Untreated foot problems cause complications elsewhere in the body thereby affecting your over all well-being. This week we complete our feature on foot care, looking at Ayurvedic solutions for more common foot problems. Corns and Callouses Two of the most common of all foot problems, are caused by friction and pressure, usually from ill-fitting shoes, weakened arches, or tightly fitting socks. Simply speaking, corns and callouses are layers of hard, dense skin that buildup. The pressure of this hard mass on underlying sensitive nerves on the toes or soles of the feet causes pain and discomfort.
Corns are of two types.
Corns form in a conical shape and point down into the skin until they reach the nerve endings, causing pain and discomfort. Callouses form over bony prominence where friction and pressure occur, usually on the ball of the foot, the outside of the big toe and around the sides of the heels. Callouses produce a burning sensation rather than the localized pain of corns. However, they may become painful when the pressure of the hard dense skin builds up to the point where it exerts pressure on the nerves beneath the surface of the skin. Corns and callouses are not contagious.