Perhaps not the most glamorous injury, but ingrown toenails are easily one of the more common and painful foot problems around. 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!  Ca   ffd     djfdf           sdc   

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Although this has been a mild winter in Utah, it is so important to prevent slip and fall injuries. Lots of people fall on ice and snow every year-without serious injury. Not so fortunate were some 16,000 Americans who die each year from falls, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).

Falls rival poisoning as the number one home accident in the U.S. The number of injuries or deaths from falls due to winter conditions is not recorded by the NSC. But, safety experts agree that many injuries result from falls on ice-covered surfaces.

Safety Tips

It's important that individuals recognize the hazards of slippery surfaces. Here are helpful hints from winter-safety experts that will reduce the risk of falling when slippery conditions exist:

1. Wear boots or overshoes with soles. Avoid walking in shoes that have smooth surfaces, which increase the risk of slipping.

2. Walk consciously. Be alert to the possibility that you could quickly slip on an unseen patch of ice. Avoid the temptation to run to catch a bus or beat traffic when crossing a street.

3. Walk cautiously. Your arms help keep you balanced, so keep hands out of pockets and avoid carrying heavy loads that may cause you to become off balance.

4. Walk "small." Avoid an erect, marching posture. Look to see ahead of where you step.

5. When you step on icy areas, take short, shuffling steps, curl your toes under and walk as flatfooted as possible.

6. Remove snow immediately before it becomes packed or turns to ice. Keep your porch stoops, steps, walks and driveways free of ice by frequently applying ice melter granules. This is the best way to prevent formation of dangerous ice patches. Waiting for it to melt can sometimes take days!

Falling Safely

Even when you practice safe walking habits, slipping on ice is sometimes unavoidable.

It takes, on average, less than two seconds from the moment you slip until you hit the ground. That's precious little time to react. In that instant, the risk is an injury to your head, a wrist, hip, ankle or shoulder.

When falling, it is best to use a tuck-and-roll principle. It's important to tuck your body, lift your head and avoid trying to break the fall with a hand, which can cause a wrist injury.

 Serious injuries can quickly occur!  If you are a klutz or are planning to spend a lot of time in the cold; following these guidelines may help protect you from serious injury this winter. If you do happen to fall and sprain your ankle or foot, call our office. Help is just a phone call away! And remember, just because you can walk on it doesn't mean it is not broken. 

Bunions are most often caused by and inherited trait regarding the mechanical structure of the foot. It is not the bunion itself that is inherited, but certain foot types that make a person prone to developing a bunion. Although wearing inappropriate shoes that crowd the toes won't actually cause bunions in the first place, it sometimes makes the deformity become progressively worse. In other words, sometimes wearing these types of shoes could cause you to experience the symptoms of the bunion sooner.

Bunions are readily apparent- you can see the prominence at the base of the big toe or the side of the foot. However, to fully evaluate your condition, the podiatrist may take x-rays to determine the degree of the deformity and assess the changes that have occurred. Because bunions are progressive, they do not go away, and will usually get worse over time. But not all cases are alike- some bunions progress more rapidly than others. Once your podiatrist has evaluated your particular case, a treatment plan can be developed that is suited to your needs.

Bunion symptoms most often occur when wearing shoes that crowd the toes (most likely shoes with a tight toe box or high heels). This may explain why women are more likely to have such symptoms rather than men. Other symptoms include:

• Pain or soreness at the site of the bunion especially after wearing crowded shoes.
• A burning sensation after pressure is put upon the bunion site.
• In more serious cases, some numbness may occur
• Calluses on the big toe or sores between the toes.
• Ingrown toenails on the big toe
• Restricted motion of the toe because of the increased pain along the site.

Treatment for a bunion sometimes includes just observation. A periodic office evaluation and x-ray examination can determine if your bunion deformity is advancing, thereby reducing your chance of irreversible damage to the joint. However, in many cases some other type of treatment is needed. Early treatments are aimed at easing the pain of bunions, but they won't reverse the deformity itself. These other nonsurgical treatments include:

• Nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen may help reduce the pain and inflammation.
• Ice on the inflamed area several times a day to help reduce the inflammation and pain.
• Placing padding over the area of the bunion can help minimize the pain. You can get bunion pads from your podiatrist or purchase them at a drug store.
• Avoiding activities that cause bunion pain, including standing for long periods of time.
• Changing the types of shoes you wear is very important when it comes to wearing the right kind of shoe. Choose shoes that have a wide toe box and forgo those with pointed toes or high heels which may aggravate the condition.
• Injection therapy is rarely used from bunion treatment. However, in some cases, injections of corticosteroids may be useful in treating the inflamed bursa (fluid-filled sac located in a joint) sometimes seen with bunions.
•  Custom orthotic devices may be provided by the podiatric surgeon. These devices can be worn inside all your shoes and help relieve bunion pain.