CORNS / Callus

A corn or callus are areas of thickened skin that occur in areas of pressure. They are actually a normal and natural way for the body to protect itself. For example, callus develops on the hand when chopping a lot of wood - its a normal way for the skin to protect itself. In the foot, the skin will thicken up to protect itself when there are areas of high pressure. The problem occurs when the pressure continues, so the skin gets thicker. It eventually becomes painful and is treated as something foreign by the body. Corns are hyperkeratosis of the skin. This thickening of the surface layer of the skin in response to pressure. Corns usually form on the toes, where the bone is prominent and presses the skin against the shoe, ground, or other bones. As corn becomes thick the tissues under the corn are subject to increased irritation. There may be a deep seated nucleation, this is like a core where the corn is thickest and most painful. As corns become inflamed, there is pain and sometimes swelling and redness. Common places where corns form are; the top surface of the toe, at the tip of the toe, and between the toes.

ETIOLOGY
Intermittent pressure and friction over prolonged period: - Ill-fitting foot wear. - Foot deformity. CLINICAL FEATURES ONSET Insidious. LOCATION Pressure sites: over heads of first and fifth metatarsal bones, heel. SYMPTOMS Pain in feet or heel on standing or walking. Variations in temperature, especially cold, dampness which cause spontaneous pain. LESION Conical papule. Extends downwards into skin. Localised.

 Flesh coloured. Surface smooth. Consistency firm. Intensely tender.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT for CORNS Correct underlying cause. Wear well-fitting, comfortable shoes.

Homeopathy Treatment & Homeopathic Remedies for CORNS / CALLUS

Antimonium crudum. Arnica. Camphor. Ferrum picricum. Graphitis. Lyco. Nat.mur. Phytolacca. Ran. Scleratus. Ruta. Silicea. Sulphur. Thuja.

ANTIM. CRUD. Corns inflamed, large horny placed on soles of feet close to the toes; thickened skin of soles & feet. Corn on soles & toes. Inflamed corn with great sensitiveness of soles on walking. Aching, stitching pains in corns. For children and young people inclined to grow fat; for the extremes of life. Old people with morning diarrhea, suddenly become constipated, or alternate diarrhea and constipation; pulse hard and rapid. Sensitive to the cold < after taking cold. ARNICA Corns on heels and toes. Very sensitive. Very painful, stinging, stitching, smarting pain. Nervous women, sanguine plethoric persons, lively expression and very red face. For the bad effects resulting from mechanical injuries; even if received years ago.

CAMPHOR Corns with skin parchment like sore, painful corns which are very sensitive; soreness especially in toe joints and corns. Pain better while thinking of it. Persons physically and mentally weak and irritable. Exceedingly sensitive to cold air. Bad effects of shock from injury; surface of body cold, face pale, blue, lips livid; profound prostration. Surface cold to touch, yet cannot bear to be covered; throws off all coverings. Entire body painfully sensitive to slightest touch. Tongue cold, flabby, trembling. Sudden attacks of vomiting and diarrhea; nose cold and pointed; anxious and restless; skin and breath cold. In first stages of cholera morbus and Asiatic cholera; severe, long-lasting chill. FERR. PICRATE Corns with yellow discolouration. Multiple corns which are very painful. GRAPH. Rough, hard, dry and unhealthy skin. Thin sticky, glutinous discharge. Soreness and aching in corns. Horny skin on toes. Suited to - Excessive cautiousness; timid, hesitates; unable to decide about anything. Fidgety while sitting at work. Sad, despondent; music makes her weep; thinks of nothing but death. LYCOPODIUM Corns that are very sensitive with tearing pain. Skin becomes thick and indurated. Painful callosities on soles, toes and fingers contracted. Inflammation with stitching and soreness. For persons intellectually keen, but physically weak; upper part of body emaciated, lower part semi-dropsical; predisposed to lung and hepatic affections; especially the extremes of life, children and old people. Deep-seated, progressive, chronic diseases. Pains: aching-pressure, drawing; chiefly right-sided, <. four to eight p.m. affects right side, or pain goes from right to left. NAT. MUR. Corns, painful scars. Greasy skin. Boring, tearing and stitching pain. Worse walking and standing. For the anaemic and cachectic, whether from lots of vital fluids- profuse menses, seminal losses- or mental affections. Great emaciation; losing flesh while living well. Throat and neck of children emaciate rapidly during summer complaint. Great liability to take cold. Irritability: child cross when spoken to; crying from slightest cause; gets into a passion about trifles, especially when consoled with. Awkward , hasty, drops things from nervous weakness. Marked disposition to weep; sad weeping mood, without cause, but consolation from others <. her troubles.

RAN. SCLERATUS Acute painful corns. Acrid exudation which makes surrounding parts sore. Corns on ball of 1st and 2nd left toes, sensitive to touch and pressure, smart and burn; very painful when letting leg hang down, they also throb and especially painful by flexing toes. Better by extending them, wearing thick soled boot at times. Numbness in corns, knocking toes against anything so as to cause boot to grate against corns, causes great pain and burning. SILICEA Inflamed corns with stitching, burning pains. Soreness of soles. Stitches in the corns, jerking up the feet. Adapted to the nervous, irritable, sanguine temperament; persons of a psoric diathesis. Persons of light complexion; fine dry skin; pale face; weakly, with lax muscles. Constitutions which suffer from deficient nutrition, not because food is lacking in quality or quantity, but from imperfect assimilation; oversensitive, physically and mentally.

