Local anaesthetic for ingrown toenail

On 7th Jan I have to have an ingrown toenail removed under local anaesthetic. Which, fine, I'll be glad to be rid of the damn thing.

But the podiatrist warned me that the injection for the local anaesthetic would be very painful? I don't really get it as I had kind of assumed it would be just like having a vaccine. Are injections more painful in the foot? Or do they do it right into the toe that's already inflamed?

Also how many injections do they do?

Thanks.

 

Injections of local if done well should be quick and not too unpleasant but it isn't always possible to guarantee they will be pain free. Vaccinations go into soft muscle with a very fine needle and are easier. Local has to get into the skin and also the deeper layers and in a tight area like a toe it may be uncomfortable. The foot is not as sensitive as the hand but more so than just a thigh or upper arm. I used to do a lot of local anaesthetic injections in feet and I think we are naturally wary about feet, maybe as a reflex against treading on thorns, but it is all over very quickly.

What one can be reasonably sure about is that having the local is much less painful than not and less painful than having an ingrowing toenail in the long run. The pain of the injection should not last for more than a second or two. Podiatrist can often be a bit overcautious when advising people about such things because they routinely deal with painful corns and suchlike and try to be fastidious about minimising discomfort for patients.

 

I assisted in surgical procedures with surgical podiatrists and it doesn't hurt. They never warned the patient in advance that it would be painful, in fact it was quite the opposite. On one occasion the doctor told a patient that sticking a needle in the heel was the most painful injection and the patient never came back.

Imagine if a dentist told patients that they would feel pain with an injection . .

 

They do a nerve block at the base of the toe and will most likely use a topical freeze spray before they inject the toe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C7PHrZaMrg

 

I had ingrowing toenails in both sides of both big toes removed a couple of years ago. I will admit the injections into the base of the toes are unpleasant but it only lasts a few seconds. I held my husband's hand (very tightly) while the injections were being done. Take a friend/partner/relative with you so you can pass on some of the pain by squeezing their hand. Once my toes had become numb the rest of the process, from my point of view in reference to pain, was a doddle because there was none.

I've never regretted having it done. I had been digging out my ingrown toenails for 30 years and I don't need to do it any more.

 

I have had this done at least four times (three as a child, once as an adult about five years ago, not yet needed another - fingers crossed).

Steps were 1. spray (as described in a post above), 2. injection, 3. sort the toenail out.

I found them painful, it stings rather a lot and feels extremely hot or cold (not quite sure which!), and kind of feels like your toe is filling up with too much liquid and will burst, which it obviously will not. As a child the GP did them, and as an adult a podiatrist did, and I do believe it was a little less painful at the podiatrist (possibly due to their technique or my maturity or experience - not sure).

Although can be painful, it is bearable, and over very quickly. The rest is just a bit of an odd tugging sensation while they do the nail stuff. I remember once I was hyperventilating and it made me lightheaded, so don't forget to breathe normally.

In summary, it is briefly painful and unpleasant, and 100% worth it, would do it again in a blink of an eye if I needed it. No contest against an infected ingrown nail!!

 

Thanks all, very helpful.

 

Mine is just with an ordinary podiatrist but hopefully that won't make much difference.

 

That's ok b/c non surgical podiatrists are trained in surgical procedures for ingrown nails and plantar warts.

 

Even some GPs can do the procedure so great that you've got a podiatrist, hopefully the extra experience will make it as painless as possible

 

I have to disagree with you there, GP are not trained to do these procedures. I know this from experience working in a Podiatry clinic and seeing the mess they've made causing infections and the ingrown nails will grow back

 

You can disagree all you wish but a GP definitely did my toenail multiple times and it was more painful than when the podiatrist did it! Unless...it was all a bad dream...

 

@Mij @Jonathan Edwards

How long is the needle used to do local anaesthetic in the big toe? It's silly but I keep imagining it going straight through the toe and out the other end!!

Also am nervous because, well, there isn't much flesh on the toe, it's basically just bone and skin and a little bit of muscle.

 

How long is the needle in for, it looks like bloody ages in that video?!

 

@Sara94 I can't say exactly but less than a minute. Try not to get too worked up if you can. All the patients that had this procedure did just fine, even those who were afraid of needles

 

I don't remember the length of the needle but if I were to guess it was 1.5 inches, we used a small gauge, around 30 gauge which is very fine so hardly any feeling at all.

I had magnesium injections in my butt for 2 years and the needle was 25 gauge and 2.5 inches long! I was like, how is this length not going to hit bone? I was fine, no pain.

 

Gonna take one of my anxiety tablets beforehand i think

 

You'll be fine even if it stings a bit, it's over quickly! Good luck, report back.

 

Turned out today was just a check up to decide whether i need surgery. I do, and it's scheduled for 16th Jan.

So that was a waste of an anxiety med

 

In a bizarre but welcome plot twist, my toenail suddenly healed itself and surgery is no longer required.