It has just been released that Alex Trebek tore his Achilles tendon while fighting off a burglar in his hotel. Wow! So now what? Alex should be expecting surgery to fix that torn Achilles tendon and a year long recovery.
In trauma situations, the Achilles tendon can be injured by sudden forceful movements of the foot against the leg. Or blunt trauma to the tendon area can cause the tendon to tear or rupture. When this occurs, the person often feels a sharp pop or pull on the back of the calf and often describes a feeling of being shot in the leg. Instant swelling and bruising occurs with an inability to really use that foot. Without the Achilles tendon the foot has a tendinacy to "flop" on the leg.
On exam, the back of the leg will be swollen and bruised. Pain is usually not as bad as you would expect, but is still present. And there will be a gap along the leg just above the heel where the tendon is torn. In the office we do a simple calf squeeze test to check the tendon integrity. If you squeeze the calf and the foot fully points, all is good, no full tendon tear (normally). But if you squeeze and the foot just stays the same...not so good, the tendon is no longer attached.
Now we need to fix it because leaving it torn will cause drop foot and the need for long term bracing to walk. Fixing the tendon requires surgery where the 2 ends of the tendon are sutured back together. A fiberglass cast is applied to protect the tendon and there is no walking on that foot for 4-6 weeks.
Long term, physical therapy is necessary to regain strength of the calf muscle and improve confidence in using that foot and leg. This process can take about a year before the patient returns to full unlimited activity.
Job well done, Alex, on fighting off the bad guys. We wish you a speedy recovery!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
A Cut on the Foot Leads to Hospital Stay
Summertime is great in Texas. We have clear skies, very hot weather and plenty of lakes to cool off in. So you would think that a fun day on the lake with your friends should leave you with some funny stories to tell your children when they are old enough. But for one patient this weekend, it landed her in the hospital with urgent surgery and IV antibiotics...and did I mention pain...lots!
All you lake and river rats, take notes. This very pleasant young patient was enjoying a day on the lake when she cut her foot on broken glass on a sandy beach just at waters edge. She knew it was not just a small nick in the skin and immediately went to the local ER. She was treated and sent home with antibiotics and told to follow up with her physician to remove her stitches in a week. Within 3 days her foot become so red, swollen and painful that she took herself to another ER where she was admitted with a severe foot infection.
So what happened? She did all the right things. Unfortunately, she needed more aggressive antibiotics. What she had is called a laceration which is a traumatic cut in the skin. It it normally deeper than skin and often requires stitches to close the injury. Appropriate care of any laceration includes a deep cleansing to remove dirt and debris and any foreign objects that might be sitting in the wound. Sometimes this can be done in the ER, but there are times that cuts may need to be taken to the operating room for more aggressive "washing" or what we call incision and drainage. Once the wound is clean and sutures or stitches are used to close the skin, then healing occurs within 10-14 days.
So what happened here? The lake is what happened! Lakes, rivers, oceans and stock tanks are full of water borne bacteria and with our 100+ degree weather certain bacteria are thriving. These bacteria are very aggressive, not killed with basic antibiotics and cause severe infection. They can lead to tissue loss or even limb loss in unhealthy patients.
If you do happen to cut your skin while enjoying water activities, don't ignore it. Seek treatment right away and make sure you get antibiotics and a tetanus shot to prevent a possible surgery in the future!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Ingrown Toe Nail Hell!
There is no question about it. You have dug on that ingrown toenail one too many times and it has just about had it! It is swollen and red and painful and you just can’t get it out this time. Where do you go from here? Well, to your podiatrist by golly!
An ingrown toenail is a toenail that simply looks like it is digging into the skin surrounding the nail (aka, into the “nail fold”). Ironically, you can have a nail that looks ingrown but is not painful. That is perfectly ok! It is the nail that decides to step it up a notch and cause irritation to the nail fold that becomes a problem! Squeezing your toes into the stilettos seen at the royal wedding may just provide all the irritation it needs to get the ball rolling!
