Ayurveda approach to treat foot corns

Ayurveda ascribes corns to imbalance of the kapha and vatta doshas. Try these easy home remedies to heal your foot corn naturally

Ayurveda: and the corn is gone

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. After this, dry the foot well and apply a medicated cream or gently massage the foot with coconut or mustard oil.
  4. 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.

This is an updated version of an article that first appeared in the September 2011 issue of Complete Wellbeing

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Sonica Krishan
Dr Sonica Krishan is an Ayurveda and natural lifestyle consultant based at Chandigarh. She has authored natural home cure books like Herbal Healers and Home Remedies.

12 COMMENTS

  1. Hi …this is srikanth from Qatar airways…had surgery once for foot corn…after some days found baby corn on foot…how to avoid…I’m confused…plz advise

  2. Sir… I was affected by corn on my feet…. I had done surgey for two times… But it occurs again and again at tha same area… It was painful while walking… What should i do to remove the corn

  3. hello doctor i am gayathri sunil .I am critically affected by corns disease ,i cant baer this pain .I need a quick remedy for this terrible condition.

  4. Sir on right side of my foot they are 2 corns no painful how to remove corn
    I conculted doctor he asked me to put the foot in water, kerlin ointment and pumice stone you ru. He says no use sir the shape of my feetcis looking dirt of corns pl suggest.

  5. hi,

    For hard corns, homeo would be the right medicine to remove it from the roots.

    I too had a hard corn formed. But i used homeo medicine for that. Antimonum Crudum and Lycopodium are the best medicines in homeo to treat the corns. But before using these better to consult the homeo doctor for the suggestions.

  6. Hi sir
    I’m facing corn problem in under my foot . 4 months back I had a surgery but I will form again Im not ready to do surgery again now it was pain when I’m walking and also the foot was swelling.I’m facing this problem nearly 1 year can you give me solution
    Thanks

  7. hello sir i have sent to meassage in foot corn tablet also medicine you can inform me foot corn medicine suggest for me

  8. Madam, greeting,I have foot corn on right sole which was removed twice surgically within 6 months.now one more is sprouting up just in below right toe.plz advice me to cure.

  9. Dear Sonica,
    many thanks for your item, it helps me a lot and I do hope it will solve my problems with corns.
    Nice day 🙂

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