Very painful corn on inside of little toe ..help
January 6, 2011 9:38 AM Subscribe
Broke my foot 2 years ago - seems like the gait has been altered and now my shoes don't fit as well and pressure started being put on my baby toe right on the inside between that toe and the adjacent one and a small corn has developed making every step excruciating.
So I went to get one of those silicone inserts and it's helping somewhat. Also got new shoes. But now what? Will the corn disappear by itself? Is there anything that's not hyper-toxic that I can use on it to hasten the healing? I can't afford to go to a podiatrist right now - so anything that is suggested has to take this into consideration.
Anyway you could get away with wearing Birkenstocks (Betulas) for awhile? They don't crush your toes together and they mold to your feet. Granted they aren't beautiful but they may help out while your foot heals.
posted by AuntieRuth at 10:21 AM on January 6, 2011
posted by AuntieRuth at 10:21 AM on January 6, 2011
Best answer: Are you an individual with hypersensitivity to salicylic acid (the active ingredient in most corn-removal adhesive pads)? As long as you don't ingest the stuff, it appears to be quite safe.
Alternatively, from a healing vs. removal perspective (while I'm not convinced it'll fully go away by itself, one would certainly wish to let any swelling subside before attempting to remove it), you could try moleskin over the corn to prevent friction.
posted by alexandermatheson at 10:23 AM on January 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Alternatively, from a healing vs. removal perspective (while I'm not convinced it'll fully go away by itself, one would certainly wish to let any swelling subside before attempting to remove it), you could try moleskin over the corn to prevent friction.
posted by alexandermatheson at 10:23 AM on January 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Can you bear to wear Crocs? (I know some people feel that they're hideously unfashionable and/or a tool of Satan.) I have a nerve problem in my foot and wearing Crocs -- which are cushy but also offer support, and give your toes plenty of room to spread out -- really helped.
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:38 AM on January 6, 2011
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:38 AM on January 6, 2011
Best answer: I don't have personal experience with the Good Feet Store, but it strikes me as kind of shady. It's like for-profit colleges: why do you need to do so much advertising; shouldn't the quality of your product speak for itself?
Do you have any shoe stores in your area with pedorthists on staff? You might find them in places that sell -- sorry for the term -- old-people shoes, or shoes for people with problem feet, such as edema/diabetic/other swelling, the need for extra depth, etc. They can help you find a shoe that will give you a little extra width, or figure out what you might need to do to modify your shoes or socks to be more comfortable. Many of them should have things like cushions, spot-stretching tools for leather, etc. that can provide relief. The pedorthist can also hopefully look at your gait, or at least the wear in your shoes, to help you find a good pair to balance out your new stride.
Without seeing your feet (or having any sort of professional qualifications! wheeeee!), my guess is that you're supinating/underpronating a bit. This occurs when your foot doesn't roll inward enough as it strikes the ground. Instead of landing on your big toe (which is clearly built to absorb stress and pressure), your foot rolls out a bit and the smaller toes on the outside take the impact. They aren't meant to withstand that type of weight, so they squish and buckle and likely cause the corns that you describe. This is a pretty common thing, and you shouldn't have too much trouble finding better shoes or over-the-counter inserts that can increase your stability. New Balance and Brooks and Saucony -- shoes for more serious runners -- have a fair selection.
Other shoes you might try: Footprints, which are the "regular" shoes with Birkenstock innards and nice wide toe boxes. Also Earth shoes, which make me cringe and could make your gait change in OTHER ways (they have negative heel cups, placing your toes higher than your heels), but at least they also have wide toe boxes.
posted by Madamina at 12:08 PM on January 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Do you have any shoe stores in your area with pedorthists on staff? You might find them in places that sell -- sorry for the term -- old-people shoes, or shoes for people with problem feet, such as edema/diabetic/other swelling, the need for extra depth, etc. They can help you find a shoe that will give you a little extra width, or figure out what you might need to do to modify your shoes or socks to be more comfortable. Many of them should have things like cushions, spot-stretching tools for leather, etc. that can provide relief. The pedorthist can also hopefully look at your gait, or at least the wear in your shoes, to help you find a good pair to balance out your new stride.
Without seeing your feet (or having any sort of professional qualifications! wheeeee!), my guess is that you're supinating/underpronating a bit. This occurs when your foot doesn't roll inward enough as it strikes the ground. Instead of landing on your big toe (which is clearly built to absorb stress and pressure), your foot rolls out a bit and the smaller toes on the outside take the impact. They aren't meant to withstand that type of weight, so they squish and buckle and likely cause the corns that you describe. This is a pretty common thing, and you shouldn't have too much trouble finding better shoes or over-the-counter inserts that can increase your stability. New Balance and Brooks and Saucony -- shoes for more serious runners -- have a fair selection.
Other shoes you might try: Footprints, which are the "regular" shoes with Birkenstock innards and nice wide toe boxes. Also Earth shoes, which make me cringe and could make your gait change in OTHER ways (they have negative heel cups, placing your toes higher than your heels), but at least they also have wide toe boxes.
posted by Madamina at 12:08 PM on January 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Corn removal pads contain what is basically the active ingredient of aspirin--salicyclic acid. If you can take aspirin orally, you should do fine with corn removal pads.
Think about using lambswool (available in drugstores in the same section you'll be going to for the corn removal pads) to cushion your toes a bit.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:49 PM on January 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Think about using lambswool (available in drugstores in the same section you'll be going to for the corn removal pads) to cushion your toes a bit.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:49 PM on January 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
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posted by tommasz at 10:19 AM on January 6, 2011