When your body faces persistent force or pressure in a certain area, it can respond by building up calcium deposits on the nearest bone as a form of protection. These calcium buildups are called spurs, and you could potentially develop one without even knowing it. When they do make their presence aware, often by pressing against soft tissue, you will feel pain or discomfort. Common locations for these spurs are toes, the heel, and around joints. An effective surgical treatment for a bone spur causing pain is to level it out.

Dr. Andrew Marso will attempt other procedures to treat ingrown nails before recommending a complete nail removal, but this can become a necessary option if the same nail repeatedly has the issue time and time again. For a toenail removal, you will be given local anesthesia via an injection. Once the affected toe has been sufficiently numbed, special tools are used to cut the ingrown toenail down towards the bottom. At this point, either part or the entire nail will be removed. If the problem is recurrent, we may take measures to prevent the nail matrix from allowing the toenail to grow back.

If you experience the strange sensation that you are constantly stepping on a stone—when one doesn’t exist—you may have a neuroma. This condition can also cause burning and tingling pain, caused by a thickening of the tissue surrounding a nerve in your foot. Depending on your case, the nerve may need to be surgically removed to relieve the pain.

When your big toe is misaligned and points inward, it creates a bump at the joint on the inner edge of your foot. This can cause pain and make it difficult to enjoy activities. If conservative care doesn’t provide enough relief and improve the situation, Dr. Andrew Marso will likely recommend a surgical procedure.

Bunion surgery is often a matter of moving the bone and joint back into their natural positions. Once everything is back to where it should be, your bunion pain will be alleviated. Other options include bunionectomy (removing the bony protrusion) or procedures to address the ligaments and tendons surrounding the joint.

This particular toe deformity is typically marked by an abnormal bend in the middle joint of the second toe, which forces the top part of the toe to point downwards. There are cases of hammer toes which are successfully treated with nonsurgical methods, but a toe that has become set in the abnormal position will likely need a tendon to be altered surgically. Should it be necessary, we may opt to remove bone tissue, which can allow the toe to return to its straight, normal position.