Callus giving

Dr Rosemary

Q I HAVE suffered from hard skin on the ball of my right foot for a number of years which is often very sore and painful and causes me to limp.

On the advice of a podiatrist I use a battery-operated roller to remove the hard skin and apply foot cream twice a day but to no avail. Have you any suggestions please?

A I SUSPECT you have a callus on the ball of your foot which is a large area of very thick skin. As with corns (which are smaller areas on the toes), calluses form as a result of continuous pressure on the foot and the hard lump of skin can press into the tissues beneath, causing pain.

Removing the hard skin should help but it may be that you need professional help to remove the deeper layers. Your GP may be able to help. Applying a cream that contains salicylic acid may also help.

This can dissolve the protein keratin that makes up a lot of skin cells. However it very important to use these products correctly as they can damage normal skin. You also need to try to take the pressure off the area as much as possible by wearing a soft insole in your shoes.

Q I AM 78 and for some time now I have been getting pain in the top right of my back which then goes into the right breast.

The pain also appears to the right side of my head into the right ear and down the right side of my face, often when I am lying in bed. I have been told it is positional. What is your opinion?

A AT your age it is likely that you have some “wear and tear” in the joints between the bones of your spine. Although this usually leads to pain in the lower back, any part of the spine can be affected including the neck and also the “thoracic” spine where the ribs are.

The spine is supported by muscles that run both up and down the back from the base of the skull down to the tailbone and also in between the ribs in the chest. If there is any change in the structure of the spine then these can tighten up leading to pain around the chest and neck.

The fact that it often happens when you are in bed suggests to me that your sleeping position may be making matters worse. This may be because you are propped up too high on pillows which can put a strain on your neck muscles or that your mattress is a bit saggy and not giving your spine enough support.

Exercising and stretching the muscles that support the back can be