Pain in the big toe near the nail: possible causes, treatment methods

It happens when it is simply impossible to put on dress shoes or just walk quickly due to severe pain localized on the toe near the nail. In some cases, such a symptom prevents people from simply walking or even sleeping. In the best case, the pain may go away on its own within a week, and in the worst case, it can provoke the need for surgical intervention. In this article we will look at why the big toe hurts near the nail, as well as how to get rid of this symptom.

Causes

There are many reasons for this condition. Some of them are far from harmless. In any case, if your big toe hurts near the nail, you should consult a doctor, since such a symptom can be caused by very serious reasons. You should not self-medicate, as you can get inflammation that will require surgical intervention in the future. When the big toe hurts near the nail, it causes severe discomfort while wearing shoes. So, let's look at the possible reasons for this pain:

Nail injury.
Hangnail.
Ingrown nail.
Systemic disorders and diseases.
Local inflammatory process.

Now it’s worth taking a closer look at the reasons why your big toe hurts near the nail.

Nail injury

Regardless of the main cause of the injury, the process in the area around the nail will proceed the same way, that is, accompanied by severe pain. Let's consider the stages and consequences of an injury that causes pain in the nail on the big toe:

A strong blow or other damage to the nail.
Rupture of blood vessels, as well as disruption of the nerve endings near the nail.
Formation of bruising, as well as disruption of the metabolic process.
Changing the shade of the nail plate, as well as the area of skin nearby.
Complete death.
Growth of another nail plate.

If the injury was severe, the shade of the damaged area changes immediately, and pain will be felt constantly. In addition to the fact that the nail on the big toe hurts, swelling and redness also appear. If the swelling spreads to the foot, then there is a possibility of damage to the phalanx.

Pain when pressed

Typically, when your nails just start to hurt, you can only feel discomfort when you apply pressure. Symptoms are especially pronounced when there is heavy stress on the fingertips - for example, when playing sports, athletics or other types of physical activity.

However, a woman can also feel pain when visiting a salon, when a nail technician performs a pedicure. And most often, discomfort does not appear as a one-time phenomenon, but in the form of a dull, aching pain. In this case, it is recommended to stop the procedure so that you can monitor the further condition of the nails.

The most common causes of pain when pressing on a nail:

Insertion of a splinter under the nail bed. Especially if you have recently received an injury, the nail does not hurt much.
Initial forms of ingrowth of the plate into the side cushion or the development of a fungal infection. To detect problems, you need to contact a mycologist.
Old bruise, hematoma. With recent damage to the nail, pain is felt when walking, but when the damaged area begins to heal, discomfort can only be felt when pressing.
Using aggressive compounds without wearing gloves. Alkalis and acids contained in many chemical compounds affect the integrity of the skin when they get under the nail bed, so you should not neglect to wear gloves.

Most often, the aching pain does not cause discomfort to the girl, but if pain increases, it is recommended to immediately go to the hospital to prevent complications and side effects.

Treatment for bruise

In this case, if you have pain near your big toe, then a specialist should prescribe treatment that can help you get rid of the pain and also speed up the regeneration of the nail. If the matrix under the nail plate is not protected, then areas nearby will also begin to cause serious discomfort. When there is pain around the big toe, a specialist will prescribe bandages, painkillers, and anti-inflammatory drugs that will alleviate the condition.

Ingrown nail

Quite often the area around the toenail hurts due to an ingrown toenail. There are many different factors that provoke this phenomenon. These include the following:

Incorrectly performed pedicure procedure, in particular, improper treatment of the corners of the nail.
Wearing shoes with too pointed toes, which puts pressure on the toe area near the nails. This may also be the reason why your big toe joint hurts.
Incorrect foot position due to flat feet. This may also be the reason why the bone near the big toe hurts.
Excess weight, swelling.
Fungal infection of the feet.

How to prevent ingrown toenails?

