Common Foot Conditions

Corns and Callouses
Corns and callouses are areas of thick, hard skin. They usually develop due to rubbing or irritation over a bony prominence. The hard, thick skin is called a corn if it is on your toe and it is called a callous if it is somewhere else on your foot.

Fungal Nail
Fungi like a warm, moist and dark environment (like inside a shoe). A fungal infection in your toenails may cause the nails to become discoloured, thickened, crumbly or loose. There are different causes and it is difficult to treat due to the hardness of the toenail.

Ingrown Toenails (onychomycosis)
An ingrown toenail can occur for various reasons. The sides or corners of the toenail usually curve down and put pressure on the skin. Sometimes the toenail pierces the skin and then continues to grow into the skin. This may cause redness, swelling, pain and sometimes infection.

Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are caused by a virus. Plantar means bottom of the foot, but warts can occur other places on the foot and toes as well. Plantar warts can be painful depending on where they are located. Sometimes they are mistaken for callouses because layers of hard skin can build up on top of the wart.

Hammer Toe
Also sometimes referred to as a claw toe or mallet toe. It involves a deformity of the toe where there is an imbalance in the pull of the tendons. Either the tendon on top of the toe pulls harder or the tendon on the bottom of the toe pulls harder. This results in a curling up of the toe.

Bunion
An enlargement on the side of the foot near the base of the big toe (hallux). The enlargement is made up of a bursa (fluid filled sac) under the skin. The term bunion is also commonly used to describe a structural (bony) deformity called hallux abducto valgus (HAV). Bunions can be painful and can be aggravated by activity and wearing tight shoes

Plantar Fasciitis
When there is increased stress on the arch, microscopic tears can occur within the plantar fascia, usually at its attachment on the heel. This results in inflammation and pain with standing and walking and sometimes at rest. It usually causes pain and stiffness on the bottom of your heel.

Achilles Tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis involves inflammation of the Achilles tendon. If the tendon stays inflamed long enough, it can lead to thickening of the tendon. Sometimes nodules or bumps can form in the tendon. Achilles tendonitis can become a long term problem or can lead to rupture of the tendon

Flat Feet (Pes Planus) 
Just because you have flat feet does not mean you will have problems or pain. If you do have pain, there are various treatment options available. If you only have one foot that has a flat arch, it may be due to another problem and you should get it checked out.

Neuroma
In the foot, a neuroma is a nerve that becomes irritated and swells up. If the nerve stays irritated, it can become thickened which makes the nerve larger and causes more irritation. Pain from a neuroma is usually felt on the ball of your foot.

Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
This sometimes feels like a burning sensation and at other times a tingling sensation underneath the heel and in the arch of the foot. Occasionally there can be loss of sensation on the bottom of the foot. It is caused by compression of the tibial nerve as it passes the inside of the ankle and tapping of the nerve will stimulate the symptoms known as Tinel's sign.

Calcaneal Bursitis
An inflammation of the bursa (fluid filled fibrous sack) under the heel bone. Typically the pain is more to the centre of the heel than that which is experienced with plantar fasciitis and significantly it worsens during the day.