Painful callus
Last reviewed: 07.06.2024
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Painful callus is most often wet (wet) - with the formation of a blister in the area of excessive pressure or friction of the skin, but can cause pain when walking and dry calluses, especially rod calluses. [1]
Causes of the painful callus
The main reasons are discussed in the publications:
- Corns and corns
- A callus on the heel
- Dry corns on feet with and without a stem
- Core callus: causes of appearance, structure, treatment
- Painful dry callus: what are the causes and what to do?
- Bloody calluses on the feet and hands
Their symptoms are also described there.
Risk factors
Any callus can become painful, and a painful callus on the toe, pinky toe most often appears due to inappropriate footwear (primarily too narrow and with high heels). Many calluses are chafed due to excessive sweating of the feet.
In addition, risk factors for excessive pressure and/or friction of the skin to form a thickening or pustule on the skin include problems with the feet, each of which consists of 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles with many tendons. These include a low arch of the foot (flatfoot), a valgus deviation of the foot to the outside, and limited mobility of the first joints of the big toes (with the formation of calluses under and over them).
It should be borne in mind that overloading the feet with excessive body weight can also disturb their biomechanics, increasing the risk of painful calluses on the feet.
Pathogenesis
The mechanism of development of painful sensations in the presence of a callus is the same as the pathogenesis of any pain.
It is caused by irritation of nociceptors - pain receptors, that is, free nerve endings of the skin - and transmission of nerve impulses to the spinal cord (via spinal axons of the anterolateral system), and then to the CNS - to the somatosensory fields of the cortex of the cerebral hemispheres.
Complications and consequences
Among the complications and consequences of painful calluses podologists include both discomfort when walking and change in gait (with the appearance of limping) - with a potential negative impact on the entire musculoskeletal system, but also the development of inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue of bacterial origin.
Such inflammation can cause a purulent-necrotic process in the periosteum of the underlying bone structures - periostitis.
Diagnostics of the painful callus
A painful callus is diagnosed based on the patient's complaints by visual inspection, in the case of a rod callus a dermatoscope may be used.
Differential diagnosis
The differential diagnosis includes plantar warts, palmar-podontal hyperkeratosis, keratoderma, and bullous dermatitis.
Who to contact?
Treatment of the painful callus
How the treatment is carried out [2], detailed in publications:
Prevention
You can prevent calluses by wearing the right shoes, taking care of your feet and controlling foot sweating. Read more:
Forecast
In terms of cure, painful callus has a favorable prognosis.