Don't let Health Problems Get in the Way of Life

Intractable plantar keratosis is a painful lesion that can develop on the bottom of your foot. Here are four things you need to know about this condition.

What are the symptoms?

If you have intractable plantar keratosis, you'll notice a painful lesion on the bottom of your foot. This lesion looks like a callus with a corn underneath: the lesion will have a hard, swollen core, and it will be covered by a thickened, rough area of skin. The pain associated with this lesion can be extreme and can make it hard for you to walk or stand.

What causes intractable plantar keratosis?

Intractable plantar keratosis is caused by pressure on the plantar fat pad, the layer of fat that cushions the bottoms of your feet. This pressure typically comes from the metatarsal bones, the bones just behind your toes. The bones can be forced into the fat pads by shoes that don't fit properly, hammertoe deformity, or badly healed metatarsal fractures.

This condition has also been linked to obesity and diabetes. This is because obesity puts more pressure on your feet, and diabetes can damage the nerves in your feet and make it hard for you to feel pressure caused by poorly-fitting shoes.

Is it serious?

The main concern with this condition is that it's very painful and can have a major impact on your quality of life. Not being able to walk or stand without pain is a serious problem.

For people with diabetes, there is also the concern that the lesions will become ulcerated and infected. If you have diabetes, you need to take these lesions very seriously.

How is it treated?

Non-surgical treatments are used first and include things like felt padding. This padding will be used to line your shoes and reduce the pressure on your lesion. If this treatment helps, your podiatrist may recommend getting custom-made cushioned orthotics for your shoes.

Moisturizing creams and foot baths can help to soften the skin around your lesion and help it heal. Your podiatrist may recommend using a pumice stone on your lesion after softening the skin.

If non-surgical treatments don't work, your podiatrist can surgically remove the lesion. To avoid a recurrence, the bones beneath the lesion may need to be re-sized. This keeps them from pushing against the fat pads again.

If you have a very painful callus on the bottom of your foot, see your podiatrist right away for treatment. For more information, contact Foundation Chiropody foot clinic or a similar location.