TENNIS TOE Treatment
Tennis toe is caused by friction between the nail and shoe, and is the result of bleeding under the toenails. When blood is trapped beneath the nail, pressure on nerve endings results, causing a blue-black discoloration and potentially severe pain. Repeated abrupt stops which force the toenail against the end of the shoe can precipitate bleeding.
TENNIS TOE Treatment
Treatment is unnecessary except to control pain. Hot soaks and rest are helpful, but relief is dramatic when the pressure under the nail is released by draining the blood. This can be done by heating the end of a paper clip until it is red hot, then inserting it through the surface of the nail into the collection of blood. The paper clip melts its way through the nail plate. This procedure is not as painful as it sounds because the clip passes through the nail into the blood-filled space, and neither the nail nor the blood contain nerve endings. The same result may be obtained by drilling a hole through the nail with a hypodermic needle.
TENNIS TOE Prevention
Again, well-fitting shoes and properly trimmed toenails are the best defense against the shearing forces that cause bleeding from the nail bed.
TENNIS TOE Treatment
Treatment is unnecessary except to control pain. Hot soaks and rest are helpful, but relief is dramatic when the pressure under the nail is released by draining the blood. This can be done by heating the end of a paper clip until it is red hot, then inserting it through the surface of the nail into the collection of blood. The paper clip melts its way through the nail plate. This procedure is not as painful as it sounds because the clip passes through the nail into the blood-filled space, and neither the nail nor the blood contain nerve endings. The same result may be obtained by drilling a hole through the nail with a hypodermic needle.
TENNIS TOE Prevention
Again, well-fitting shoes and properly trimmed toenails are the best defense against the shearing forces that cause bleeding from the nail bed.
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