If you have ever had an irritated ingrown nail, you know what I am talking about. It feels like absolute self-induced torture trying to dig those out with your handy-dandy nail clipper. If the clipper or the toe is not clean enough, you can end up inviting all the nasty critters for a visit and end up with a nastier infection.
Trust me on this one. If you have had to dig out an ingrown nail several times a year, it will not go away the longer you fuss with it. It is riskier to keep fussing with it than getting over to your podiatrist office to have it taken care of. What does that mean? Well, for one, it means cleaner and more precise instruments, expertise and resolution to the problem. That means you likely won’t get it back for the rest of your life with one visit!!
A podiatrist can perform what is known as a “matrixectomy”. The “-ectomy” part of that term means “removing” and the “matrix” part of the word means the nail root in question. We, in essence, remove the portion of the nail root that is growing the portion of nail getting ingrown. It is very precise; removing only what is needed to keep the nail from getting ingrown and leaves the remaining nail intact. For the most part, once it is healed with a little TLC on your part, it never looks like anything was ever done! Only a very small percentage of nails try to grown back in the section removed. Overall, a very, very successful permanent result to your chronic problem!
Leaving an ingrown nail to get infected is leaving it too long! An antibiotic will only work to temporarily relieve the symptoms. As long as the nail is growing into the skin, you will continue to have the problem. Don’t wait to get in to see your podiatrist at the first signs of discomfort. I have seen too many 60-year-old patients saying they wish they would have done this 20 years ago. Don’t let this be you!
An ingrown toenail is a toenail that simply looks like it is digging into the skin surrounding the nail (aka, into the “nail fold”). Ironically, you can have a nail that looks ingrown but is not painful. That is perfectly ok! It is the nail that decides to step it up a notch and cause irritation to the nail fold that becomes a problem! Squeezing your toes into the stilettos seen at the royal wedding may just provide all the irritation it needs to get the ball rolling!
If you have ever had an irritated ingrown nail, you know what I am talking about. It feels like absolute self-induced torture trying to dig those out with your handy-dandy nail clipper. If the clipper or the toe is not clean enough, you can end up inviting all the nasty critters for a visit and end up with a nastier infection.
Trust me on this one. If you have had to dig out an ingrown nail several times a year, it will not go away the longer you fuss with it. It is riskier to keep fussing with it than getting over to your podiatrist office to have it taken care of. What does that mean? Well, for one, it means cleaner and more precise instruments, expertise and resolution to the problem. That means you likely won’t get it back for the rest of your life with one visit!!
A podiatrist can perform what is known as a “matrixectomy”. The “-ectomy” part of that term means “removing” and the “matrix” part of the word means the nail root in question. We, in essence, remove the portion of the nail root that is growing the portion of nail getting ingrown. It is very precise; removing only what is needed to keep the nail from getting ingrown and leaves the remaining nail intact. For the most part, once it is healed with a little TLC on your part, it never looks like anything was ever done! Only a very small percentage of nails try to grown back in the section removed. Overall, a very, very successful permanent result to your chronic problem!
Leaving an ingrown nail to get infected is leaving it too long! An antibiotic will only work to temporarily relieve the symptoms. As long as the nail is growing into the skin, you will continue to have the problem. Don’t wait to get in to see your podiatrist at the first signs of discomfort. I have seen too many 60-year-old patients saying they wish they would have done this 20 years ago. Don’t let this be you!
Monday, June 27, 2011
The Hikers Guide to Hiking Boots!
I had a great trip to the Grand Canyon and Sedona this past month and I will tell you why. I had the BEST hiking boots and shoes! So many of us enjoy roughing it outdoors and those trips can be less than peachy if your dogs are barking!
It can be so tempting to go shopping on-line for shoes. I know I have. There are on-line stores offering free returns and with such limited time in the day to shop, this method is very enticing! If you have some time before your trip, say at least 4-6 months to experiment, then have at it! If any of us that have any even remotely nearby access to a sporting goods store, I recommend going this route. Chances are you will not find the perfect hikers with the first pair you try on or the first store you hit for that matter.
