When you see a painful corn under the little toe joint (the 5th metatarsal head), it’s usually not

When you see a painful corn under the little toe joint (the 5th metatarsal head), it’s usually not “just bad skin” — it’s a pressure problem. In today’s treatment, our podiatrist carefully removed a deep plantar corn sitting right under the 5th metatarsal head. This area commonly overloads in people with a higher arch foot. High arches don’t absorb shock as well, and the foot tends to roll pressure slightly to the outside. Over time, that concentrated load builds up thickened skin. As we age, the natural fat pad under the forefoot also thins out, which means even less cushioning. The result? Localised pressure, hard skin, and eventually a painful corn. What we did: • Debrided the overlying callus • Enucleated the corn core • Smoothed the surrounding tissue to reduce friction • Assessed offloading options to prevent recurrence Why this matters: A corn is your body’s response to excessive pressure. If we don’t address the mechanical cause — foot structure, pressure distribution, footwear — it will keep coming back. If you’ve got a sharp, focal pain under the outside of your forefoot that feels like you’re walking on a stone, it may not be “just dry skin.” It may be overload from foot structure and fat pad thinning. Early treatment = less pain and better long-term management. If you’re noticing increasing pressure under the ball of your foot, get it assessed before it becomes chronic.