Corns are hardened skin tissues that tend to accumulate in the soles of your feet and less commonly, even on the hands.
What causes foot corns to form?
- Improper feet care or bad posture.
- Wearing tight/uncomfortable footwear or high heels that put repeated pressure on the same spot
- Standing in the same posture for a long time
- Obesity or excess weight too could lead to developing a corn as the excess weight increases the pressure on the feet
- Being overweight also affects the person’s gait, which in turn puts abnormal pressure on the soles
- Poor foot hygiene
Corns may or may not be painful. Some corns are so silent they often go untreated, which is detrimental to your feet in the long run. Ayurveda deems corns as a less significant disease [kshudra roga] and ascribes them to imbalance of the kapha and vata doshas or body type.
How to get rid of your foot corn
- Soak your feet in warm water for 5 – 10 minutes to which salt has been added. You can regular table salt or Epsom salt. Soaking in warm salted water helps to soften the skin and makes it easy to work with. You could also add 1 tbsp hydrogen peroxide to the warm water. This too helps to soften skin and remove dead skin cells.
- After sufficiently soaking, scrub the area gently with the help of a pumice stone or some other scrubber to rub off the dead skin. Scrub gently over the corn area as it may be painful.
- After this, dry the foot well and apply a medicated cream or gently massage the foot with coconut or mustard oil.
- Repeat this daily for 1 – 2 weeks or till the corn has completely softened and healed.
Natural home remedies to remove foot corn
- Add a capful of vinegar to warm water and douse your feet in it for 10 minutes. Then scrub gently and massage with a greasy oil like castor oil or olive oil for further lubrication. Tie a small piece of cotton/bandage dipped in vinegar onto the corn. Leave it in this position for a few hours or overnight. Vinegar naturally sanitises dead skin tissue, making the affected area easier to clean and scrub off the dead tissue.
- To remove a soft corn, tie a piece of orange peel or lemon peel on the affected area after you’ve done the soaking, scrubbing and oil massage ritual.
- Roast some turmeric powder in mustard oil and apply this paste when bearably hot to the corn. Cover it with a bandage and keep overnight.
- Mix one teaspoon of aloevera gel with one half teaspoon of turmeric and apply on the corn.
- Massage skin with medicated oils such as jatyaadi taila, kasisaadi taila and shadadhwata ghrita.
Ayurveda treatment for chronic and hardened corns
For chronic, hardened and persistent corns, you need advanced ayurvedic treatment by an experienced ayurvedic physician.
Generally the vaidya or ayurvedic physician performs kshara karma using gaumutra [cow urine] and yavakshara [pearl ash]. He may even remove the corn surgically [shastra karma] or cauterise it [agni karma].
These procedures are followed by bandaging the localised area with turmeric paste and aloevera paste to promote healing and provide natural antiseptic cover.
As ayurveda attributes corns to kapha and vata imbalance, balancing the two doshas curb the re-occurrence. This involves modifying your diet [aahara] and lifestyle [vihara].
How to prevent corns
- Keep your weight under control. When you maintain proper weight, your feet won’t be over-pressured.
- Take care of your feet by cleaning, scrubbing and massaging them from time to time.
- Wear proper footwear that not only protect your feet and are comfortable but also allow equal distribution of your weight.
- Maintain a good posture that doesn’t put undue pressure on one side of your foot.
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