Plantar warts are growths that usually appear on the heels or balls of your feet and most resolve on their own and do not pose a serious health concern. However, on occasion, plantar warts can cause pain and discomfort and may need to be removed with special medication. The most common symptoms of a plantar wart are a small, fleshy, rough, grainy growth on the bottom of your foot that may or may not be accompanied by black pinpoints. Many people confuse a wart with a corn but one of the characteristics of a wart is that interrupts the normal lines and ridges in the skin of your foot where a corn does not.

Plantar warts are caused by an infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) in the outer layer of skin on the soles of your feet. The most common places for HPV to thrive are warm and moist environments like a locker room or swimming pool.

Most plantar warts go away without treatment, though it may take a year or two. If your warts are painful or spreading, please contact your Guelph foot specialist.

Hammer toe, mallet toe, and claw toe are all different types of conditions that can result in serious discomfort.

Hammer Toe

A hammer toe is a toe that is contracted at the middle joint in the toe. Ligaments and tendons tighten and cause the toe’s joints to curl downwards. Hammer toes may occur in any toe except the big toe. There are two types – flexible and rigid. In a flexible hammer toe, the joint has the ability to move. A rigid hammer toe does not have that same ability to move. Both flexible and rigid hammer toes can be painless but on occasion may cause pain due to callus or corns caused by rubbing on the top of shoes.

Mallet Toe

Excessive rubbing of the mallet toe against the top of the shoe can lead to pain and the development of a corn. The tip of the toe is often turned down against the shoe causing pressure and discomfort.
A mallet toe occurs when the joint at the end of the toe cannot straighten. Mallet toes can cause extreme discomfort and can be aggravated if restrictive or improperly fitting footwear is worn for a prolonged period of time.

Claw Toe

A claw toe is a toe that is contracted at the middle and end joints in the toe and can lead to severe pressure and pain. Ligaments and tendons that have tightened and caused the joints to curl downwards. The claw can be flexible and/or rigid. In a flexible claw toe, the joint has the ability to move and can be straightened manually. A rigid claw toe does not have that same ability to move or has very little movement and is extremely painful.

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Tinea pedis, commonly known as athlete’s foot, is a common fungal infection of the skin on the feet. Fungal germs or fungi often occur in small numbers on human skin where they usually do no harm. However, if conditions are right they can invade the skin, multiply, and cause infection. The conditions fungi like best are warm, moist, and airless areas of skin, such as between the toes.

Athlete’s foot can also be passed on from person to person and common symptoms include:

• A rash that becomes itchy and scaly.
• The skin may become cracked and sore.
• Tiny flakes of infected skin may fall off.
• The rash may spread gradually along the toes if left untreated.
• In some cases, it spreads to the soles.
• Scaling rash on the entire sole and side of the foot

Fungi do not usually go deeper than the skin into the body. However, other germs (bacteria) may enter through the cracked skin of untreated athlete’s foot. This can occasionally cause more serious infections of the foot or leg. The infection sometimes spreads to a nail. This can be treated.

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Shin splints are a common complaint, especially among runners and other athletes. Patients experience pain in the front or inside aspect of the lower leg or shin due to overexertion of the muscles after running or even walking. The pain usually comes gradually without a history of trauma. Shin splints should not be left untreated because there is an increased risk of stress fractures.

Shin splints can cause stress to the muscles in the front of the foot. Common causes are wearing athletic shoes that are worn out and don’t have enough shock absorption, flat feet that lead to increased stress on the lower leg muscles during exercise, and high-arched feet that have poor shock absorption.

The posterior tibial tendon runs along the inside of the ankle and the foot. The posterior tibial tendon runs behind the inside bump on the ankle, across the instep, and into the bottom of the foot. The tendon is important in supporting the arch of the foot and helps turn the foot inward during walking. When there is post-tibial tendon dysfunction, the tendon does not function to hold up the arch, resulting in flat feet. This can lead to heel pain, arch pain, plantar fasciitis, and/or heel spurs. Pain will be more severe upon weight bearing, especially while walking or running.

Posterior tibial tendonitis occurs when the muscle is overused and the tendon that connects the muscle to your bone is strained. Years of flat feet can also lead to posterior tibial tendon dysfunction. If you keep overusing the muscle, damage to the tendon builds up and tendonitis develops. At first, the pain or swelling may come and go quickly, but eventually, the problem may become more permanent.

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An ingrown toenails are a common foot condition where the edge of a toenail (usually the big toe) grows into the skin surrounding it, rather than growing straight out. This condition can be painful and may lead to redness, swelling, and infection. Here’s an overview of ingrown toenails and their causes: improper nail trimming, ill-fitting footwear, injury or trauma, and hereditary factors.

