Common Foot Problems
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01293 277878
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Common Foot ProblemsYour feet are amazing!! The foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This allows you to walk, run, dance, cycle and all the other wonderful things that we often take for granted. But all of this places a toll on the feet and can lead to numerous injuries and feet problems, but many of these issues can be addressed by a qualified Foot Health Practitioner. |
Thickened Nails
A thickened toenail is a very common nail issue, where the nail plate grows abnormally thick. These are often painful and/or uncomfortable, due to the increase in pressure that is put upon the nail bed underneath. This can affect all of the nails, but we most often see it on the big toenail.
A thick toenail can often creates difficulties in toenail cutting and good maintenance, which in turn can lead to callus or corn formation, or ingrowing toenails. Toenails generally thicken as we get older, but this can be exacerbated by a number of other factors such as fungal nails, neglect, poor fitting (tight) footwear and poor circulation. Trauma can also make the toenails thicken, this may be a one of event such as dropping something on your toes, or repetitive trauma such as running or playing football. |
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Callus
A callus is the bodies way of preventing damage from excessive friction or pressure. Dead skin cells accumulate, harden and thicken over an area of the foot, to prevent damage to the underlying skin. We usually see calluses on the heel, the ball of the foot and on the inside of the great toe.
They usually develop because there is too much pressure on an area of the foot. This may be due to anatomical reasons, such as flat feet or high arched feet, or bony prominences. But are also commonly due to external factors such as poorly fitting shoes, abnormalities in walking or running pattern, and sports that place excessive pressure on certain areas, such as football. |
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Corns
A corn is a small area of skin which thickened due to friction or pressure over bony areas. They have a central core, which press into the deeper layers of skin, and may be painful if it presses onto a nerve.
There are a number of different types of corns, but the most common are hard, soft and seed corns Hard corns are the most common, are usually the size of a small pea. They are a small area of hard skin, and are commonly found within a callus or wider are of thickened skin. We often see this type of corn on the outside of the little toe or the top of the smaller toes. Soft corns are often found between the toes, where the skin can be moist from inadequate drying or sweat. The develop in a similar way to hard corns, but are more rubbery in texture and whitish in colour. We often see this type of corn between the fourth and fifth toes. Seed corns are usually painless, and can be seen in conjunction with dry skin. They can occur in clusters, or singularly on the bottom of the foot. We often see seed corns on the big and second toes. |
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Ingrown Nails
An ingrown toe nail occurs when a piece of nail pierces the flesh of the toe. This may be due to the skin growing over the nail, or due to a one off or repetitive trauma (such as running), but the most common cause is incorrect toe nail cutting.
Ingrown toe nails are usually red, inflamed and very painful. They can result in infection if not treated, leading to discharge of pus and bleeding. Occasionally people may have chronic ingrown toe nails, with repeated episodes of pain and infection. We usually see in growing toe nails affecting the big toe. You may be prone to ingrowing toe nails due to the way that your nails naturally grow, the way that you walk (your gait), your standing posture, or foot deformities such hammer toes or bunions. But, as previously mentioned, the most common cause of ingrowing toe nails is incorrect cutting. These issues can be worsened, is you create a moist environment for feet your feet, by not changing footwear or socks, or is you sweat excessively. Tight footwear can add compression to the area and push the nail into the toe. |
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Cracked HeelsCracked heels occur when dry, thick skin on the sole of the foot cracks and splits. This cracking and splitting is often referred to as fissures, and can be annoyance at first.
However, if they are left untreated they can cause intense pain and have the potential to become infected. There are a number of causative factors of a cracked heel, including; Other factors that can cause cracked heels include:
It is important not to ignore a cracked heel, what starts as nuisance has potential to increase in severity. The cracks may become deeper, potentially leading to bleeding and pain, and in severe cases infection. In diabetic patients they can also lead to diabetic foot ulcers. |
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If you are struggling with any of the issues above, then a Foot Health Practitioner may be able to help.
To book an appointment click on the Book Online Now button below or call us on 01293 277878
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Located on the outskirts of Horley, Surrey Injury Clinic is easily accessible from both Surrey and Sussex, including Reigate, Redhill, Crawley, East Grinstead, Copthorne and surrounding areas
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