Diseases that affect muscle and motor control, such as Parkinson's disease, also cause foot problems. Some medications, such as calcitonin and drugs used for high blood pressure, can cause foot swelling. Causes of Toe Pain Corns. A corn itself is cone-shaped and usually develops if a shoe rubs against the toes for a prolonged period. As the skin thickens, the corn forms a knobby core that points inward.
Hard corns develop on toe joints, usually on the little toe.
A shoe that squeezes the front of the foot may cause one toe to rub against another forming a corn between the toes, which is usually soft. These corns can be painful, however, if they harden and rub against each other. Ingrown toenails can occur in any toe but are most common in the big toes. They usually develop when tight fitting or narrow shoes put too much pressure on the toenail and force the nail to grow down into the flesh of the toe. Fungal infections, injuries, abnormalities in the structure of the foot, and repeated pressure to the toenail from high impact aerobic exercise can also produce ingrown toenails.