Ingrown nails
Ingrown Nails occur when the affected nail edge penetrates the adjoining skin or nail groove, causing inflammation, pain, and in some cases infection.
Ingrown nails present regularly in the clinic, and are easily and painlessly treated. There are a number of ways to treat this condition. Simple clearing of the affected nail edges on a regular basis is enough to give relief. Antibiotics are not the answer for ingrown nails, they may give some relief from the symptoms but unless the offending nail edge is removed the problem will continue.
Possible causes of ingrown nails are
- Trauma to the nail
- Poor fitting footwear – often shoes that are too short or narrow, this puts pressure on the nails and causes deformity of the nail plate.
- Faulty nail cutting- nails should be cut straight across, it’s not advisable to cut your own nails down the side this often results in a spicule of nail being left behind, the skin rolls over this sharp edge and as the nail grows forward it penetrates the skin. I see this often in the clinic!
- Involuted nails these can be inherited and surgery will cure this
All of these factors are taken into consideration and addressed by your podiatrist during your consultation.
In cases where there may be recurrent infections, swelling, and more severe pain, Nail surgery is used for a permanent cure. At Natural Balance Podiatry we use the least invasive procedure possible to obtain the best result. This results in no scarring, less pain after the procedure, and a significantly reduced possibility of infection.
All surgeries are carried out in the clinic in a sterile fashion, under a local anaesthetic injection. The procedure takes around 30 minutes. Once the injection takes effect it lasts from 1 to 2 hours giving excellent pain relief throughout the procedure and post surgically. We advise that when you get home after the procedure you elevate your feet, take pain medication if required, and take it easy until the next day. After this you can resume your normal activities however must wear an open toe shoe for up to 2 weeks to allow normal healing to occur.
The procedure is safe and reliable; success rate for this procedure is high over 95% and is worth considering as it will achieve permanent relief from this painful condition.
Fungal Nail Infections (onychomycosis)
Fungal toe nail infections are extremely common and can be difficult to clear up. Most treatments involve the application of anti fungal paints which need to be used for up to 12 months and unfortunately results can be disappointing. The inconvenience of this type of treatment applying paint on a weekly or daily basis, for many months, and then not getting a cure is frustrating for a lot of patients. There is a better way!
I use a natural treatment for onychomycosis using my knowledge of Chinese Medicine. The treatment involves using a technique called moxibustion. With this method a herb called mugwort is applied to the infected nail, the herb is ignited and burns slowly.
This then heats the nail plate and has a similar effect to laser nail treatment, at a fraction of the cost. (laser can cost from $200 to $300 a visit) At my clinic a normal consultation fee covers the cost of treatment. As a general rule two to three treatments at 3 week intervals, are all that is required to clear the nail infection.
If you have tried paints and other forms of treatment, even laser, and still have an active mycotic nail infection then this method is certainly worth a try.
Comments