Can Ingrown Toenails be Permanently Corrected?

Ingrown toenails - OUCH! That is probably your first response if you have ever had an ingrown toenail.  Who would have thought that such a seemingly small thing could be so painful?  First, the side of your toe starts with a bit of redness and slight discomfort.  Then it becomes more painful with redness and swelling.  Then you notice something greenish- yellow draining from your toe, accompanied occasionally by blood.  What happens next?  I’ll tell you what most people do…they try to become experts at “bathroom surgery”.  Knee bent up and foot placed on the counter as you try to “dig out” the piece of nail that is piercing your skin, all while trying to maintain your balance.  This is what I say “OUCH” to!  Why do you do this???  Usually it is because you are too scared to have it treated professionally, or if “you can just get this one piece out, it will get better on its own”.  An ingrown toenail does not have to be a scary proposition.  In fact, you performing acts of cruelty on yourself in your unsterilized bathroom is scary to me (!).  Well guess what?  Performing self-surgery usually causes the ingrown toenail to become worse!  The only way to properly and permanently treat an ingrown toenail is to visit our team of chiropodists (foot specialist) at We-Fix-U Physiotherapy and Foot Health Centres.  Sometimes our foot health experts will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection; however the ingrown toenail does not improve with antibiotics alone.  In order to resolve the infection, the offending nail must be safely and professionally removed from the skin and measures taken to prevent the ingrown toenail from returning.  I can promise you this:  Our team is better at it than you!

US Gymnast McKayla Maroney Breaks Big Toe at Olympics: Should it be Treated?

Recently McKayla Maroney, US Olympic Gymnast competed and reinjured a previously broken big toe, and I heard the comentators mention that it is "just a toe", so no big deal.  While breaking a toe may not seem like a big deal compared to, say, a leg, it actually can be a big deal if not treated properly, especially if it is the big toe.

I am sure many of us have broken a toe or two in our past - usually by stubbing it, dropping something on it, falling or tripping. I am also sure that most of us have been told that nothing can be done for a broken toe. WRONG!

If a broken toe doesn't heal properly, it can heal in poor alignment.  The big toe joint is one of the most important joints in the foot.  A tremendous amount of force is placed through this joint with every step we take, so if the toe doesn't work properly this force will be placed on another body part, creating a viscious cycle of compensation and pain.

If you injure your toe, contact our Chiropodists or Physiotherapists at We-Fix-U to thoroughly assess your injury and get it treated, properly.

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Kids' Head Injuries and Sports

Youth sports are important, enabling boys and girls to be more active, learn new skills, develop personal discipline and to learn hard work.  Today's kids are more involved in organized sports than ever and with all the positives of youth sports, these activities come with some very real risks.  We have all heard heart-wrenching stories of kids suffering brain injuries after playing hockey, football, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, figure skating and other sports. Unfortunately these stories are becoming more common.

A traumatic brain injury is a severe blow to the head, impairing the brain's normal functions.  Symptoms can include confusion, loss of motor function, dizziness, headaches and amnesia.  Repeated concussions can run even greater risk of brain and spinal cord damage.  

As a parent, watching your child paricipate should give you a sense of pride, not a sense of fear.  We must all come together - coaches, parents, kids and health professionals - to create opporunities for our children to participate in sports while keeping them safe and healthy.

On August 11 physiotherapists at our Cobourg location are offerring a FREE pre-concussion screening for children ages 10 or older who play contact sports.  Our injury specialists will test your child to determine baseline information.  Should your child ever suffer a concussion, having this information BEFORE injury will help your son or daughter return to sport more safely.  This screening is also open to children who have already suffered a concussion.  

Space is limited so CALL NOW to help your child.