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Podiatrist - Cromwell
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Cromwell, CT 06416

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
August 03, 2020
Category: Foot Care

With high humidity and temperatures climbing to over 90 fairly consistently in Middlesex County, we at Feet First Foot Care Specialists know patients who experience swelling of the feet and ankles may think the weather is the cause of their discomfort. While it’s true prolonged exposure to high heat can result in dilation of blood vessels, which in turn causes fluid to pool in your feet, there are other, more concerning reasons for swelling (also known as edema). If your swelling doesn’t diminish after you put your feet up for while inside where it’s cooler, it may be due to one of the five reasons below.

  1. Sprained ankle—did your ankle give way recently when you were walking? Even it wasn’t bad enough for you to fall, you may have overstretched the ligaments. Swelling can be a sign of a sprain. Try to stay off the foot for a while and keep it elevated as much as possible. Apply ice and a compression bandage to help reduce swelling. If this does not work or it becomes painful, make an appointment at our Cromwell office by calling (860) 632-5499 so that our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, can examine the injury.
  2. Pregnancy complications—if you’re expecting, some swelling is normal due to physical and hormonal changes your body is going through. However, sudden swelling, especially if accompanied by abdominal pain, headache, nausea, or vision changes can signal a serious medical problem called preeclampsia. This condition occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy and causes dangerously high blood pressure.
  3. Medication—many drugs may have the side effect of causing swelling of feet or ankles. Some examples include hormones, steroids, blood pressure medications that are calcium channel blockers, certain anti-depressants, and some drugs used to treat diabetes.
  4. Infection—sometimes swelling indicates an infection in your foot. Patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy or other nerve condition are more susceptible to foot infections. If you have one of these conditions, you should report swelling to the podiatrist as soon as possible.
  5. Organ disease—the heart, liver, and kidneys when failing can all cause swelling of the feet as a symptom and may be accompanied by loss of appetite, fatigue, and weight gain. These are obviously very serious conditions and illustrate why it’s important to not delay in seeking treatment for edema.

If you have persistent swelling in your lower extremities, Dr.Adam Mucinskas and Feet First Foot Care Specialists can help you. Contact us today, by calling 860-632-5499.

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists
July 27, 2020
Category: foot surgery

At Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we always exhaust conservative treatment methods for our Middlesex County patients before considering surgery. When a condition fails to continue to respond or improve using non-invasive options, however, surgery can provide the permanent correction to an ongoing foot or ankle problem.

Some examples of podiatric problems where surgery may be indicated include:

Sometimes even seemingly minor problems like corns, calluses, warts, and ingrown toenails may require surgery if they are recurring and unable to fix with other treatment methods. You should consult with our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, to determine if surgery is the right choice for you at this time.

Paving the Way for a Smooth Recovery

Once the decision for surgery has been made, it’s time to take steps to ensure your procedure and recovery will go as well as possible with few or no surprises. Below are some tips to help:

  • Start by making sure you fully understand the procedure you’ll be undergoing. Ask the foot doctor questions about where the surgery will be performed, whether it will be outpatient or require a hospital stay, how long it should take, and what type of anesthesia will be used.
  • Schedule all pre-tests and other appointments necessary before surgery.
  • Find out how long the foot doctor expects your recovery to take and plan to take an adequate amount of time off and re-schedule any significant family events. Don’t short-change yourself on recovery time! Bearing weight on the affected foot or beginning to drive before the podiatrist gives the go-ahead can slow or inhibit your recovery and possibly cause re-injury.
  • Determine if you will need special equipment such as a scooter, crutches, etc. and rearrange your living space to accommodate their usage if necessary. Find out if you will need physical therapy, or other follow up treatments post-op and schedule,le those.
  • Finally, enlist help from family and friends to ensure that you can rest and recover worry-free. Meals, rides for your children, and offers to run errands or grocery shop will make it possible for you to focus on the work of healing.

If you have questions about an upcoming surgery, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Adam Mucinskas and our Cromwell office by calling (860) 632-5499.

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists
July 20, 2020
Category: foot fungus

As more recreational activities open for our patients in Middlesex County, we at Feet First Foot Care Specialists want to remind patients summer is prime time for fungal foot infections. Lurking on the pool deck, in the nail salon and at seaside restrooms and changing areas are fungi, bacteria, and viruses just waiting for unsuspecting bare feet to walk by. These germs passed on by direct contact, lead to athlete’s foot, fungal toenails, and warts.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from foot fungus:

  • Keep feet covered at all times in public places. Wear flip-flops or shower shoes at the pool, beach, dance studio, and locker room.
  • Wash your feet daily with soap and warm water. Dry them completely before putting on socks or shoes.
  • Don’t share shoes, socks, towels, nail clippers, emery boards, or any item that may have touched another person’s feet.
  • If you have a child that has contracted a foot infection, do not let them share a bed with another sibling. Foot infections are contagious. Be sure to thoroughly clean and disinfect the tub or shower after they bathe.
  • Do not allow feet to sit in damp socks and shoes. It is an ideal breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. Change socks whenever feet feel sweaty. Use an antifungal or talcum powder each day to help feet stay dry.