It is necessary to adhere to simple rules that follow from the causes of ingrown toenails: - Trim your nails correctly (see the article How to trim nails correctly). On the toes, cut the nail in a straight line, passing no lower than the top of the finger. We do not cut off the corners, but calmly file them with a soft file so as not to injure the skin. -Control excess weight that puts excess stress on your legs. -Wear comfortable shoes that fit. Orthopedic shoes for flat feet. Silicone inserts for hallux valgus. Avoid high heels, and if you have to wear them, do so for no more than 4 hours at a time. -Change your socks and wash your feet regularly. Treat your shoes with disinfectant. means. -Correct concomitant diseases that lead to nail deformation. -Get hygienic pedicures and manicures from professionals regularly.

Thus, if you discover the beginning of an ingrown nail, you should immediately contact a specialist podiatrist. In conditions of high sterility, the podologist will conduct an examination and give recommendations for care. He will tell you about possible options for correcting the nail plate and getting rid of problems associated with nails and feet.

The beauty and health of your feet is in our hands.

Treatment of ingrown toenails

If your big toe is swollen and painful due to an ingrown toenail, then you can get rid of this ailment by treating the problem area with a laser beam. Also, very often nowadays, a similar problem is treated by exposure to radio waves. In the most advanced cases, complete removal of the damaged nail plate is required.

However, if there is pain near the big toe due to an ingrown toenail, you can cope with such a symptom yourself using traditional medicine recipes and conservative methods. First of all, you should change your shoes to more comfortable ones. The use of antifungal and antibacterial drugs is mandatory. Feet should be kept clean. If you want to get a pedicure, it is better to seek help from a professional. If you constantly follow these rules, then the likelihood of pathology forming around the fingernail will be minimized.

Advantages of using laser for surgical treatment:

The use of a laser allows you to remove ingrown toenails with less damage to the nail bed.
Laser dissection of tissue is practically not accompanied by bleeding, increasing the overview of the surgical field during surgery and, thereby, reducing the duration of the operation.
Evaporation instead of scraping hypergranulations is less traumatic for surrounding tissues.
The laser destroys fungal spores if the ingrown toenail is accompanied by onychomycosis.
The effect of laser has a pronounced bactericidal effect, which reduces the risk of infection of the postoperative wound.
Along with the minimal damaging effect, the wound healing time is reduced, the frequency and risk of complications is reduced, compared to classical surgical intervention.
The use of a laser reduces the risk of granulation in the area of the postoperative wound, which, if the rules for prevention are followed, reduces the risk of relapse.

Hangnail formation

We continue to look at why the big toe hurts. The reason may lie in the formation of a hangnail. A small open wound, mechanical damage, as well as vitamin deficiency can cause this phenomenon. When an infection gets under the skin, an inflammatory process begins near the nail plate on the finger, and an abscess forms. In the most serious forms, the inflammatory process develops into various types of foot diseases.

Most people who develop hangnails are those who work with household chemicals without using gloves, as well as those with very dry skin.

There is a possibility of getting an infection under the skin, as well as starting to feel serious discomfort in the area of large toenails during a pedicure with non-sterile instruments.

Why do my fingernails hurt?

Pain is caused by mechanical damage, irritation, circulatory disorders, nervous activity, and infections. It can be weak or intense, constant or temporary, acute, aching or dull. It interferes with your usual activities: cleaning the house, washing dishes, typing on the keyboard, and other tasks. To get rid of an unpleasant symptom, you need to contact a podologist or dermatologist and undergo an examination.

Lack of vitamins and microelements

Inadequate, meager nutrition, addiction to diets, fasting can lead to the formation of a lack of vitamins and minerals in the body, which affect the growth, structure of the nail and surrounding soft tissues. Hypovitaminosis or vitamin deficiency leads to thinning, delamination of the plate, and the appearance of microcracks. As a result, the protection of the nail bed is reduced and vulnerability to external irritants increases. With a lack of vitamins, a person experiences weakness, pallor, peeling skin, split ends, and dull hair.