When you do go shopping, take these pointers with you…
Go shopping towards the end of the day. Your feet swell more in the afternoon. No doubt your feet will be swelling even more than that during your trip!
Count on getting a pair of hikers at least one half to sometimes a whole size different than what you measure. There are several reasons for this:
1. What goes up, must come down. When you hike down, you will get a lot more in the way of the toes jamming repeatedly towards the end of the shoe. No exercise we do can mimic this. Some of the top sporting good stores, like REI, have a fake boulder in there shoe department. The rule of thumb is being able to “make your way down the boulder” without the tip of your big toe touching the end of the boot. If it does, try one half size larger.
2. I always recommend wearing hiking socks when you know you’ll be doing a lot of hiking. Even though they are bulkier, the wool or synthetic sweat wicking blends do a much better job at keeping your feet dry than cotton. I tried socking liners this trip underneath the socks and wow, what an improvement over a sock alone! A sock liner will help prevent blisters. More of a bonus is that you can get away with washing the liners, which dry in a snap, and wear the same pair of socks for a few days without them getting too grungy!
If the boot does not feel good off the bat, try on a different style. It is worth paying the extra if what you like is not on sale. You will have these boots for years to come! If it is not a matter of comfort, but one of heel slippage, most of the better sporting stores have sales persons who know how to adjust the lacing to control slippage.
Consider the terrain you plan on encountering. Assuming you do not have any major ankle problems or weakness, consider trying on a pair of hiking shoes, rather than boots, or a shorter boot rather than one that goes up past the ankles. Hiking shoes or shorter boots are lighter and may suit you more. This really is a matter of comfort. For anyone with ankle weakness, stick to a higher boot. You won’t risk a sprain at the start of the trip!
Consider what others say about the shoe or boot you are eyeing. There are several sites to look up your brand and style for comparison. Sites such as consumersearch.com for instance, will give you reviews from various other sites and magazines.
Last but not least, make sure what you buy is water proof or very resistant. Read the labels well. If they are not and you really like them, add the water repellant spray to your shopping cart and avoid bringing home athletes’ foot as a souvenir!!
Happy trails to you!!
It can be so tempting to go shopping on-line for shoes. I know I have. There are on-line stores offering free returns and with such limited time in the day to shop, this method is very enticing! If you have some time before your trip, say at least 4-6 months to experiment, then have at it! If any of us that have any even remotely nearby access to a sporting goods store, I recommend going this route. Chances are you will not find the perfect hikers with the first pair you try on or the first store you hit for that matter.
When you do go shopping, take these pointers with you…
Go shopping towards the end of the day. Your feet swell more in the afternoon. No doubt your feet will be swelling even more than that during your trip!
Count on getting a pair of hikers at least one half to sometimes a whole size different than what you measure. There are several reasons for this:
1. What goes up, must come down. When you hike down, you will get a lot more in the way of the toes jamming repeatedly towards the end of the shoe. No exercise we do can mimic this. Some of the top sporting good stores, like REI, have a fake boulder in there shoe department. The rule of thumb is being able to “make your way down the boulder” without the tip of your big toe touching the end of the boot. If it does, try one half size larger.
2. I always recommend wearing hiking socks when you know you’ll be doing a lot of hiking. Even though they are bulkier, the wool or synthetic sweat wicking blends do a much better job at keeping your feet dry than cotton. I tried socking liners this trip underneath the socks and wow, what an improvement over a sock alone! A sock liner will help prevent blisters. More of a bonus is that you can get away with washing the liners, which dry in a snap, and wear the same pair of socks for a few days without them getting too grungy!
If the boot does not feel good off the bat, try on a different style. It is worth paying the extra if what you like is not on sale. You will have these boots for years to come! If it is not a matter of comfort, but one of heel slippage, most of the better sporting stores have sales persons who know how to adjust the lacing to control slippage.
Consider the terrain you plan on encountering. Assuming you do not have any major ankle problems or weakness, consider trying on a pair of hiking shoes, rather than boots, or a shorter boot rather than one that goes up past the ankles. Hiking shoes or shorter boots are lighter and may suit you more. This really is a matter of comfort. For anyone with ankle weakness, stick to a higher boot. You won’t risk a sprain at the start of the trip!
