My toenail is falling off

I have been playing football for the past 5 days and over this course my toenail has been pushed back and is now on the verge of falling off and it is extremely painful. I know that I should probably keep it on and wait for a new one to grow underneath but I was just wondering if there was anything I could do in the mean time to minimize pain because I have to continue practice and it is extremely painful. I have got new cleats that are bigger that give the toe a little more room but it is still swollen and the tape that is over it for protection just makes it to large so there is a lot of pressure from the cleat on it. I need this pain to stop because it is affecting my running and I play in a highly competitive league so it is not like I can just take days off because of toenails.

ANSWER

Hi,

Since you are in pain, the smart move would be to go to a foot specialist and have the nail removed. Taping the loose nail back on really does you no good.
The problem is two fold. One, it hurts and two, if left in its present condition you run the risk of developing an infection and possibly doing damage to the new nail that will eventually grow out.
You really have nothing to lose by having it removed in the sense that the toe hurts already and generally a nail removal is not an especially painful procedure.
Yes, there will be some tenderness on the existing nail bed, but my guess is it will not be any more painful that what you are experiencing now.
Lastly if you do develop a paronychia which is an infection you more than likely will be in more pain than you are presently experiencing and you will almost certainly end up missing time on the field.

Marc Mitnick DPM
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