Vitamins are important for healthy nails:

A (retinol), protects against drying out and cracking;
C (ascorbic acid), increases immunity, resistance to infections;
E (tocopherol), activates cell renewal, accelerates plate growth;
group B, improve metabolic processes in the tissues of the nail apparatus, participate in the synthesis of proteins, and form the correct structure of the nail.

With a deficiency of B vitamins, disorders in the nervous system are possible, which manifests itself in tingling, numbness, burning in the fingers and nails.

Important minerals include calcium, zinc, sulfur, silicon, and phosphorus.

Improper care

With improper care, irritation, loss of integrity, softening of the top layer of the plate, allergies, and inflammation occur.

Common reasons that cause such changes include:

The use of varnishes containing harmful substances (formaldehyde or its analogues, toluene, dibutyl phthalate);
Using acetone removers, which causes aching pain. Acetone dries out the nail plate, making it dehydrated, leading to cracks and delamination. This often happens when removing persistent bright colors, when you need to rub the nail hard and use more remover;
Working with cleaning agents and detergents without gloves;
Contact with chemicals that corrode the protective layer of nails. Cause pain and a severe allergic reaction. Aggressive substances penetrate the bed and trigger inflammation;
Constant contact of hands with water. Humidity and softening of the plate create favorable conditions for the penetration of pathogenic pathogens into the tissues of the nail bed. With a bacterial infection, acute inflammation begins with intense pain.

Manicure

Mistakes in the manicure technique, whether you do it yourself or have it done by a professional in a salon, often cause pain in your nails. This is especially true for women. If the procedure is not performed professionally, microtraumas, cuts, excessive pressure on the plate, infection, and burns from the lamp occur. After an unsuccessful manicure, a woman does not feel pain immediately, but after a few hours or even the next day. Usually the nail hurts when pressed.

Why do my nails hurt after polish and manicure? Continuous wearing of decorative varnish or artificial coatings, even with a properly performed manicure, causes discomfort. The fact is that nails need rest; constant contact with foreign substances disrupts metabolic processes and prevents the plate from “breathing.”

Injuries

A common reason why a finger hurts under the fingernail is injury. Accidental household injuries, blows, falling of a heavy object, pinching, bruises cause redness of the upper phalanx of the finger, hemorrhage, inflammation, and swelling. As a result, it is painful for a person to press on the affected nail. Unpleasant sensations persist from several days to weeks. In case of severe injuries, the nail can become severely deformed, turn black, and peel off from the nail bed.

Infections

Another cause of pain in the nails is bacterial and fungal infections. With bacterial infections, the pain is intense. If there is suppuration, an abscess, then it is pulsating. In the affected area, the skin turns red and becomes hot to the touch. Sometimes the body temperature rises. If there is purulent inflammation, you need the help of a doctor who will open the abscess and carry out antibacterial treatment.

With fungal infection (onychomycosis), pain is weak or absent. The main sign of infection is clouding of the nail plate, change in color, shape, and thickening. Treatment of onychomycosis is carried out under the supervision of a specialist.

Internal disorders in the body

Pain in the nails causes exacerbations of some chronic pathologies of the joints and blood vessels.

These include:

Arthritis. Affects the joints of the fingers with loss of mobility;
Polyosteoarthrosis. Leads to a change in the shape of the fingers and the formation of characteristic nodules near the nails. Causes pain, numbness, tingling;
Raynaud's syndrome. It manifests itself as a spasm of the blood vessels of the hands in response to cold or emotional stress. The fingertips often turn white or blue, and blood flow is temporarily reduced.

Long nails

Why do long nails hurt? It's a matter of physics. With a large length, the nails begin to protrude beyond the fingers and act as a lever. Any impact, vibration, tapping or pressing on the tip of the nail increases the load and pressure on the bed. Constantly repeated impacts lead to injury to the bed and cause pain.

