Sometimes the smallest thing can be so painful! Seed corns feel like a rock embedded in the bottom of your foot. The 2-3-millimeter lesions are cone-shaped plugs of keratin on the ball of the foot and are especially painful barefoot. You are walking on the point of the cone which is why they hurt so much. They are different than warts, which can occur anywhere on the foot and bleed when trimmed. Seed corns are often found on the ball of the foot under the 2nd or 5th metatarsal head.
Patients often feel silly making an appointment for something so tiny, but we love treating them!
The treatment used to involve paring the lesions with a scalpel and having the patient come back in 6 months to repeat the process indefinitely. Now we shave the callus and use cryotherapy to freeze the cells causing the lesion. 40 to 50% of the time the lesion resolves after one treatment and most resolve after 2 treatments. In between visits we recommend a keratolytic, like Kamea G with glycolic acid to break down any residual callus formation. Shoes with hard sole make the condition worse and recommend wearing sneakers or cushioned sandals until the condition resolves. Older folks with fat pad loss benefit from inserts like Cloud Walker inner soles to decrease sheer and add cushioning without bottoming out like memory foam.
Don't let foot pain stop you from doing the things you love. If the hard painful corn is stopping you from going for a run or hike, give us a call. We can certainly help and have same-day appointments available.
If you or someone you know has pain in their feet or ankles Dr. Michele Kurlanski is here to help. We can evaluate your feet and make recommendations on proper stretching, what shoes to wear. Call us today at (207) 774-0028 to schedule your next appointment at our location in Scarborough, Maine!