Question
What causes corns on feet, and is surgery always required to remove them?
Answer
Corns are areas of hard, thick skin and are caused by pressure. The pressure is usually from our shoes, but can also be caused by the toes pressing on each other. There is often an underlying prominence such as a hammertoe or bone spur.
The corns are easy to remove. Your podiatrist can shave them off with a scalpel. The challenge is to relieve the pressure that causes them. If you have already changed to shoes with a roomy toe box and still have painful corns, then your podiatrist may be able remove some bone from your toe to stop the corn from coming back.