The medical world is growing more knowledgeable with each passing day. Scientists and doctors are working hard to make new discoveries, create new treatments, and help their patients thrive in less painful and more affordable ways. With more treatment methods than ever, it’s hard to come up with reasons why you shouldn’t see a podiatrist for preventative care and treatment of existing issues!

There are hundreds of conditions, diseases, and illnesses that can have a negative impact on the health of our feet and ankles. The average person isn’t expected to know how to diagnose their foot problems - this is where a doctor specializing in foot medicine comes in! Otherwise known as a podiatrist, these doctors specialize in medical issues pertaining to the feet. Out of the many reasons why you should consider establishing care with a trusted podiatrist like Dr. Adam Mucinskas at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, here are ten of the most common reasons we see patients walk into our office:

• Fast or slowly-developing lumps and bumps
• Fallen arches and flat feet
• Bunions and scrunched toes, i.e. foot deformities
• Discomfort or pain that alters the way you walk
• Foot pain that gets worse with physical activity
• Slow-healing wounds or wounds that don’t seem to heal at all
• Swelling in the feet or ankles
• Tingling, burning, or numbness in the feet
• Discoloration of the skin on your feet
• Stubborn pain that doesn’t subside easily or won’t subside with rest
   

All of these are tell-tale signs of foot issues that call for an appointment with a podiatrist. Don’t wait until your pain or discomfort worsens, be proactive about your foot care! Visit us at our location in Cromwell, Connecticut to address your concerns. Call us at 860-632-5499 and start relieving your foot pain today. 

Do you ever look at your feet after a long day at work and wonder if your feet are swollen -- or have they always looked like that? Ask any adult around you if they have ever experienced swollen feet or ankles and the answer may surprise you; swelling is common! This is especially true for people who regularly exhaust their feet on a daily basis from physical activity. You could have sworn they used to be a bit thinner. Unless it’s due to some weight gain holding on from the holidays, swollen feet and ankles can be a sign of issues to come. Puffy feet or ankles can indicate that you may be experiencing poor blood circulation which can be caused by various underlying conditions and diseases. When should you be concerned and see a foot doctor? Keep an eye out for the following risk factors, especially when two or more apply to you:

• Standing in one place for long periods of time
• Having a sedentary job or spending most of the day sitting
• Holding on to extra weight or being out of shape
• You have or are at risk for developing diabetes
• Wearing unsupportive shoes more often than not
• Regularly consuming unhealthy food, especially those high in sodium
• Currently pregnant and experiencing related stress on the body

If you find yourself relating to even one or more of these risk factors for developing poor circulation, it’s time to talk to Dr. Adam Mucinskas, DPM. There are several ways to address poor circulation and your podiatrist is a vital part of that conversation.

One of the many ways to address poor circulation, even before you get in to see us at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, is by investing in compression socks. When you wear the appropriate size, compression socks work hard to increase the circulation of blood in your legs, feet, and ankles. As a result, you’re delivering higher levels of therapeutic oxygen and nutrients to the areas that need it most! Compression socks can:

• Speed up healing
• Reduce swelling
• Soothe aching sensations
• Relieve fatigued feet

Interested in learning more? Call us today at (860) 632-5499 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Mucinskas at our great new location in Cromwell, Connecticut. Our team looks forward to helping you! 

Here’s a surprising statistic: According to the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, 9 out of 10 women wear shoes that are too small for their feet and 8 out of 10 women say their shoes hurt. Here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, we want our patients to know that too-tight shoes can lead to a myriad of foot issues. Here are a few of the common foot problems we see due to improperly-fitting shoes:

• Ingrown toenails – if shoes are too tight in the toe box, toes get cramped in together. This greatly increases the chances of getting an ingrown toenail. A jagged-edged nail or one that is too short being shoved into the skin around the nail can start growing back into the skin. Ingrown toenails can be incredibly painful and can lead to infection if the skin is penetrated and bacteria enter the wound.
• Athlete’s foot and toenail fungus – fungi and bacteria absolutely love damp, dark places with little or no air circulation. That sounds exactly like the environment created inside a shoe that’s too small!
• Bunions, hammertoes, or other deformities – when toes are forced into an unnatural position over and over, such as being crammed together in a small shoe, they can eventually work themselves out of their normal position. As displacement progresses, bones can become deformed, causing permanent disabilities as a new toe position can be painful and change a person’s gait.
• Corns, calluses, and blisters – these three issues are caused by friction or pressure being applied to an area of the foot repeatedly.

