What are foot corns and how are they developed? When prominences on the feet rub on shoes or the hard ground, foot corns can develop. Once these foot corns develop to a certain size, they can be very painful. The human body has the ability to protect the skin from excess friction by making the skin in that region thicker. This is a normal function and, when slight amounts of thickness develop, the skin and deeper structures are protected. If a large or sharp prominence is present, for example, when hammertoes occur, the amount of force or pressure can be so much that the hardened skin becomes very thick and compressed. This is known as corn. If the pressure continues, for example when shoes are worn, the foot corn pushes on the underlying bone or tissues resulting in pain. Treatment options for foot corns – Bio Allied Health offers many treatment options for foot corns. Initially and quite simply the thickened hard skin is trimmed and, if the foot corn has a hard seed-like centre, this is enucleated. This trimming is usually pain-free, does not pierce the skin and can result in instant relief. You may decide to come back regularly to have foot corns trimmed, but there are options to provide a more long-term result. This may involve padding, deflective props, orthotics, shoe advice, injections and even surgery if all else fails.