People often think that podiatrists only deal in feet but, the truth is, here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists we look at your lower limbs as a whole. This includes ankle injuries and chronic ankle problems. As football season rages on, we see headline after headline of players benched due to ankle injuries. A big reason athletes suffer from chronic ankle issues is that they can’t take the time away from the game to allow their ankle to completely heal – their teammates need them, but so does their health!

We see plenty of patients here with chronic ankle pain and instabilities who are not professional athletes. Often their issues are due to old ankle injuries that weren’t properly rehabilitated. When you sprain your ankle, your ligaments overstretch or sometimes even tear. When the pain subsides, many patients consider themselves healed and resume their normal daily activities. Unfortunately, retraining and rehabilitating that damaged tissue and building supportive muscle up around it takes more time.

Chronic Ankle Condition Symptoms

If you’ve suffered multiple ankle sprains in your life, you might have chronic ankle conditions. Other indicators include:

• Pain and tenderness in your ankle
• Wobbly feelings in your ankles
• Swelling in your ankles
• Constantly twisting your ankle when playing sports, walking on uneven surfaces, or even standing still.

We Can Help Improve Ankle Stability

If you’re dealing with any of the above symptoms or if you have a sprain that you think might not be fully healed, call our office today. Our podiatrist Dr. Adam Mucinskas will examine your ankle, checking your range of motion and asking questions about pain, swelling, or other sensations. If needed, x-rays or other internal imaging will be ordered to more closely examine your ankle’s condition.

Once Dr. Mucinskas has determined how extensive your ankle problems are, he will discuss all of the non-surgical treatment options available. These options include:

• Medication to help reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation
• Braces or orthotics
• Physical therapy to help repair any ligament damage and build muscles to prevent future sprains

If you’re suffering from painful ankles, make an appointment today at Feet First Foot Care Specialists! Dr. Adam Mucinskas keeps up-to-date on all the latest podiatric health issues and utilizes state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatment techniques. Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment at our conveniently located office in the Cromwell, Connecticut area: (860) 632-5499.

Each of your feet has 33 joints, each of which can be afflicted with arthritis. Arthritis is a disease that can greatly impact your feet and your quality of life. Here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we answer tons of questions about arthritis. Many people consider it to be a disease that only comes on with aging. The truth is, of the 50 million adults who suffer from arthritis, two-thirds are under 65 years old. There are also about 300,000 children in the U.S. with arthritis. We thought we’d take the time to address any other arthritis questions with this blog.

What is arthritis?

Arthritis is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease – it’s not just one single disease. Over 100 kinds of arthritis exist. The two most common types are:

• Osteoarthritis – this “wear and tear” arthritis occurs as the lubrication and cartilage in your joints wears down.
• Rheumatoid arthritis – this is an autoimmune disease that causes joint pain.

Who is at risk for arthritis?

Arthritic disorders can afflict anyone, regardless of their age, race, or gender. Here are a few factors that put people at a higher risk though:

• Genes – arthritis can be hereditary.
• Previous joint injuries – if you’ve hurt a joint in the past, it will more likely develop arthritis as you age.
• Weight – obesity puts extra strains on your joints, which can accelerate arthritic conditions.

How will I know if I have arthritis and what should I do?

If you have pain, stiffness, swelling, or redness in your joints, or decreased range of motion, you likely have arthritis. If you are experiencing any of these conditions, it’s time to give us a call today. Our podiatrist Dr. Adam Mucinskas will examine your feet and ankles using x-rays, MRI’s, or other imaging studies and laboratory tests. This will help him determine the type of arthritis you’re suffering from. The earlier you catch arthritis, the better the treatment will be.

If you’re suffering from painful joints, call our office here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists! Dr. Adam Mucinskas keeps up-to-date on all the latest podiatric health issues and utilizes state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatment techniques. Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment at our conveniently located office in the Cromwell, Connecticut area: (860) 632-5499.

We talk about the importance of wearing the right kind of shoes often, but did you know that laces are an equally important part of keeping your feet safe? There are so many ways to mix and match shoelace colors, styles, shapes, and sizes to add some flair to your feet. But did you know that proper lacing can help prevent foot and ankle injury?

Shoelace tips

• Loosen your laces before slipping your foot in. You can stress your foot trying to contort it into a too-tight shoe. It can also wear down your shoe faster.
• Lace starting from the holes closest to your toes up. This will ensure stability and a solid fit.
• Pull laces tightly after lacing through the eyelets. Leave no excess lace so that the shoe fits nice and snug.
• More eyelets generally mean a better fit for the shoe.