Consider what others say about the shoe or boot you are eyeing. There are several sites to look up your brand and style for comparison. Sites such as consumersearch.com for instance, will give you reviews from various other sites and magazines.
Last but not least, make sure what you buy is water proof or very resistant. Read the labels well. If they are not and you really like them, add the water repellant spray to your shopping cart and avoid bringing home athletes’ foot as a souvenir!!
Happy trails to you!!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Pregnancy Foot Woes!
It helps to come from a place of experience, and having had three children, I can definitely relate to the whole "pregnancy foot woes" thing and it isn’t fun.
When we think about it, feet don’t rank very high on the list of important things to think about when we are pregnant. Fitness however, ranks way up there! Go figure, when your feet hurt, you are not too motivated to get moving. The extra pounds can really pile up (My weakness was SAMS-size Cheetoes!). The more pounds, the more foot pain, the more foot pain… well, you get my drift!
Feet need to rank higher on our list of things to think about! I’ll make it easy by doing the thinking for you!!
Tip #1: Don’t walk around barefoot
“Barefoot and pregnant” is a nice cliché, but is not a good idea for so many women suffering with foot pain. The additional weight can sometimes be too much for some feet to handle. Wearing a slipper with an arch support is a great idea! Remember the ligaments loosen everywhere with pregnancy (not just at the hips!) and this can cause increased flattening of the arch. That is why many of us go up in shoe size and never go back down even long after a pregnancy.
Tip #2: Buy new shoes!
Yes, yet another good reason to go shoe shopping! We cannot expect our feet to remain the same size during or after pregnancy. It is a great idea to get your feet re-sized about 4-5 months into your pregnancy
Tip #3 Take a load off!
Swelling during pregnancy is very common. We hold on to more fluid when we are pregnant. You can end up with achy extremities and those nasty spider and varicose veins. It is important to elevate your feet to the level of the heart for a good 15-20 minutes (those your legs will take what you can give them!) several times a day. If you can’t get off of them completely, then at least sit with your feet propped up and don’t cross your legs. Avoid anything binding at the knees or ankles. Stay cool since heat can aggravate swelling! And please don’t forget to control salt intake! More sodium equals more swelling!
Tip #4 Wear supportive shoes when out and about
When you’re feeling marvelously pregnant and you want to style it up, your best bet is a nice supportive shoe. If you insist on a heel, choose a wedge of no more than 1.5 inches. Any more than that puts 75% of your ever increasing body weight on those poor feet. That can cause serious compression of the fat pad in the balls of our feet and we can’t get that or add that fat pad back. Yes, there is fat we want to keep! You may not feel the effect immediately, but with the wearing down of the fat pad, you may end up feeling like you are “walking on bones” with chronic pain to the balls of the feet as your post-pregnanacy years wear on.
When we think about it, feet don’t rank very high on the list of important things to think about when we are pregnant. Fitness however, ranks way up there! Go figure, when your feet hurt, you are not too motivated to get moving. The extra pounds can really pile up (My weakness was SAMS-size Cheetoes!). The more pounds, the more foot pain, the more foot pain… well, you get my drift!
Feet need to rank higher on our list of things to think about! I’ll make it easy by doing the thinking for you!!
Tip #1: Don’t walk around barefoot
“Barefoot and pregnant” is a nice cliché, but is not a good idea for so many women suffering with foot pain. The additional weight can sometimes be too much for some feet to handle. Wearing a slipper with an arch support is a great idea! Remember the ligaments loosen everywhere with pregnancy (not just at the hips!) and this can cause increased flattening of the arch. That is why many of us go up in shoe size and never go back down even long after a pregnancy.
Tip #2: Buy new shoes!
Yes, yet another good reason to go shoe shopping! We cannot expect our feet to remain the same size during or after pregnancy. It is a great idea to get your feet re-sized about 4-5 months into your pregnancy
Tip #3 Take a load off!
