I don't know the answer, but have had the same problem for years. I have diabetes, so would be too afraid to use the topicals. Here is a treatment I don't recommend but so far it is working. I have used the cushions you spoke of but never was a solution. We were on a trip in June and had with us a dggd. She was in the kitchen area and had a problem she needed help with. I jumped up, barefoot, and kicked the console with the bad foot. I knew immediatly I had broken the toe and sure nothing could be done. The result is, the toe is slightly deformed and enlarged, so it no longer rubs against the next toe. Breaking a toe, was my solution I guess you could say. lol

I like the little stick on patches that they sell over the counter and and cover with a corn pad or less cushiony bandaid like corn pad. I like the thinner bandaid type corn pad for small warts. It's the same stuff in both OTC corn removers and wart removers. It's just salicylic acid. Corn removers are cheaper.

I think anyone with health issues like diabetes should check with their doctor. But for people who are in general good health there is nothing inherently dangerous about the active ingredient.

I have found that the corn is much softer after a shower. I take a coarse emeryboard and rub the corn. A few layers of dead cells will be removed.. if you do this a few days it reduces size of corn and makes it more comfortable. Will have to repeat in few weeks but it does help. The non medicated foam cushions do work to take the pressure off.

I do similarly to marcopolo, but I actually pick out the corn with a fingernail and then file the leftover raised skin around it off with one of those foot files. Hurts like holy heck briefly but gets rid of it for months/years.

I had a corn on my foot, at the metatarsal (forefoot, ball of foot) area. Hurt like a son of a gun. Corns are like little conical diamonds -- the sharp apex digging into us. To relieve the pressure in that small area, I fashioned my own donut cushions. I used thicker foam, made a donut hole in it (exacto knife before cushion applied), and stuck it on w that satin looking medical tape. It took a few weeks, but the corn did go away and meanwhile I wasn't hurting. Mine was from walking barefoot on hard flooring. If you have one from shoe pressure, you'll want to remedy that scenario so that another corn won't grow.

Cathyid, funny story ;) I had a painful bone spur on my elbow. One day I fell off a step stool and that elbow w the bone spur slammed into the wood floor, right on the point of the elbow -- PAIN! A week or so later, my bruise felt better, and I noticed that the bone spur was gone ;/ It had apparently been smashed off. Geez, if I'd known about that "treatment," I would have taken a ballpeen hammer to it a year or so earlier.

Colleen, you are fearless ;)

Thanks to everyone for the input. I'll definitely try a couple of these ideas. I hope others have been helped too. I don't know why the dermatologist can't just freeze them off like other bad things on the skin.

I read several home remedies online. One was to apply papaya to the corn. Haven't tried it. I'm using Marcopolo's method.