful corn rests in the position of the toe itself. Toes that become a hammertoe or a mallet toe, in which there is a contraction of the toe itself due to muscle imbalance from flat feet, high arches, or an injury, can point downward at the toe tip. This places the pressure from the ground more to the toe tip, rather than the bottom of the toe where there is more padding and resistance to pressure. As a result, the skin on the tip of the toe will thicken, and a corn forms as a protective measure against this pressure. Unfortunately, as the corn thickens, pain can develop.

When conservative measures like trimming and padding fail to alleviate the pain well enough, a simple option may exist that can take the place of a full toe reconstructive surgical procedure. If the toe joints are flexible enough, and if most of the deformity lies in tightness of the tendon on the bottom of the foot (as it often is), then a simple 3 minute office procedure can release the toe from its contracted position and reduce the deformity so the pressure can be released and the corn can disappear. This procedure literally involves numbing the toe, flexing it upward to tighten the tendon, making a small incision into the skin on the bottom of the toe, and cutting the tendon to release it. A couple of stitches are used to repair the skin incision, and a small toe dressing is applied. If the deformity is flexible enough, this simple procedure can resolve the underlying problem and relieve the pain. It is worth considering in cases that need surgery anyway, and can even be used in people who are too chronically ill to have more involved surgery.

Until next time,
Scott R. Kilberg DPM

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