Ingrown Nails, also known as onychocryptosis, is a common nail condition that occurs when an offending nail edge grows into the surrounding skin such as the nail border. Sometimes, the nail can penetrate and break the skin which introduces bacteria and increases the chance of an infection. The most common cause of an ingrown nail is improperly cutting the nail. Avoid cutting the nail back at an angle. Instead, cut straight across to avoid leaving a small piece of nail in the corner that can lead to an infection. Avoid allowing nail salons to dig too deep in the nail fold as this is often a common cause as well. Wearing tight shoes can cause the nail to curve in and pinch into the skin. Athletes come in all the time with an ingrown nail with an ill-fitting shoe. The condition causes redness, pain, and swelling of the skin along the side of the nail. In severe cases, it will develop a small pocket of pus or drain a clear yellowish fluid. The patient will find that it is difficult to touch the side of the toe or wear a tight shoe. If you believe you have an ingrown nail, try soaking your foot in an Epsom Salt soak and taking an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen for pain (always seek medical advice from a doctor before taking any medication). If the ingrown nail persists, it is best to go seek medical attention from a Podiatrist before it becomes infected. The doctor will evaluate to determine if a minor procedure to remove the ingrown portion of the nail is needed to alleviate the condition. Sometimes an antibiotic is prescribed to treat an ingrown nail as well. It is best to prevent an ingrown nail by cutting your nails straight across instead of at an angle if possible. Contact one of our offices in Tampa, Wesley Chapel, or Brooksville for a same-day appointment.
Orthotics
Custom orthotics are devices that are inserted into shoes to help realign the foot in a proper position and to provide support. These devices help in redistributing the ground reactive forces that the feet withstand with every step taken. Realigning the foot has been shown to also have a positive impact in the biomechanical alignment in the ankles, knees, hips and spine as well. Custom orthotics are effective in reducing pain for people with flat feet, high arches, plantar fasciitis, bunions and many more conditions. We use state of the art scanning technology to accurately capture a 3D image of the foot to produce our orthotics. Contact one of our offices in Tampa, Wesley Chapel, or Brooksville for a same-day appointment.
Bone spurs
A bone spur, or osteophyte, is an abnormal growth of extra bone and can occur in different areas of the foot. A common area that people have spurs are on the bottom of the heel bone which often is an incidental finding on X-ray but are not the actual cause of pain. The pain is due to inflammation to the area around the bone and to the plantar fascia, which attaches to the heel bone. Another common spur is often seen on the back of heel called a posterior calcaneal exostosis. This spur is associated with a condition called insertional Achilles tendonitis and in some cases the spur may need to be removed to treat the condition. Bone spurs can also be seen along joints of the foot due to abnormal stress to the joints or because of arthritis that has formed. This spurring along the joints can cause inflammation, redness, jamming and pain. Bone spurs come in different forms and in different areas of the foot. We can evaluate and properly treat for bone spurs at any of our locations in Tampa, Wesley Chapel and Brooksville.