Be sure to check your feet daily (at bath or shower time is ideal). If you notice discoloration or thickening toenails; skin that’s dry, itchy and red; small raised patches on the skin or any other unusual changes or abnormalities, contact our Cromwell office by calling (860) 632-5499. Our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, will examine your feet and determine if you have contracted an infection and decide the best course for the appropriate treatment.

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
July 13, 2020
Category: shoes

You may not want to hear this: flip-flops are really bad for your feet! At Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we know for many of our Middlesex County patients, flip-flops are the footwear of choice, especially during the summer months. What could possibly be the harm in these oh so easy to wear summer favorites? Below are five reasons why flip-flops are really just a flop: 

  1. Increased risk of hammertoes. Think about what your toes have to do to keep your flip-flops on. They have to grab the front of the shoe to keep your foot from slipping off. This action, repeated over a long period can cause your toes to start to deform into the characteristic hammer shape, causing pain and disability.
  2. Most likely to contract a foot infection. The majority of fungal, viral, and bacterial foot infections are spread by coming in direct contact with them. Ever notice how dirty your feet are after wearing flip-flops? They provide no protection from coming in contact with the sources of athlete’s foot, warts, fungal toenails and the potentially more serious staph infection. Chances are even higher if you have any cuts or open sores.
  3. Hello injuries! The complete lack of structure of a traditional flip-flop, combined with the extra effort to keep them on your feet, means you have a much higher chance of twisting an ankle, falling, or crashing into a hard or sharp object that can cut or bruise your foot.
  4. Your heels say “ouch!” With only a thin piece of foam or rubber separating your heel from the ground, you subject this part of your foot to an excessive amount of impact and pressure. This in turn can lead to sore heels. In addition, the complete lack of arch support invites inflammation of the plantar fascia—another source of heel pain.
  5. You burn fewer calories. Flip-flops slow you down. You can’t walk at any kind of pace safely and consistently. One study actually found that flip-flop wearers take smaller steps than people who are wearing sneakers.

If you still can’t bear to part with your flip-flops, at least look into purchasing a pair that has some design and construction improvements for the health of your feet. Several companies have begun producing flip-flops with better arch support and cushioning that can help mitigate some of the negative factors of this type of shoe. If you are currently experiencing foot or heel pain (whether from overuse of flip-flops or another reason), contact our Cromwell office by calling (860) 632-5499 so that our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, can examine your feet and diagnose the source of your discomfort.

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
July 07, 2020
Category: Foot conditions

At Feet First Foot Care, we’re hearing from many of our Middlesex County patients that they are taking up the sport of running. The pandemic has made some people re-think their fitness plans, and running while maintaining safe social distance and avoiding venues where there are many other people. We applaud our patients for making regular exercise a priority but also want to help protect them from some podiatric problems that runners often face.

Here are some common injuries and disorders associated with running and how to prevent them:

  1. Achilles Tendonitis—this inflammation of the long tendon that runs along the back of your lower leg from calf to heel is especially common in new runners or those who are becoming active again after a long period of inactivity. Being overly enthusiastic and jumping into long, intense runs without the proper conditioning can result in severe pain to the Achilles tendon. Running hills and sprints can also increase the risk of this condition. Start slowly and increase the pace and duration gradually. Be sure to include stretches for the calves in your warm-ups and cooldowns.

  2. Ankle Sprains—landing the wrong way on your foot and twisting an ankle can happen when you run. If you have chronic weak ankles, be sure the running shoes you purchase will provide firm ankle support. Choose a place to run such as a school track, that is unlikely to have holes, divots, or debris that can cause an ankle-twisting to occur.

  3. Athlete’s Foot—you may not associate fungal infection with running.  However, your feet will be spending regular time in a moist, dark, warm place (your sneakers!), and those are the perfect breeding conditions for bacteria and fungi. Don’t wear the same pair of socks for more than one day and air out your shoes between runs. Practice good basic hygiene and wash your feet daily. Use an antifungal or foot powder if foot odor is a problem.

  4. Heel Pain—the repetitive pressure your heels experience when running can result in pain. If you have flat feet or a tendency to overpronate, you may also have an inflammation of the plantar fascia on the bottom of your foot, which can also lead to heel pain. Additional arch support or a custom orthotic may help.

The bottom line is if you experience any acute or ongoing pain or discomfort after you start a running program, it’s essential that you contact our Cromwell office by calling (860) 632-5499 so that our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, can examine your feet and determine the source of the discomfort before a worse injury occurs.

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162 West St Ste K
Cromwell, CT 06416