Forums >Health and Nutrition>Losing toenails are not like losing teeth
The Captain
So I have a pretty bad pain in my second toe nail (next to the the big toe). It's not black or anything yet but if I go downhill and my feet shift forward in the toe box it hurts like none other. Should I go to the doc and see if he should remove it or should try something like icing it?
You don't give many specifics. How long has this been going on? Was there anything "abnormal" or out of the range of your normal runs? Have you increased your mileage? Have you done more hills? Have you run faster lately than before? Do you trim your nails? Are your shoes wet? There are LOTS of reasons this could be happening.
Is this in response to a hard race?
If so, wait a little, ease off, it might get better.
Is this in response to doing more hills?
Are your shoes really old?
If so, get a new pair of shoes, wait a little, ease off, it might get better.
If easing off, waiting a little, either doesn't help, or doesn't appeal to you, then sure, go see a doctor.
Oh, and by the way, icing is always a good idea. Removing a nail...that's kind of drastic.
Jeff
yeah what Jeff said.
I've had a few come off, but only had one that ever hurt. I actually altered how my foot landed so I could continue to run, and took vitamin I. It was like a shooting nerve pain, horrid. I could see blood underneath at the top and released it with a safety pin, not through the nail it was right at the top. That released the pressure and it stopped hurting, then it slowly lifted off over a number of weeks. I'm no pro on toe nails but can't imagine you need to have it surgically removed. Only my sore one went black and it took a long time.
Do you have Morton's Toe (2nd toe longer than others)?
I do, and for running, I needed to get longer shoes.
Also, I fasten the bottom and the top while maintaining the middle laces loose.
This has helped relieve pain in the bony area while still keeping a tight fit for a long shoe.
top
X loop / knot
X
| | bony area
X toe box
_ bottom loop
toe
Life Goals:
#1: Do what I can do
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rectumdamnnearkilledem
It's not ingrown, is it? I had issues with one of my big toenails becoming ingrown when my son was an infant--I didn't wear heels or tight shoes, so I suspect that pregnancy and severe edema caused my nail to temporarily grow funny. That ingrown spot hurt like hell...like the pressure of bedsheets at night could wake me from a sound sleep and it would bleed spontaneously where the nail was digging into the skin. I used some Dr. Scholl's ingrown toenail thingies for a while that helped...and I wrapped the toe loosely with layers of gauze, then covered that in medical tape.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
My right foot big toe and the next toe are in a constant process of losing toe nails and growing them back, so I can loose them again. Right now both are nailless.
After long trail runs or sometimes just long runs in which my stride degrades I cause damage. Sometimes the pain is accompanied by a blister or blood blister under the toe nails, sometimes not. If the toenail is raised, I can usually drain the fluid underneath. Either way the bulk of the pain goes away within a week. Eventually the toenail turns black. It usually does not pop off until the new toenail underneath grows out far enough to help pop it off. For my big toe nail this can take a few months or in the last instant over 9 months before it popped off (Yesterday - Damaged happened at Leadville last August)
It has become my "usual" and I would not think about seeking medical treatment.
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
Do you have Morton's Toe (2nd toe longer than others)? I do, and for running, I needed to get longer shoes. Also, I fasten the bottom and the top while maintaining the middle laces loose. This has helped relieve pain in the bony area while still keeping a tight fit for a long shoe. top X loop / knot X | | bony area X toe box _ bottom loop toe
I have Morton's Toe as well, and it has never bothered me. Having said that, yeah, I know I'm not "everyone", and I imagine all sorts of people have an issue with Morton's Toe...but NOT a NEW issue with Morton's Toe.
The OP never mentioned if he did anything different to exacerbate the condition.
I too have this happen all the time. Mine is mainly on my three middle toes on only my left foot. I have only lost a couple on right my foot. I have noticed it increases with mileage. The more miles the less toe nails I end up with. Mine only hurt a week or so until they turn black, then it takes awhile (a month or two) for them to fall off. As they grow out, I just keep clipping them back and that seems to prevent them from catching and ripping off before they are "ready".
Another joy of running! Noone told me that one and first time I noticed the nail lifting, I was mortified! lol, live and learn.
not bad for mile 25
Yeah, we pretty much shed nails like dogs shed their hair.
There is a positive to it, my 7yo jammed her thumb, it went black, and she was so casual about it when I told her the nail would fall off. No big deal.
I signed on here to ask about this very issue - incredibly sore 2nd toes. And yes they are a bit longer than the big toes, and I have increased milage reently, but I noticed that I do a weird pushing off with these two toes every stride. Much more so than the other toes. I actually jam then down on the bottom of my shoe. So, other than being mindful of not doing that for every step of every run, any suggestions? I think I'll try taping them into a straight position to prevent my weird toe-jamming reflex.
Reading this over, I wonder about my form!
The Runner Life
when I increase my mileage a fair amount I'll get the occasional blister/blood blister under a toenail. Sometimes, if it's minor and I catch it soon enough, I can save it. But usually, like most people said here, I can drain it and then it will begin to fall off after 2-3 weeks. It shouldnt hurt once it starts to fall off.
therunnerlife.com
I have never had a problem with toe nails. I sometimes wonder whether people are just used to shoes that are a little too small and that is a contributing factor?
Maybe ~ More likely a hitch in stride or types of runs
When I do long runs / races 50M + My stride starts to lose proper form and it puts pressure on toes, When I run 6+ hour TM runs it seems to do the same and when I do 50k+ trail races where I bomb the downhills hard it will do the same.
I could see the same happening with really intense races or speed workouts ~ but not for me.
I believe all of my issues (or almost all) come from when I start losing form in my stride (Including hard downhill trail running).
my 2nd toe is longer ~ But its the big toe nail on my right foot I wish I would not constantly lose ~ It finally came off after a > 6 months of just bing black, what pushed it over the edge:
Sat - DWD 50k trail race
Tue - 44 mile TM run
Sat - 40 mile track run
I've wondered this, too. Because my foot is so wide I often have to size up a half-size to get enough width. As a result I never end up with shoes that are even remotely too short...and I've never had so much as a single black toenail, much less ever lost one. I have nearly an extra 3/4 inch beyond my longest toe in many shoes.