Swelling during pregnancy is very common. We hold on to more fluid when we are pregnant. You can end up with achy extremities and those nasty spider and varicose veins. It is important to elevate your feet to the level of the heart for a good 15-20 minutes (those your legs will take what you can give them!) several times a day. If you can’t get off of them completely, then at least sit with your feet propped up and don’t cross your legs. Avoid anything binding at the knees or ankles. Stay cool since heat can aggravate swelling! And please don’t forget to control salt intake! More sodium equals more swelling!
Tip #4 Wear supportive shoes when out and about
When you’re feeling marvelously pregnant and you want to style it up, your best bet is a nice supportive shoe. If you insist on a heel, choose a wedge of no more than 1.5 inches. Any more than that puts 75% of your ever increasing body weight on those poor feet. That can cause serious compression of the fat pad in the balls of our feet and we can’t get that or add that fat pad back. Yes, there is fat we want to keep! You may not feel the effect immediately, but with the wearing down of the fat pad, you may end up feeling like you are “walking on bones” with chronic pain to the balls of the feet as your post-pregnanacy years wear on.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Elderly Skin Care. Why We Should Care!
Let's be honest with ourselves. There comes a time when you realize that you just cannot get down to reach places you previously could. It may be because you have gained weight with age, or developed arthritis, or lost flexibility, or lost vision. In whichever case, you get out of that bath or shower and know that your body is not as clean as you were 10 years ago. You may not care, but as a good and caring podiatrist, I need to respectfully tell you that you need to care! There are so many foot conditions that can be prevented just by taking the steps to make sure you tend to your feet like you do your other more accessible areas.
I see alot of athlete's foot in the elderly. As nice sounding as they made the condition sound, this is a fungal INFECTION! It should not be ignored. Fungal infections can spread to the nails and if it starts on the nails, it can spread to the feet!
Dry skin is also very common in the elderly. What's the big deal about dry skin? Well, dry skin is caused by a decrease in collagen production and cell turnover. This basically means you hold on to the unhealthy skin cells which cannot hold onto moisture. You also loose the flexibilty in the skin provided by collagen. This unfortunate combination makes you prone to cracks in that dry, inflexible skin. Cracks allow bacteria to work their way into these crevices. This can easily turn into cellulitis, a skin infection sometimes requiring admission to a hospital for IV antibiotics! Scary huh!
Another condition I commonly see is a skin reaction called "dermatitis" from irritation to the skin. It can itch, and itching can introduce bactertia into the skin. This can look alot like athlete's foot or dry skin, but the treatment for it is very different. And if not properly treated, it can become chronic and much more difficult to treat.
If you have what you think may have any of these condidtions, it is imperative to be evaluated by your podiatrist to discuss options for treatment. Don't have one? That why we are here! Let us help! If you cannot get to us right away and are now convinced that you no longer want to ignore your feet, here are some things you can do to get your skin in better condition.
You may not be able to see the bottoms of your feet, but you sure can have someone else look at them every once in a while. If you can reach, you can feel them.
Fungal infections in the elderly commonly start in between the toes. You may not know what the term "toe cheese" is. It is the nasty, smelly stuff that comes out from between the toes that are not properly cleansed. It is as bad as it sounds! This term will instantaneously produce an unsightly grimace on the face of the most poised of podiatrist(me included!). And any podiatrist will tell you it is up there with the worst smells on earth! Even though the patient may come to our office for some other foot condition, out of comprehensive care, we clean that stuff out! The patient has no idea how bad it is because they don't see or smell it, but it can wreak havoc on you skin. This stuff is chock full of athletes foot causing fungus and even bacteria! If you suspect this condition, apply a thin coat of anti-fungal cream to your feet after drying them well. Be very sparing about applying the cream between the toes. Make an appointment as soon as you can with your podiatrist!