The same explanation answers the question why nails hurt after extensions. Because their length increases and they work like a lever. In addition, during extensions, due to the rigidity of the artificial plate, the risk of tissue tears under it increases if it accidentally gets caught on something.

Hangnail treatment

Quite often, hangnails on the skin near the nails hurt due to trauma to the skin. At the initial stage, iodine and brilliant green can be used for treatment. But if an abscess has formed, then special ointments are used, for example, “Levosin” or “Levomekol”. After treatment, the finger heals in just a couple of days. If a tumor appears in the nail area, and you also feel severe pain that does not go away even after treatment, you should consult a doctor.

To avoid possible inflammation from hangnails on the skin, the following rules must be followed:

Use only sterile pedicure accessories.
Always have antiseptic preparations on hand.
The place where the hangnail forms must be sealed with an antiseptic plaster.
The skin of the feet should be moisturized and nourished to prevent the appearance of hangnails around the nails.

If purulent contents form or are released, you should seek help from a dermatologist, because this liquid is a sign of serious diseases.

Effective treatment

It is impossible to restore the nail structure on your own; to do this, you must go to the hospital and consult with a doctor - a surgeon, dermatologist or pathologist. The doctor will examine the fingers, prescribe tests, based on the results of which he will prescribe a diagnosis.

To prevent complications and quickly rehabilitate delicate skin, it is recommended to follow complex therapy. It includes 3 stages:

The use of medications to neutralize pathogens and pathogenic microflora.
The use of folk recipes to increase local immunity and accelerate tissue healing.
Compliance with preventive measures to prevent relapse.

The medications your doctor prescribes depend on the cause of the problem. Most often, medications are used for fungal infections, then external antimycotics are used, as well as formulations for oral administration: Lamisil, Lotseril, Exoderil, Mycozan.

If your finger begins to hurt after mechanical damage, it is recommended to use healing gels - Panthenol and Bepanten. Additionally, treat your skin daily with an antiseptic or hydrogen peroxide.

Traditional recipes include the use of steam baths, compresses, lotions aimed at restoring the microflora of the plate and increasing local immunity, which will speed up the fight against pathogenic microorganisms.

The recommendations prescribed by the doctor to prevent relapse are based on the reasons why the pain may occur.

Systemic diseases

If your leg is swollen and your big toe hurts, then the reason may lie in the presence of some serious disease in the body. A similar symptom can occur with the following ailments:

Arthritis.
Arthrosis.
Disruption of the cardiovascular system.

If the big toe hurts on the side, on top or in another place, then it may also turn blue or turn white. Such diseases bring great inconvenience to the patient. In addition, diabetes mellitus is a common cause of this symptom. The disease, in the form of additional symptoms, causes cracks, burning, and pain in the feet.

If your big toe bone hurts, what should you do? In a situation where this happened due to a systemic disease, the symptom can only be eliminated if the main disease is cured. And this is carried out only after a complete examination by a doctor.

Local inflammation

So, let’s continue to consider why there is pain near the big toe. This is often observed in the case of local inflammation. In the most serious form of panaritium, damage to the bones of the phalanx of the finger is observed. It is customary to distinguish 2 infections that provoke the development of such a process. This happens for the reason that the tissue gets into:

Infections of the enterococcus group, Staphylococcus aureus.
Intestinal infection, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

At risk are those people who have been diagnosed with a pathology of the immune system, vitamin deficiency, as well as those who have suffered infectious diseases. You should be very careful if damage occurs that is localized near the nail plates on the fingers.

Symptoms

With the first degree of ingrown nail, the lateral edge of the plate begins to press under the edge of the periungual ridge, soft tissues react to the pressure with tissue growth, inflammation, redness, and slight discomfort when walking.

