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

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Posts for category: ankle pain, ankle conditions

By Feet First Foot Care Specialists
June 28, 2021

Canadian Olympic shot-put contender Brittany Crew is sitting out the Olympic Track and Field Trials in Montreal this week to give a badly sprained ankle some additional recovery time. While you’re probably not an Olympic athlete, at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we think there is something that our Middlesex County patients can learn from Crew’s wise move: rehabilitating ankle injuries can’t be rushed.

Back in May, Crew was competing in the Tucson Elite Classic in Arizona. On her first throw, her left foot hit the toe board and slid, shifting Crew’s weight, and putting full force on her right ankle. She heard a pop and then felt numb. Ankle sprains are rated by grades to express the severity of the injury. In Crew’s case, she sustained a Grade 2 sprain, a serious overstretching of the ankle ligaments where the joint remains stable and not displaced. By allowing her ankle, extra rest along with proper physical therapy and training, Crew hopes to be refreshed and at her peak in time for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo later in July.

How to Handle an Ankle Sprain

The takeaway from Crew’s story applies to all our patients. If you sustain an ankle-twisting injury here’s what you should know:

  • Ankle injuries can be tricky to self-assess. You may feel extreme pain, or, like Crew, the ankle may feel numb. Some patients make the mistake of thinking the sprain is “not too bad” because it isn’t very painful, and they can walk on it.

  • Seek medical care promptly. Your best course of action is to contact our Cromwell office by calling 860-632-5499 and letting our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas examine your injured ankle to evaluate the severity of the injury.

  • R-I-C-E in the meantime. Until the podiatrist can see you, follow the regimen: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation of the injured area.

  • Don’t Rush It. Your ankle may feel better before it’s fully healed. In addition to the ligaments getting back to normal, it’s essential to build up the surrounding muscles to support the ankle ligaments.

  • Finally, always complete the full course of therapy prescribed by the foot doctor to ensure a complete recovery and reduce your risk of future sprains.

 

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists
April 05, 2021

At Feet First Foot Care Specialists, our Middlesex County patients sometimes come to us because of ongoing stiffness and pain in an ankle. It may also include swelling and even difficulty bearing weight on the affected foot. The first thing our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, will likely want to know is if you recently twisted your ankle or suffered another type of ankle injury. If the answer is “no,” he will examine your ankle and conduct any necessary tests to find the source of your discomfort.

3 possible causes of chronic ankle problems:

  1. Osteochondritis—with this condition, lesions form on the ankle bone, causing pain and stiffness. Osteochondritis can affect patients of any age and often traced back to an old ankle injury. Usually, immobilizing the ankle and foot will allow for healing to occur. You may require surgery for more severe cases to remove loose fragments of bone and cartilage and clean up any defects.
  2. Arthritis—if you’re over 50, there’s an increased risk the stiffness and soreness you are experiencing may be arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the result of wear and tear on your joints that occurs as you age. An injury to the ankle in the past may hasten the development of arthritis in the joint. The podiatrist has many possible avenues to help slow the progression of arthritis and improve your symptoms. Physical therapy, custom orthotics, and anti-inflammatory medications can all help. In addition, eating a nutritious diet low in sugars and processed foods and regularly exercising will also make joints healthier.
  3. Chronic Lateral Ankle Pain—the telltale symptom of this disorder is pain outside the ankle. Although the most common reason for chronic lateral ankle pain is a previous ankle sprain, it can be caused by a fracture in one of the bones in the ankle joint, nerve injury, scar tissue, or an inflamed or torn tendon. The treatment will depend in part on the source of the pain. Once that is determined, the foot doctor may prescribe medication, physical therapy, or bracing the ankle. If there’s a fracture, immobilization may be necessary to allow the break to heal.

If you have persistent ankle pain or other symptoms, contact our Cromwell office call 860-632-5499 for an appointment today.

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists
December 22, 2020

The winter storm season has officially begun in Middlesex County.  At Feet First Foot Care Specialists we know that means our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, will be seeing more patients at our Cromwell office (860-632-5499) with ankle sprains. Slippery conditions are one factor that increases the risk of an ankle-twisting sprain and other injuries.

Here are 4 easy steps you can take to prevent ankle sprains:

  1. Choose safe shoes. It sounds rather obvious, but high heels and ice are an invitation for slips and falls. But, when you’re running late on holiday errands and need to make quick visits, people tend to forget the icy conditions on the ground! Always wear (or keep in your car) a pair of boots or sturdy shoes that have a good gripping tread on the bottom for when the weather turns bad.

  2. Carry less. At this time of year, with all the shopping going on, it’s typical to have an armload of packages that can impede your view of what’s in front of you, making it easy to miss a curb or trip over an object in your path. Not having your hands free also decreases your ability to balance and break your fall if you do stumble.

  3. Allow extra time. Like our suggestion to choose proper footwear, rushing causes you to overlook potential hazards, moving too quickly can lead to an injury. Give yourself extra time to get ready, and to get where you're going whether by foot, car, or other modes of transportation.

  4. Don’t ignore foot pain. During this busy season, many patients put off getting a foot or ankle pain evaluated. Being in pain can change how you walk because you try to maneuver in a way that avoids the discomfort. This throws you off balance and increases fall risk. Contact us to get foot pain checked out promptly.

We wish all our patients a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season!

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
April 09, 2019
Tags: sprained   fracture   bruising   swelling  

Imagine you’re walking down the street when, all of a sudden, you see a cute rabbit bolt out of a bush and across the street! It’s so cute as it hops along the pavement and you lose your footing! You’ve just fallen off the sidewalk and rolled your ankle. Will you be able to tell if it’s sprained or if it’s fractured?

Don’t worry, most people aren’t able to tell off the bat. Here are some tips and tricks for you to keep in mind when it comes to knowing just how urgent your injury might be when you accidentally fall and hurt yourself:

If it’s probably sprained, what should you expect?

  • You might experience muscle spasms or weakness when moving your foot.
  • There may be some inflammation which can cause aching pain.
  • It might be difficult to move your foot - there may be a limited range of movement.
  • Sometimes it might feel like your muscles are cramping up, too.

What about a fracture, what would I see?

  • Rather than a limited range of movement, your foot might be entirely stiff.
  • It’s nearly or completely impossible for you to bear any weight on the foot.
  • You can see visible bruising that rapidly changes and worsens in appearance.
  • Rather than aching pain, it’s more severe and unbearable.

Great, but it sounds like there are overlapping symptoms...are there?

  • Both sprains and fractures are painful.
  • Both sprains and fractures can result in bruising and swelling.
  • Both sprains and fractures will make it difficult, or impossible, to bear weight.

When it comes down to it, the first few hours after your injury can tell you a lot. Of course, it will be painful, but the rate at which that pain, bruising, or swelling increases can give you tips on whether it’s a fracture or a sprain. Either way, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention as soon as it happens! For long term care with Dr. Adam Mucinskas at Feet First Foot Care Specialists after experiencing a sprain or fracture, call us today at (860) 632-5499 to schedule an appointment with us in Cromwell, CT.

 

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
October 16, 2018

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.

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162 West St Ste K
Cromwell, CT 06416