If you do not have a shower seat, it is a most worth while investment. Have a seat and simply run the edge of a wet soapy wash cloth between you toes during bathing. Then wash the bottoms of your feet. There are many contraptions I have seen in major stores and pharmacies to clean your feet without bending over or trying to bend your feet up to get them clean. They look like soft bristles lying face up from the shower floor. This way you can just rub your feet against them. Either method will keep your feet cleaner than they are now and help keep fungus away.
It is important to get a cream moisturizer on those dry feet (and body) the minute you dry off. Reason for the urgency is that skin can only hold on to moisture for about 3 minutes. It is that moisture you are trying to "trap" into the skin before it has a chance to escape. This will help to help keep skin supple. Ointments such as shea butter and lanolin do an even better job at stopping evaporation of water from the skin. Remember bathing does not dry out your skin. Dryness comes from the neglect of not moisturizing after you bathe. Just take care not to moisturize between your toes. Those area tend to stay too moist. Dry those areas between your toes well.
Help to avoid dematitis irritation by avoiding strong perfumed creams and soaps. Avoid chaffing socks. Stay away from nylons. They should not have been invented! They make your feet sweat and form that irritation and odor causing bacteria! Control sweaty feet! Stay away from shoes made from synthetic man made materials. They are a big culprit to dermatitis.
No more excuses! It really is all about maintanence and prevention from head to toe! It just may save you from another doctor's appointment you need to keep!
I see alot of athlete's foot in the elderly. As nice sounding as they made the condition sound, this is a fungal INFECTION! It should not be ignored. Fungal infections can spread to the nails and if it starts on the nails, it can spread to the feet!
Dry skin is also very common in the elderly. What's the big deal about dry skin? Well, dry skin is caused by a decrease in collagen production and cell turnover. This basically means you hold on to the unhealthy skin cells which cannot hold onto moisture. You also loose the flexibilty in the skin provided by collagen. This unfortunate combination makes you prone to cracks in that dry, inflexible skin. Cracks allow bacteria to work their way into these crevices. This can easily turn into cellulitis, a skin infection sometimes requiring admission to a hospital for IV antibiotics! Scary huh!
Another condition I commonly see is a skin reaction called "dermatitis" from irritation to the skin. It can itch, and itching can introduce bactertia into the skin. This can look alot like athlete's foot or dry skin, but the treatment for it is very different. And if not properly treated, it can become chronic and much more difficult to treat.
If you have what you think may have any of these condidtions, it is imperative to be evaluated by your podiatrist to discuss options for treatment. Don't have one? That why we are here! Let us help! If you cannot get to us right away and are now convinced that you no longer want to ignore your feet, here are some things you can do to get your skin in better condition.
You may not be able to see the bottoms of your feet, but you sure can have someone else look at them every once in a while. If you can reach, you can feel them.
Fungal infections in the elderly commonly start in between the toes. You may not know what the term "toe cheese" is. It is the nasty, smelly stuff that comes out from between the toes that are not properly cleansed. It is as bad as it sounds! This term will instantaneously produce an unsightly grimace on the face of the most poised of podiatrist(me included!). And any podiatrist will tell you it is up there with the worst smells on earth! Even though the patient may come to our office for some other foot condition, out of comprehensive care, we clean that stuff out! The patient has no idea how bad it is because they don't see or smell it, but it can wreak havoc on you skin. This stuff is chock full of athletes foot causing fungus and even bacteria! If you suspect this condition, apply a thin coat of anti-fungal cream to your feet after drying them well. Be very sparing about applying the cream between the toes. Make an appointment as soon as you can with your podiatrist!
If you do not have a shower seat, it is a most worth while investment. Have a seat and simply run the edge of a wet soapy wash cloth between you toes during bathing. Then wash the bottoms of your feet. There are many contraptions I have seen in major stores and pharmacies to clean your feet without bending over or trying to bend your feet up to get them clean. They look like soft bristles lying face up from the shower floor. This way you can just rub your feet against them. Either method will keep your feet cleaner than they are now and help keep fungus away.