In degree II, the edge of the nail goes under the ridge, thickening and inflammation of the periungual ridge appears, infection may occur in the form of redness, throbbing pain, swelling, up to the appearance of pus - purulent inflammation of the periungual ridge.

In grade III, the nail plate goes deep under the fold, deformation of the finger occurs due to the proliferation of tissues of the periungual fold on the side, a wound defect is formed, which is filled with inflammatory tissues (the so-called “wild meat”), creating discomfort, pain, and clothing sticking to the wound , the wound bleeds easily.

Since hypergranulation (“wild meat”) is a wound, a local infection is often associated, which can spread from the lateral ridge to the posterior ridge (base of the nail plate) - purulent paronychia, accompanied by pain, redness and swelling of both ridges. It can then spread to the tissue of the toe and cause panaritium, as well as inflammation of the lymphatic vessels on the dorsum of the foot and the inner surface of the leg, or the lymph nodes in the popliteal or groin area.

Treatment of local inflammation

If treatment is not started in time, the inflammatory process can affect the joints and bones of the toe. In this case, the disease will be difficult to cure, and the patient will feel severe pain in the limbs. Therapy consists of the use of antibiotics and antibacterial medications. In addition, for external treatment of problem areas, the specialist prescribes gels and ointments that prevent the development of infection. In the most advanced cases, treatment requires surgery to remove the abscess. This is necessary in situations where the toe is very red and the pain is unbearable.

Before starting the main treatment, the doctor must identify the main cause, relieve pain around the fingernails, and also eliminate the main source of its manifestation.

Prevention

To avoid discomfort associated with swelling, you must follow simple recommendations:

Carefully monitor the sterility of instruments used for pedicure.
Improper care can provoke the development of infection.
Do not tear off burrs under any circumstances.
Throw away uncomfortable, tight shoes.
Make sure that no foreign bodies get under your nails.
Disinfect any wound or abrasion.
Observe personal hygiene rules.

When swelling can no longer be avoided, it is important to know exactly how to eliminate the problem at home. The first symptoms should immediately alert the patient; ignoring any inflammatory processes can lead to serious consequences.

Other reasons

In some cases, pain in the fingers near the nails is caused by specific causes. This includes skin cracks, peeling, where when an infection occurs, an inflammatory process appears, accompanied by redness and severe pain. Even if the infection does not get under the skin, this process causes very unpleasant sensations.

Quite often, an abscess on the toe is the result of a simple splinter. Even a small splinter that gets under the nail will not hurt until the inflammatory process begins. To avoid this, you should remove the splinter and treat the area around the finger with an anti-inflammatory agent.

The inflammatory process, pain in the nail area, as well as on the toes, is also caused by a fungus, which provokes injuries on the skin, around the nails, as well as on the entire surface of the fingers. The toes look damaged and ugly in appearance, especially their nails. Self-medication in this case is inappropriate. If you have the first suspicion of a fungal infection of the skin, you should consult a doctor. Mycosis is a rather insidious disease, and if it occurs in an advanced form, it will be very difficult to get rid of it. In addition, the fungus is dangerous to others.

Pain under the big toe nail

Women always monitor the condition of their manicure, since their hands are always in sight, which is why small cosmetic defects become immediately noticeable. Less attention is paid to the condition of the skin on the feet, which is why pain under the big toenail may be ignored.

The main myth of women is that unpleasant sensations can go away on their own, without harming the quality of the natural pedicure or her health. Because of this, they consult doctors several weeks after the first discomfort appears, which complicates tissue rehabilitation.

In order to prescribe competent treatment, it is first recommended to find out the reason why the nails began to hurt. There are quite a few possible factors - both internal and external, which are accompanied by corresponding symptoms.