The best way to avoid any and all of these issues is to shop for shoes properly! Always have your feet measured by a professional when you shoe shop. Age or life conditions such as pregnancy can change your foot size and shape. If you know you need new shoes, try to go out shopping for them at the end of the day when your feet are their most swollen.

If you’ve got questions about fitting shoes, or if you’re dealing with any of the above-listed foot issues, give us a call today. At Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, our podiatrist Dr. Adam Mucinskas can help to answer any questions you might have. He’s got years of experience to diagnose and treat any foot or ankle issue and get you back on your feet quickly. Our conveniently-located office serves the Cromwell, Connecticut area. Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment at (860) 632-5499.

Winter is a great time to try a new sport, but with it comes a whole new slew of potential injuries! Here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, we often see a rise in ski and snowboard injuries around this time. One frequent injury we see is deemed the snowboard fracture – otherwise known as a lateral talar process fracture.

This type of fracture occurs on the outside of the lower ankle bone. It happens when the foot suddenly jams, forcing the lower ankle bone to push into the adjoining bone. This action frequently occurs during snowboarding actions like coming to a sudden stop, hence the name: snowboarder fracture.

Signs and symptoms:

A reason that these types of fractures are often misdiagnosed or ignored is that the symptoms can be easily attributed to a sprained ankle:

• Extreme pain in the ankle area
• Tenderness
• Swelling
• Difficulty or unable to bear weight on the injured ankle

A regular ankle x-ray may or may not reveal the lateral talar process fracture. Often, these types of fractures aren’t visible on an x-ray. If diagnostic tests stop at that step, then they often come to the conclusion that the patient has a bad ankle sprain. Our podiatrist Dr. Adam Mucinskas will thoroughly examine the injury – asking how it occurred and getting to the bottom of what it could be. Often an MRI or CT scan might be ordered as lateral talar process fractures can be more easily seen in these imaging tests.

Treatment

If the bones are severely displaced or shattered by the fracture, leaving painful bone fragments present, surgery might be necessary to clean out the injured area and reset the bone. If the break is less severe, ankle immobilization and avoiding weight bearing will allow healing to properly occur. With either treatment option, the patient will not be able to put weight on the ankle for 6 to 8 weeks. Not getting treatment or improperly following treatment instructions can lead to chronic ankle issues and a greater likelihood of future sprains.

If you’ve hurt yourself snowboarding, it’s time to give us a call. Our podiatrist here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, can help to diagnose and treat your injury and get you back on your feet quickly. Our conveniently-located office serves the Cromwell, Connecticut area. Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment at (860) 632-5499.

Your foot is entirely unique to you, so solutions for any pain you’re experiencing should be unique too. That is why here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, we offer orthotics that are custom-designed for only your feet. Orthotic devices comfort and support your feet and can help to alleviate a myriad of common foot issues.

Why should I choose orthotics?

Orthotics are custom-made to fit only your foot. They are designed to alleviate your diagnosed condition. That’s what makes them different from shoe inserts you could buy at a drug store. Those inserts might provide temporary relief, but they can’t cure chronic foot issues or biomechanical foot problems. Custom orthotics are also more durable than over-the-counter inserts because they’re made of top-quality materials. They should last years with proper care! Orthotics should be kept in good shape by regularly washing them with lukewarm water and mild soap. Always dry them thoroughly afterward.

What can orthotics help with?

Dr. Adam Mucinskas routinely prescribes orthotics to help patients with foot pain, including those with:

• Bunions
• Corns or calluses
• Plantar fasciitis
• Flat feet
• Tendinitis
• Hammertoe
• Clawtoe
• Diabetic foot ulcers
• General foot or ankle pain
• Degenerative diseases
• Misalignments

How do they custom-make orthotics?

The first step to addressing foot pain is to visit a foot specialist. The foot doctor will examine your feet, ask you your history, check your gait – the way you walk – and could possibly take x-rays or complete additional diagnostic techniques. Once your podiatrist has found the root of your foot issue, they might recommend orthotic devices. Using innovative technology, your foot is then scanned to get a computerized foot analysis. The analysis ensures that the orthotic device fits your foot and gait perfectly and will address your unique foot condition. Sometimes a mold from a plaster cast will be made to ensure a perfect fit.

Have you been suffering from foot or ankle pain? It might be time to give us a call. Our podiatrist here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, can help to diagnose and treat any foot or ankle issue you might be experiencing. Our conveniently-located office serves the Cromwell, Connecticut area. Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment at (860) 632-5499.