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Heel pain is a common condition where putting weight on the heel causes extreme discomfort. On occasions, heel pain can be caused by over-use repetitive stress from too much impact on a specific area of the foot. Heel pain syndrome can have many causes. Wearing shoes with heels that are too low, a fat pad in the heel area that has thinned, or a sudden increase in activity are just a few of the possible causes. Another possible cause of heel pain is plantar fasciitis.

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Fungal nail infections are common. Infections cause thickened and unsightly nails which can become painful. Toenails are more commonly affected than fingernails. It is more common in people aged over 55, and in younger people who share communal showers. Fungal nails can spread from a fungal skin infection, like athlete’s foot. A nail that has recently been damaged is also more likely to become infected. You have an increased risk of developing a fungal nail infection if you have various other conditions like diabetes, psoriasis, poor circulation, a poor immune system, or a generally poor state of health.

Often the infection is just in one nail, but several may be affected. At first, the infection is usually painless. The nail may look thickened and discoloured but there are no other symptoms. White or yellow patches may appear. The nail may become soft and crumble. Bits of nails may fall off. The skin next to the nail may be inflamed or scaly. If left untreated, the infection may eventually destroy the nail and the nail bed and may become painful.

Fungal nails are difficult to treat and treatment does not always cure the infection and even if it does, it may not restore the nail’s appearance to normal. The anti-fungal medicines used need to be taken for several months – sometimes longer.

Corns and Calluses are two very similar and extremely common foot conditions.

Corns

Corns are very common and usually form on the tops, sides, and tips of the toes. They develop from an accumulation of dead skin cells on the foot. They contain a cone-shaped core or nucleus with a point that can press on a nerve below and cause pain.

Corns can be caused by wearing tight-fitting footwear, high-heeled footwear, tight-fitting stockings and socks, deformed toes, or the foot sliding forward in a shoe that fits too loosely. Corns in between the toes can result from bony prominences.

Callus

Calluses are caused by an accumulation of dead skin cells that harden and thicken over an area of the foot. Calluses are the body’s way of protecting the foot against excessive pressure and friction. Calluses are normally found on the ball of the foot, the heel, and/or the inside of the big toe.

Calluses develop because of excessive pressure at a specific area of the foot. High-heeled dress shoes, shoes that are too small, obesity, abnormalities in the way you walk, flat feet, high-arched feet, bony prominences, and the loss of the fat pad on the bottom of the foot are all common causes of calluses.

Considered to be one of the most common problems of the forefoot, a bunion is a bony enlargement of the joint and surrounding soft tissues at the base of the big toe. The enlargement makes the big toe joint stick out further on the side and forces the big toe to curve closer to the other toes. For some people, bunions cause little or no pain.

Symptoms of bunions include inflammation, swelling, and soreness on the side surface of the big toe. The discomfort commonly causes a patient to walk improperly.

Some people develop bunions from wearing shoes that do not fit correctly (especially high heels or narrow-toed shoes). For other people, bunions are caused by factors beyond their control. These can include a family history of a foot type that is susceptible to bunions, neuromuscular disorders, conditions affecting the joints (e.g., arthritis), severe injury to the foot, deformities at birth, and problems that affect the way a person walks (e.g., rolling in at the ankles, pronation, etc.)

Achilles tendonitis causes inflammation and degeneration of the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon is the large tendon located in the back of the leg that inserts into the heel. Pain can develop gradually without a history of trauma. Achilles tendonitis should always be treated as there is a possibility that the tendon can become weak and ruptured. Achilles Tendonitis can be caused by excessive stress to the tendon by sports or running, as well as prolonged periods of standing.

Symptoms of Achilles tendonitis often begin as a mild ache in the back of the leg or above the heel after running or other sports activity. Episodes of more severe pain may occur after prolonged running, stair climbing, or sprinting. Individuals who suffer from Achilles tendonitis often complain that their first steps out of bed in the morning are extremely painful. Another common complaint is pain after steps are taken after long periods of sitting. This pain often lessens with activity.

The most common cause of Achilles tendonitis is overpronation. Over-pronation occurs when the arch collapses upon weight bearing, adding stress to the Achilles tendon. Other factors that lead to Achilles tendonitis are improper shoe selection, inadequate stretching before sports, a short Achilles tendon, direct trauma to the tendon, and heel bone deformity.

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Plantar fasciitis is a common painful foot condition of the heel and soles of the foot. It is characterized by inflammation or deterioration of the plantar fascia of the foot. The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of connective tissue that originates from the heel bone, extends along the sole of the foot, and inserts at the base of the toes. The plantar fascia supports the arch of the foot.

The most common cause of plantar is overuse of plantar fasciitis, increase in physical activity or weight gain. It is commonly associated with long periods of weight bearing and is much more prevalent in individuals with flat feet or fallen arches.

Plantar fasciitis pain is usually felt on the underside of the heel and is often most intense with the first steps of the day. Those with plantar fasciitis often have difficulty bringing their toes toward the shin and this is usually due to tightness of the gastrocnemius muscle or Achilles tendon.

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