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Podiatrist - Cromwell
162 West St Ste K
Cromwell, CT 06416

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Posts for category: Foot conditions, foot pain

By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
June 28, 2022

Foot cramps are characterized by painful spasms in your feet that can occur at any time of day. They often occur in the tops and arches of the feet or around the toes. Unfortunately, there isn’t usually one specific cause of foot cramps; numerous things can cause your feet to cramp up. Foot cramps can be frustrating and painful, and they don’t have to be the “end-all.” 

What Causes Foot Cramps?

Several different conditions or triggers can cause cramps in your feet, including:

  • Shoes that are too tight
  • Dehydration
  • Overexertion
  • Low levels of potassium
  • Nerve damage
  • Poor circulation
  • Certain medications

Treatments

If you or anyone you know is experiencing one of the following triggers or conditions causing foot cramps, a podiatrist will recommend the best course of treatment. At home, preventative measures include:

  • Shoes that are too tight. You may need to switch shoe styles or brands and add supportive insoles or arch supports to ease the cramping. Custom orthotics are also available when needed.
  • Dehydration. For mild dehydration, drink lots of extra water and add an electrolyte drink to help replenish fluids. Try making this delicious electrolyte drink at home.
  • Overexertion. Working the muscles in your feet too hard may make them vulnerable to cramping.
  • Low levels of potassium. If you are experiencing low potassium, calcium, or magnesium levels, causing your foot cramps, your doctor will suggest supplementation.
  • Nerve damage. If nerve damage is the reason you are experiencing painful foot cramps, your doctor will pinpoint the reason this has occurred. Treatments such as pain relief medications, physical therapy, and in more severe cases, surgery have helped relieve symptoms of foot cramps.
  • Poor circulation. Poor circulation can cut the proper nutrients off your extremities and make your feet cramp. Talk with a podiatrist to discuss the best measures of relief.
  • Certain medications. If your podiatrist determines that a medication may be causing foot cramps, they will evaluate the side effects and weigh the options of different medications.

Takeaway

As part of Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we want our patients to feel safe to discuss any concerns they may be having. At our Middlesex County office, we offer a range of advanced technologies, including PinPointe Laser, Digital X-Ray, Electronic Medical Records, Patient Portal for Home Access To Your Medical Records, and Online Appointment Requests. Emergency appointments are always seen on the same day. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment with our board-certified podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, call our office at (860)-632-5499 or visit our website for more information.

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
June 06, 2018
Tags: gout   arthritis   osteoporosis  

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 48% of Americans over age 18 suffer from some pain in the musculoskeletal system. That’s nearly half of the adults in this country walking around with pain in bones or muscles!

Pain management is something we talk to patients about here often at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC. It’s no surprise when you look at the foot too! In each of your feet, there are 28 bones, 30 joints, and over 100 muscles. It’s might seem like a tall order to keep all those moving parts healthy, but it just takes a few steps.

We’ve put together the following simple tips to keep your bones and joints healthy and pain-free:

  • Try weight-bearing exercises like lifting weights, jogging, kickboxing, or power walking. Low-impact exercises like swimming can also keep your muscles and joints active.
  • Wear the right gear. Getting the right shoes and protective gear for whatever activity you’re taking on is necessary to keep your body safe.
  • Don’t overdo it. Pain is your body’s way of telling you: “Cut it out!” Pushing past pain, or trying to “walk it off” could result in further injury.
  • Get the proper minerals. Vitamin D and calcium work in tandem to keep your bones healthy. Calcium can be easily attained from dark leafy greens, dairy, and some nuts. Vitamin D helps your bones absorb that necessary calcium, and can be obtained by soaking up the sun or through a vitamin supplement.

Not taking care of your body can have painful recourses. Here are some of the medical conditions that can arise in your foot’s musculoskeletal system.

  • Arthritis – chronic pain in the joints is usually because of arthritis. Common forms of this are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Maintaining healthy joints can help slow the onset of arthritis in some cases.
  • Osteoporosis – osteoporosis makes your bones brittle and weak, which can easily cause fractures. Calcium and vitamin D in the right amounts can help prevent this disease.
  • Gout – if you have high levels of uric acid in your body, it could cause a sudden painful inflammation of the joints in your big toe. This condition is often caused by eating too many foods high in a substance called purines.

If you are suffering from pain in your joints, muscles, or any other part of your feet or ankles, it’s time to make an appointment with us. Dr. Adam Mucinskas offers state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment at his office here in Cromwell, CT. Request an appointment online or call us at (860) 632-5499.

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
March 15, 2018
Tags: orthotics   corns  

Corns that occur on the foot are the result of great amounts of pressure and friction. They form because the body produces a thickened skin defensive response to the friction. They may seem helpful; however, they can become infected or be the source of ulcers. These issues may be inconvenient for some, but can be devastating for anyone with diabetes or neuropathy since poor circulation in those individuals can cause problems with healing and allow infections to develop more readily. When corns are not treated on a timely basis, they can cause significant discomfort since the pressure that initially produced them will not go away. Factors that tend to increase the likelihood of this condition are shoes that fit too tightly or abnormal toe structures.

