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The response to the question below was authored by Marc Mitnick DPM

Corns

by Sandra
(New York)

Recently went to purchase shoes and noticed that one foot is wider the the other. I have had a burning sensation on my left foot. I now see a corn starting to form. is this why it's burning? what can I do to stop the progression of the corn growing?

RESPONSE
Hi Sandra,

If the burning is originating from the site of the corn then yes, it is from the corn. Being a bit more specific the burning may possibly be coming from irritation of the nerve that travels just below the corn. This is most common on the fifth toe.
Since a corn is a build up of thick tissue in response to an irritant, in this case a shoe, the skin has basically become inflamed and it is no surprise that some of them burn; others just hurt and even some are painless.
Corns are almost always caused by shoes that are too tight and since you have one foot that is wider than the other, I am assuming the corn is occurring on the wider foot, because that is where there would be more pressure from the shoe.
Since there is this difference in the width of your foot you would be wise to always try and buy shoes to fit the wider foot so that you are not cramping your foot into the shoe. This will cut down on the pressure on your toe and will not aggravate the problem.
Along these lines you also need to think about the style of shoe that you purchase. I never want to be my patient's fashion consultant when it comes to buying shoes, but you have to be smart about the style you wear. Shoes that are too narrow in the front or have a high heel tend to exacerbate corns as does material that has no give to it, such as patten leather shoes for example.
The other problem you are going to have is with your narrow foot. If you buy shoes to fit your wider foot then there is going to be "wiggle" room with the narrow foot. What happens here is that since the foot moves around somewhat in the shoe, that motion also creates friction of the toes against the shoe and that too can lead to the formation of corns.
So depending on how fashionable your shoe selection is, you may have to consider taking your narrow shoe to a shoe maker to add some padding to the shoe so that the foot does not move around too much.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

Mayo Clinic

Johns Hopkins Medicine

MedlinePlus

Arthritis Foundation

University of Rochester Medical Center

Harvard Health

Drugs.com

American Academy of Pediatrics

Penn State Medical Center

National Institutes of Health

Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation

ScienceDirect

Stanford Health Care

Illinois Bone and Joint Institute

Mount Sinai Hospital

Institute for Chronic Pain

University of Florida Health

American Family Physician

Cedars-Sinai

University of Maryland Medical Center

MY PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS(items I prescribe in the office)

Orthotics for multiple types of foot pain best buy in a pre-made orthotic click link below

Orthotics for heel and arch pain for those who must wear dress shoes click link below

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New Zealand

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Poland

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anonymous

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Seattle, WA

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New Jersey

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Evansville, IA

Dear Marc

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San Diego, CA

Dr. Mitnick, Just want to say thank you so very much for your quick response and very informative reply! After reading what you had to say, I called the doctor's office and was able to get in and see him the same day as my injury. Toe was x-rayed and luckily, it is not broken or fractured. Very badly bruised and will probably lose the toe nail. And although my toe and toe nail are still very black and blue and very sore, they ARE both starting to feel a little better. So again, thank you! I am so very happy that I came across your website. The service you provide is outstanding and immeasurable!

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Albany, NY

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Whichita, KS

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Colorado

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Colorado

Wonderful advice

by: Anonymous

This is the best site for foot problem info.

Thank you for this information. This description fits my pain and inflammation behind my 2nd toe perfectly.

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location unknown

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Wisconsin

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North Carolina

Many Thanks Dr Marc!
Thank you for your response. It sounds like a good plan to me. He did not cut the wart out first ...

KG

location unknown

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Bessie Mae

Florida

Dear Dr. Mitnick, Thank you so very much for taking your time to answer my question. You have greatly relieved my anxiety related to the continual tingly I feel in my feet. I will share your response with my podiatrist next week. God bless you for having this question and answer page on your website! Most gratefully,

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New Jersey

Thank you. you were more detailed than what others have told me they finally called from the last xrays and my son is now in a cast for 2 weeks he did have a fracture that was not noticeable.

a mom

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Bellevue, WA

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location unknown

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