There are several external factors:

Mechanical damage. Any injury to the fingers or their tips (bruise, pinching, bone fracture, sprain, splinter insertion under the nail bed) leads to poor circulation, formation of a bruise or hematoma under the plate. This leads to the fact that the fingers and nails begin to hurt.
Illiterate pedicure. Even if you perform the procedure in a salon, there is always a risk of careless handling of sharp instruments, which leads to damage to sensitive skin. Keep in mind that in this case the risk of infection in the wound increases.
Wearing uncomfortable shoes. Girls often experience pain in their toes, especially after putting on tight, tight shoes. Discomfort is associated with strong pressure on them, which negatively affects the condition of the nail bed. You can wear these shoes 1-2 times a week.

Most often, nails begin to hurt due to mechanical damage, especially on the big toe, because careless handling of the feet can quickly lead to injury.

Also, sometimes girls inaccurately cut off the overgrown free edge, removing it “at the root”, then the risk increases that it will begin to hurt, since the pressure on the nail will increase, especially when it is hit.

However, consider their reasons, which are related to health status:

Fungal infection. It is easy to become infected with a fungus, especially through direct contact with a carrier of pathogenic bacteria;
Ingrown nail. Often appears due to a genetic predisposition or as a result of untreated fungus;
Joint problems;
Inflammatory processes;
Diabetes;
Flat feet.

Often problems with natural nails in girls appear due to genetic predisposition, so they appear gradually, based on the woman’s age. This is due to the natural deformation of the nail plate, which is quite difficult to restore after this.

Congenital features of the pedicure form are common, but are not always accompanied by unpleasant sensations, so to find out the exact cause of discomfort while walking, you need to consult a doctor.

Folk recipes

If your finger near the toenail festers, then you can use procedures, home remedies that you can prepare yourself. The most effective of them are the following:

Foot baths. To prepare such a bath, you will need baking soda and iodine tincture. The fact is that salty components help get rid of the inflammatory process, and iodine effectively copes with microbes. To prepare one bath you will need 1 liter of boiled warm water, to which one tablespoon of soda is added, as well as a few drops of iodine.
Compress. One leaf of plantain or coltsfoot plant needs to be kneaded, and then a compress is made from the resulting pulp on the area around the finger. It must be kept at the site of inflammation for about 10 hours. That is why it is best to do this procedure at night.
Vegetable compress. To prepare this home remedy you will need a mixture of raw onions, beets, carrots. All vegetables are grated on a fine grater, and a small amount of aloe plant juice is added. All ingredients are mixed, after which the resulting mixture is applied to the damaged area and secured with a bandage on top. The compress remains on the problem area for several hours.
A fairly effective remedy is a cake made from boiled potatoes using a small amount of honey.
Baked onions. To do this, the vegetable is divided into two identical slices and baked in the oven for 15-20 minutes. After this, the onion is applied as a compress to the affected area. Please note that the vegetable should only be used warm.
Tincture based on Japanese Sophora. It is best to purchase a ready-made product at a pharmacy, and use it according to the instructions included.

In any case, before treating an abscess near the fingernail, it is necessary to objectively assess the development of the process. If suppuration in this area is very widespread, then it is better not to waste time and immediately seek help from a doctor.

Diagnosis of the disease

What to do with an ingrown toenail ? As soon as you see that your toenail is growing into the skin, you should definitely consult a doctor.

Diagnosis of the disease will be based on an external examination, the patient’s medical history, questioning and collection of his complaints. In addition, diagnosis is impossible without laboratory tests:

General blood analysis. Allows you to assess the condition of the body, detect the inflammatory process and draw a conclusion about the need for surgical treatment.
Blood test for glucose. This study will look for diabetes or metabolic disorders that may be an indirect factor activating inflammation.
X-ray of the foot. Thanks to this instrumental method, the doctor will be able to detect an inflammatory process on the bone, or the formation of osteophytes (bone outgrowths).

If the doctor suspects the presence of a fungal infection, he will refer you to a specialized specialist - a dermatologist, who will begin treatment of the ingrown toenail from a dermatological point of view, so that the process does not resume even after resection.

