January is in the thick of both professional and college basketball seasons. School and club teams at the pre-college level are in full swing, too, running drills, dribbling balls, and working on those free throws and three-point shots. If anyone is a master of twists, turns, and high vertical jumps, it’s basketball players. All those moves and sudden starts can take a real toll on your toes, however—especially your toenails.
Basketball and black toenails often go together. Slamming around in basketball shoes can jam the ends of your toes and lead to damage. The trauma causes the nail bed underneath the hard tissue to bleed, discoloring it. As the blood pools, it puts pressure on the toe and cause serious discomfort, as well as looking unpleasant. As you can imagine, painful toes can make it harder for you to give your best out on the court.
Black toenails that cause you a lot of pain ought to be evaluated by an expert like those here at Absolute Foot Care Specialists. The doctors can check to make sure you don’t have a fracture or laceration under your nail that could cause serious complications later. They can also carefully drain the pooled blood, relieving the pressure on your toe and eliminating your pain, so you can get back to your game.
If you’re struggling repeatedly with black toenails, you need to look into the source. The most common cause for this problem is improperly fitted shoes. If your high-tops are too loose, your feet will slide forward inside and jam against the ends. If your shoes are too small, however, the ends of your toes will be cramped—and still hit against the end, putting pressure on your nails. Doing nothing and avoiding the issue won’t help your feet heal, so have your shoes and your toes evaluated at Absolute Foot Care Specialists, so that you can keep your head and your feet in the game. Contact our Las Vegas offices for an appointment or more information by visiting the online contact page or by calling (702) 839-2010.
Photo credit: Michael Lorenzo via rgbstock.com