Lacing tips for narrow feet

If you have narrow feet, you should lace your shoes using the holes farthest away from the tongue of the shoe. This will provide solid fit and stability.

Lacing tips for wide feet

If your feet are on the wide side, utilize the inner eyelets to lace up your shoes. It tightens the shoe closer to the center and prevents any rubbing and chafing on the outside of your feet.

Why should I bother lacing right?

Lacing right can help alleviate or prevent foot pain and injury. It’s extra important to utilize all of the eyelets provided when you lace your shoes up. Make sure you lace anything closest to the heel the tightest. If you are experiencing Achilles tendinitis or plantar fasciitis, this will help to mitigate any pain you are experiencing in your heel and provide stability and support throughout your day.

Have your shoes been laced up incorrectly causing you a foot or ankle injury? Call our office here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists! Our Podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, keeps up-to-date on all the latest podiatric health issues and utilizes state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatment techniques. Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment at our conveniently located office in the Cromwell, Connecticut area: (860) 632-5499.

Here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we hear a lot of misinformation about the field of podiatry. We put together a few myths that we commonly hear from patients that we wanted to clear up.

Set the record straight:

Myth: My podiatrist would not want to hear about the pain in my knees, calves, or ankles.

Fact: Your podiatrist needs to hear about the pain you’re having anywhere in your lower extremities. This will help them assess exactly what might be going on. Foot pain is often caused by a dysfunction anywhere from the knees to other parts of your lower leg. If you have pain in your calves, for instance, this can be a sign of an issue with your Achilles tendon such as Achilles tendonitis.

Myth: For “minor” issues like warts or ingrown toenails, I should just take care of them at home. My podiatrist only treats “major” issues.

Fact: Home remedies can make problems worse! We’ve seen many issues like ingrown toenails exacerbated by someone trying a “folk remedy” at home. This can often lead to a nasty infection which can be a huge problem, especially if the patient has diabetes. It’s always better to call our office if you’re suffering from any ailments in your feet.

Myth: It’s not important for the podiatrist to see my shoes.

Fact: Your podiatrist can deduce a lot about your feet from your shoes! Your shoes can shed light onto your gait, which can point to certain biomechanical issues such as overpronation. Your shoes also play a huge role in how healthy your feet are. If you wear unsupportive shoes like flip-flops all day, or spend a lot of time with your toes shoved together in high-heels, you can end up with painful issues like bunions. Your podiatrist can help to recommend the best style of footwear that will fit your feet and your lifestyle.

Do you have questions about your feet? You can bet that Dr. Adam Mucinskas here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists has the answers! He keeps up-to-date on all the latest podiatric health issues and utilizes state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatment techniques. Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment at our conveniently located office in the Cromwell, Connecticut area: (860) 632-5499.

As our bodies grow older, everything changes significantly including our feet! We use our feet a ton throughout our lives. Before turning 80, the average American will have walked over 100,000 miles! That mileage takes a toll on your feet. Here are a few things that happen as your feet age:

Increased discomfort:

Babies’ feet are pudgy and soft with a natural padding of collagen, elastin, and adipose. As we age, though, all of those agents diminish. The loss of cushioning can make long periods of standing or walking pretty painful.

Custom orthotics can help provide some comfort if you’re dealing with foot pain.

Arthritis:

This painful, chronic disease causes joint inflammation. Your feet and ankles have more than 30 joints in them, which means that arthritis has a lot of places to strike. It usually comes with morning stiffness and a limited range of motion.

There’s no cure for arthritis, but custom orthotics and medication can ease the discomfort

Bunions and hammertoes:

These foot deformities are caused partially by genetics, but can also be caused when something forces your toes into unnatural positions. Pressure from incorrectly fitting shoes or other sources can shift the bones in your foot and cause painful bunions or hammertoes.

Comfortable shoes will reduce the risk. If the issue is advanced, then surgery might be your best option.

Diabetes:

Diabetes can strike at any age, but the risk increases as we grow older. It often comes with diminished blood flow to your extremities, which can make your feet uncomfortably cold and cause cuts to not heal quickly. There are many other issues that come with diabetes, such as Peripheral Arterial Disease which is a restriction of blood vessels.

If you have diabetes, it is imperative that you check in with your podiatrist and regularly check your feet. Any changes in look or feel should be noted and reported to your foot doctor!

The best thing you can for your feet as they age is to keep a great relationship with your podiatrist. Dr. Adam Mucinskas here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists works with feet of all ages! He utilizes the most up-to-date technology for diagnostics and treatments of any foot or ankle issue you might be experiencing. Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment at our conveniently located office in the Cromwell, Connecticut area: (860) 632-5499.