SULPHUR Corns from pressure. If a shoe presses anywhere on the skin, a great corn or bunion develop. Burning, aching, tearing & stitching pain. Desquamation excoriation of the skin. Adapted to persons of a scrofulous diathesis, subject to venous congestion; especially of portal system. Persons of nervous temperament, quick motioned, quick tempered, plethoric, skin excessively sensitive to atmospheric changes. For lean, stoop-shouldered persons who walk and sit stooping like old men. Standing is the worst position for sulphur patients; they cannot stand; every standing position is uncomfortable. Dirty, filthy people, prone to skin affections. Aversion to being washed; always <. after a bath. Too lazy to rouse himself; too unhappy to live.
Antimonium Crud 200c thrice a day at a gap of 4 hours. One dose means If the medicine is in pills form 4 pills. Don't touch pills with hand. Use cap of bottle to take pills. If the medicine is in liquid dilution form, 3-4 drops in some 20 ml water. Sip up slowly. day 2 to day 15 4 pellets of Silicea 6x thrice a day at a gap of 4 hours. Please follow homeo restrictions like no coffee, no raw onion/garlic, no strong perfumes, don't eat or drink anything within 30 minutes before or after taking medicine. Boericke's Repertory CALLOSITIES (corns) (See Feet - Locomotor System.) -- Ant. c.(b), Elis, Ferr. picr.(b), Graph.(b), Hydr., Lyc., Nit. ac.(b), Petrol., Ran. b., Rhus t., Sal. ac., Sars., Sep., Sil., Thuya(b).

Kent's Repertory CORNS : Acet-ac., agar., am-c., Ant-c.(b), arn., bar-c., bor., bov., bry., calc-s., calc., carb-an., caust., chin., coloc., cur., graph., hep., ign., Lyc.(b), lyss., nat-c., nat-m., nit-ac., nux-v., rhus-t., Sep.(b), Sil.(b), staph., sulph., ter. aching : Ant-c., lyc., sep., sil., sulph. boring : Calc., caust., nat-c., nat-m., phos., ran-s., sep., sil., thuj. burning : Agar., alum., am-c., ant-c., arg-m., bar-c., bry., calc-s., calc., carb-v., caust., graph., hep., Ign., lith., lyc., meph., nat-m., nux-v., petr., ph-ac., phos., ran-b., ran-s., rhus-t., Sep., sil., sulph., thuj. horny : Ant-c., graph., ran-b., sulph. inflamed : Ant-c., calc., lyc., puls., sep., Sil., staph., Sulph. jerks : Dios., phos., Sep., sul-ac., sulph. painful : Agar., alum., ambr., ant-c., arn., aster., bar-c., bov., bry., calad., calc-s., calc., caust., hep., ign., iod., kali-c., lach., lith., lyc., meph., nat-m., nit-ac., nux-v., phos., puls., ran-s., rhus-t., sep., sil., spig., Sulph. touched, when : Bry., kali-c. ulcerated, as if : Am-c., bor. pinching : Bar-c. pressing : Agar., ant-c., bov., bry., calc-s., calc., carb-v., caust., graph., iod., Lyc., ph-ac., sep., sil., Sulph.
The following medicines are helpful in treating corns: Antimonium crudum 30, 5 pills twice daily: Useful for painful, inflamed corns. Graphites 30, 5 pills twice daily: Helpful in hard corns oozing sticky discharge.

Plantar corns are one of the most common foot problems, in which one has a constant feeling of havinging a stone in the shoe. Planter is the medical term for the sole of the foot, where usually the corns occur. Corns are hardened areas of skin, occurring on the specific areas of feet which suffer continual rubbing and pressure. They are usually found at the side of the toes and occasionally in between toes. When it occurs between the toes, the sweat makes the surface

supple, this condition is termed as Soft corn. The Planter corns are often confused with another foot problem, Planter Warts. The Plantar corns occur when a major bone pushes against the inside of the shoe, applying unnecessary pressure on the skin of the toes. This pressure causes the skin to thicken, leading to formation of corns. Corns do not spread on the surface but instead creep deep inside the flesh, acquiring a cone form with the peak facing inwards. This structure applies constant pressure on the nerves giving a stone in the shoe feeling. Following conditions develop friction on the toes leading to occurrence of corns:

Wearing very tight foot wear or socks. Wearing high heel shoes which create pressure on the toes. Wearing very loose shoes in which the foot slides and rubs against the inside of the shoe. Deformed toes. Walking on hard surface for very long time

As corns are created due to excessive pressure, one must relax the pressure on the high risk areas to cure and arrest the further growth. Homeopathy treats plantar corns successfully from inside and prevents its further formation. The main homeopathic remedies for plantar corns are: Antim crudum- It is indicated with large horn shaped corns found on the soles of the feet. The skin of the feet and soles becomes thick. The feet and soles become very sensitive and patient is not able to walk on hard surfaces like well paved roads. Ran Sceleratus- This remedy is indicated in very painful corns. The surrounding areas of the corn appear red and sore. Corns occur on the balls of the toes and are very sensitive to touch and pressure. Flexing of area near the corn causes more pain and at times one can feel numbness in the area. Ferrum Picricum- It is considered a great remedy to complement other remedies. t is prescribed for the multiple occurrence of the plantar corn. The corns also bear a yellowish discoloration.