Welcome to the Website of

Dr. Michael Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS

 Thank you for visiting my website. I have been placing information and articles on this site for many years and have received millions of  hits during that time (and not that many of them were mine). I have designed it for people who like to read about their foot and ankle problems. Since I started the web site, I have added two associates to my practice, Dr. Darren Payne and Dr. Stephen Benson.  Since my site is filled with just my thoughts and opinions they are not, necessarily, shared by my colleagues. To see our less controversial (and less windy) practice web site, I offer you: www.ConejoFeet.com, the practice site for The Agoura Los Robles Podiatry Centers (ALRPC). The ALRPC practice site has a lot of material about our office, many of our policies and the registration forms to be filled out before your visit. I suggest all prospective patients visit www.ConejoFeet.com.

 I made the web site to give my patients the extra depth information that I don’t always have time to cover in the office visit. Visitors who are not my patients are welcome to browse the information found here. My younger colleagues are both under 50 and they, like many their age, do not favor in depth reading. They prefer their information presented to them in a few short, crisp bullet points. I, being of the, ahem, older generation, like to read about my ailments in greater depth. Here, I present the greater depth. If you ask a question about heel pain or bunions that I have not answered in my two monographs, I will quickly add it so that it is as complete as I can make it. If you agree with this philosophy, welcome to my page. If you correspond with me please let me know if you like the in depth reporting.

 Remember, this site is in no way intended to tell you how your own ailment or problem should be treated, only the approach I use when confronted with certain situations. Your problem may well be different from what you think it is and should always be evaluated by the appropriate professional, whether podiatrist, orthopedist or other authority. Please understand that I, nor anyone else, can offer you a proper diagnosis or treatment plan without seeing and feeling the problem at hand (foot?).  Happy reading.

 Sincerely, Michael Zapf, DPM, MPH, FACFAS, FACFAOM

 P.S. All the information in this web site is © by me and it is mine alone. No picture or any of the articles cannot be used by anyone without permission from me, personally.

01/08/2012

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This article appeared in the Canyon and Country Times in October of 1993

The Indignity of Ingrown Mails       

 By: Michael Zapf, D.P.M., M.P.H.

 “I am tired of biting on a wash rag and tearing at my ingrown nails” was how Diane answered my initial question, “why are you here.” Always on the lookout for snappy quotes to use in these articles, I definitely took notice. Her quotation seemed to capture the desperation caused by the pain of an ingrown nail. It is a pain that can go all the way up to your stomach. The pain can make wearing shoes the singular worst part of the day. At night the weight of the bed sheets can make sleeping all but impossible. If you never had an ingrown nail it is hard to describe the pain. It can push even demure people like Diane to become “bathroom surgeons.

 When Diane came to my office she was very apprehensive. Her ingrown nails have caused her must frustration, damage to her nail (and it didn’t do her wash rags much good either.) She was a little suspicious when I described how easy it would be to end her wash rag biting days forever. I showed her my brochure on ingrown nails and explained what I would do. After gently anesthetizing her toe I would remove just the very edge of her toenail that is digging into her toe. Using a chemical and the laser I would kill the nail root cells producing only the ingrown edge of the nail. She would be left with what appeared to be a normal, totally intact nail but without the pain.

 Anxious to end the pain, she scheduled the procedure. At her follow—up appointment she reported no pain or problems with either shoes or sheets. She said she is completely delighted. Her only regret is that she did not have the procedure done years earlier.

 If you or someone you know is suffering from the pain of an ingrown nail, please call and ask for my free brochure on ingrown nails. You, your toe and your wash rags will be glad you did.

 Dr. Michael Zapf is a podiatrist in private practice in Agoura Hills and teaches part time at the LAC/USC Medical Center. For more information please call his office at (818)707—3668.

Send mail to (zfootdoc at doctor dot com) with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2000 Michael A. Zapf, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S., F.A.C.F.AOA.M.
Last modified: January 08, 2012