Use a dremel tool or other high speed drill to make a hole; better relief, less pain. Go real slow so as to not heat up your fingernail. Slow and gentle just makes it feel better, not worse.
You can go too deep with a hot-poker, and I can guarantee that you won't feel better after you do that to yourself!
Either way you do it, relieving the pressure and draining the blood also saves a lot of healing time on your damaged nail. If you are lucky, the original skin will re-attach to the bottom of your nail, and the nail never falls off.
(I had a toenail injured so bad, I had to get fiberglass repair kits to keep the nail from cracking in two halves. Been about 5 years now, and that nail still isn't normal...
You can go too deep with a hot-poker, and I can guarantee that you won't feel better after you do that to yourself!
Either way you do it, relieving the pressure and draining the blood also saves a lot of healing time on your damaged nail. If you are lucky, the original skin will re-attach to the bottom of your nail, and the nail never falls off.
(I had a toenail injured so bad, I had to get fiberglass repair kits to keep the nail from cracking in two halves. Been about 5 years now, and that nail still isn't normal...