It is important to get a cream moisturizer on those dry feet (and body) the minute you dry off. Reason for the urgency is that skin can only hold on to moisture for about 3 minutes. It is that moisture you are trying to "trap" into the skin before it has a chance to escape. This will help to help keep skin supple. Ointments such as shea butter and lanolin do an even better job at stopping evaporation of water from the skin. Remember bathing does not dry out your skin. Dryness comes from the neglect of not moisturizing after you bathe. Just take care not to moisturize between your toes. Those area tend to stay too moist. Dry those areas between your toes well.
Help to avoid dematitis irritation by avoiding strong perfumed creams and soaps. Avoid chaffing socks. Stay away from nylons. They should not have been invented! They make your feet sweat and form that irritation and odor causing bacteria! Control sweaty feet! Stay away from shoes made from synthetic man made materials. They are a big culprit to dermatitis.
No more excuses! It really is all about maintanence and prevention from head to toe! It just may save you from another doctor's appointment you need to keep!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Got Painful Ingrown Toenails?
Ingrown Toenails
Perhaps not the most glamorous injury, but ingrown toenails are easily one of the more common and painful foot problems seen in our Grapevine, Texas office. In fact, in a recent survey by the American Podiatric Medical Association, they were listed in the top three with heel pain and blisters as the other most common complaints.
Also known as Onychocryptosis, there are a variety of ways an athlete could suffer from the problem. Excessive pressure on the outside of the great toe, stubbing or having a toe stepped on, tight socks and shoes, even improper trimming of your nails can cause ingrown toenails. Don’t forget the dreaded toenail fungus (Onychomycosis) which can cause an abnormally shaped nail that tends to get ingrown.
The pain isn't easy to deal with, as most athletes are usually always on their feet! With running and most other sports being a dynamic in nature, training and racing with an ingrown toenail can be incredibly painful. Soreness and sensitivity along the margins of the toenails may lead to infection (watery discharge, blood, pus). If infected, immediately visit a podiatrist.
If uninfected, treat the feet by soaking them in either salt or warm soapy water. Drying them thoroughly, applying a mild antiseptic solution, and bandaging the toe will make a difference.
However, if the athlete takes proper care of their feet, ingrown toenails can be certainly prevented. Make sure your shoes are long and wide enough. Don’t forget that socks come in sizes as well. Cut your nails straight across. Keep your toenail clipper clean. Don’t pick at them or try to perform bathroom surgery! And treat fungus as soon as it shows it’s ugly head!
For more info on infrown toenails, click here!
http://www.faant.com/library/avoid-bathroom-surgery-on-ingrown-toenails.cfm
Perhaps not the most glamorous injury, but ingrown toenails are easily one of the more common and painful foot problems seen in our Grapevine, Texas office. In fact, in a recent survey by the American Podiatric Medical Association, they were listed in the top three with heel pain and blisters as the other most common complaints.
Also known as Onychocryptosis, there are a variety of ways an athlete could suffer from the problem. Excessive pressure on the outside of the great toe, stubbing or having a toe stepped on, tight socks and shoes, even improper trimming of your nails can cause ingrown toenails. Don’t forget the dreaded toenail fungus (Onychomycosis) which can cause an abnormally shaped nail that tends to get ingrown.
The pain isn't easy to deal with, as most athletes are usually always on their feet! With running and most other sports being a dynamic in nature, training and racing with an ingrown toenail can be incredibly painful. Soreness and sensitivity along the margins of the toenails may lead to infection (watery discharge, blood, pus). If infected, immediately visit a podiatrist.
If uninfected, treat the feet by soaking them in either salt or warm soapy water. Drying them thoroughly, applying a mild antiseptic solution, and bandaging the toe will make a difference.
However, if the athlete takes proper care of their feet, ingrown toenails can be certainly prevented. Make sure your shoes are long and wide enough. Don’t forget that socks come in sizes as well. Cut your nails straight across. Keep your toenail clipper clean. Don’t pick at them or try to perform bathroom surgery! And treat fungus as soon as it shows it’s ugly head!
For more info on infrown toenails, click here!
http://www.faant.com/library/avoid-bathroom-surgery-on-ingrown-toenails.cfm
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