Treatment for this condition includes:

  • Use of correctly fitting shoes with wide toe box areas so that there is plenty of space around the toes at all times.
  • Utilizing padding or orthotics to reduce pressure on the toes.
  • Use of a pumice stone to scrub the outer layers of the corn. This is best accomplished by soaking the corn in warm water multiple times a day to make the skin softer and easier to remove.
  • Use of toe wedges to help place space between the toes which can reduce pressure and alleviate current pain from corns.
  • Surgical procedures may be required to fix a bone deformity that may be causing this condition.

Corns can be a problem if you allow them to become one. The best way to keep them from becoming infected is to obtain needed treatment in a timely manner. So contact us to receive a comprehensive examination to determine the best treatment plan for your corns. Here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC located in Cromwell, CT, podiatrist Adam Mucinskas, D.P.M. will alleviate pain in your foot caused by this condition and will do his best to ensure that they don’t reoccur in the future. Moreover, please make an appointment today by calling our office at (860) 632-5499 and check out our Patient Education library for further helpful information.

 

 

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
February 28, 2018

Arthritis of the foot or ankle is a seriously disrupting condition in terms of pain experienced and the reduced motion that results. This condition causes inflammation of the joints which leads to discomfort and rigidity and eventually makes it hard to walk or take part in routine activities.

There is no outright cure for this condition; however, there are various forms of treatment that can alleviate symptoms and slow down its progression. There are some common forms of this condition, which include Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, and Post-traumatic arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear form of this condition and generally affects middle-aged individuals. Rheumatoid arthritis is a lingering form that reaches multiple joints and initiates in the foot and ankle. This type of arthritis generally affects the same joints in both feet. Post-traumatic arthritis occurs following trauma and is seen typically after dislocations or fractures. These conditions all cause cartilage of the joints to wear away.

Care for this condition includes:

  • Lowering high-intensity activities that can cause this condition to get worse.
  • Keeping weight down to alleviate pressure placed on the foot’s joints.
  • Physical therapy to keep the joints mobile.
  • Medications such as anti-inflammatories to reduce inflammation and alleviate discomfort.
  • Surgery may be required if the pain caused by this condition does not subside with conservative treatments. The type of surgical procedure performed will depend on the type of arthritis that has formed in the joints of the ankles and feet. If necessary, post-surgical pain can be controlled with pain medications.

Due to the long-lasting nature of this condition and the damage it can produce, care for this condition is crucial for maintaining a routine lifestyle. Therefore, please contact us for a consultation. Here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC located in Cromwell, CT, podiatrist Adam Mucinskas, D.P.M. can provide your feet and ankles with the best possible chance of fighting through arthritic conditions. Please make an appointment today by calling our office at (860) 632-5499 and take a chance to review our Patient Education library for further information.

 

 

 

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
February 22, 2018
Tags: neuromas  

Neuromas are nerve complications that occur after sustaining damage. Generally, they develop in the ball of the foot. This location is the most frequent source of neuroma formation since it is subject to repeated stresses that can cause the nerve to become inflamed. Nerves are delicate and damage to them cannot be reversed. So, if proper treatment is not sought at the beginning stages of this condition, a permanent injury could develop. Symptoms of this condition include, but are not limited to, foot discomfort, numbness, burning and shooting pains. Causes for this condition include sprains, bunions, hereditary traits, arthritis, using poorly fitting shoes or any activity that places abnormal amounts of stress on the ball of the foot.

Treatment for neuromas involves:

  • Using medication to alleviate nerve pain.
  • Ultrasound.
  • The use of correctly fitting shoes.
  • Orthotics to help alleviate pressure in the heel area.
  • Padding placed strategically around the heel of the foot that can also help mitigate high amounts of pressure being placed upon it.
  • Massaging the ball of the foot will help to alleviate pain.
  • Anesthetics could also be injected into the site of the neuroma to reduce swelling and to numb the pain, which can be severe depending on the level of injury to the nerve.
  • Surgical procedures will be used if the neuroma must be physically removed due to a lack of success with conservative treatment methods. Although this can be used to eliminate pain, since this procedure involves nerves, there may be a long-term numbness around the area of surgical removal.

Nerves play an important part with foot sensation. Neuromas can lead to frustrating circumstances which you can help to avoid by taking the time to contact us for a consultation. Here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, located in Cromwell, CT, podiatrist Adam Mucinskas, D.P.M. offers you the best chance of beating this condition. So please make an appointment today by calling our office at (860) 632-5499 and take a look at our Patient Education section for further helpful information. 

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162 West St Ste K
Cromwell, CT 06416