If an ingrown toenail is not diagnosed in time, the problem becomes chronic. As a rule, half of the patients who did not seek medical help in time suffer from onychocryptosis.

At the medical clinic, experienced doctors treat ingrown toenails painlessly and at the best price!

Treatment options

There are therapeutic and surgical (using surgery) methods for treating ingrown toenails. Therapy should be carried out under the strict supervision of the attending physician, and self-medication should be avoided!

Therapeutic methods for eliminating the disease include the following methods:

Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The remedies will help reduce the intensity of inflammation and reduce pain. As a rule, patients take Paracetamol or Ibuprofen, the dosage is determined by the attending physician. The patient takes pain relief for an ingrown toenail if the pain is too severe.
Special baths for disinfection. How to soften an ingrown toenail ? Baths are performed 2-4 times a day: ordinary baking soda, potassium permanganate or sea salt must be dissolved in water. Thanks to the baths, the tissues soften, and the problem of how to cut out an ingrown toenail no longer worries the patient. After removing the nail, the area must be treated with iodine or brilliant green.
Using Vishnevsky ointment. Vishnevsky ointment is indispensable for infectious processes. The bandage should be applied to the area of inflammation at night and removed in the morning. Even a severely ingrown nail can be removed in the morning, when it comes out from under the roller.

In addition, doctors advise using ichthyol ointment, which relieves inflammation and reduces irritation. The bandage must also be applied at night, and the nail must be cut in the morning. An ingrown toenail can also be removed using these methods.

The following methods are used as surgical methods for treating ingrown toenails:

Cauterization using a laser. The method is effective if ingrown nails occur at the cuticle level. Thanks to the laser, it is possible to prevent relapses because the laser removes germ cells, the site of inflammation and young granulation tissue.
Resection of an ingrown nail. The doctor performs the operation under local anesthesia, and in this case the entire nail plate has to be removed, because one of the indications for resection is a suppurative process. After 3 months, a person grows a new nail.
Removal using radio wave technology. A gentle treatment method, thanks to which the patient does not have any scars or stitches on the finger. During the operation, the doctor removes the ingrown part and treats the growth zone to prevent relapse of the disease.

Sometimes the doctor will tamponade the ingrown toenail to stop bleeding or drainage of pus.

After surgery, the intervention area should be treated with an antiseptic solution and antibacterial ointment for 3-5 days. For severe pain, the doctor prescribes painkillers. You only need to wear wide shoes so as not to put pressure on the operated area.

How to help the body?

In most cases, the reason why pain occurs on the toe near the nail indicates a decrease in the body's immune system. To strengthen your body's defenses, you need to:

Eat well. The diet should be such that it contains a biologically justified combination of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
Carry out vitamin therapy and mineral therapy. This suggests that the diet should be dominated by a sufficient amount of foods high in vitamins and minerals necessary for the body.
It is advisable to get rid of bad habits, in particular, smoking, drinking alcohol, and visiting fast food establishments.
To live an active lifestyle.
Maintain a rest and work schedule.

What really hurts?

Pain is our body’s call for help, a signal that something is wrong. Special nerve endings, nociceptors, which permeate living organs and tissues, are responsible for reproducing the signal. Under the influence of thermal, chemical, mechanical stimuli, the intensity of which exceeds the excitability threshold, in a fraction of a second the receptors transmit a signal to the brain. A person feels pain of a different nature and intensity depending on the severity of the damage. The reason may lie not only in the reaction of nerve endings to the stimulus, but also in malfunctions of the nervous system itself.

We know that the nail plate consists of keratinized or otherwise dead cells. Protects the terminal phalanges of the fingers from external irritants. There are no nerve endings or blood vessels in it. Otherwise, when trying to cut our nails, we would experience severe pain. In fact, pain is caused not by the nails, but by the soft tissues of the bed and ridges in contact with them with many nerve endings and blood vessels.