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

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists
January 19, 2021
Category: general health

At Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we know many of our Middlesex County patients try to put better eating habits into practice for 2021. We are supportive of this plan! Healthy eating has several benefits to your feet as well as the rest of your body:

  • Helps you maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can cause or worsen several podiatric conditions, including heel pain, sesamoiditis, and arthritis.
  • Shedding pounds makes it easier to be more active. Exercise and healthy eating go hand in hand. When you weigh less, it’s easier to move more, and the more you move the more weight you’re likely to lose. Being physically active also helps keep joints flexible and improves circulation.
  • A well-rounded, nutritious diet means your body will get all the nutrients it needs. Some essential vitamins and minerals can improve foot health, such as calcium and vitamin D for healthy bones and vegetables and fruits that produce anti-inflammatory reactions, a key feature of several painful foot and ankle disorders.

Take Little Bites

Long-lasting weight loss takes time, however. It’s important to set small goals and not overwhelm yourself by overhauling your diet all at once completely. Below are some easy changes to make. Choose one or two, and once they become habitual, add a couple of more.

  • Swap water for sugary sodas, juices, and sports drinks. You may not realize just how many calories you’re drinking! This one easy substitution can save you hundreds of calories a day.
  • Cut carbs from one meal. Think about what carbs you really wouldn’t miss. Can you enjoy an egg with some fruit instead of toast or add an extra vegetable or salad to your dinner in place of potato or rice?
  • Shrink your plate. Use a smaller plate for your food, and you’ll naturally cut down portion size. Resolve not to have seconds!
  • Have a small, healthy snack before dinner. Your mom may have said snacking will spoil your appetite, but that may not necessarily be a bad thing! A glass of vegetable juice, a small salad or bowl of bouillon, or low-calorie soup about a half-hour before your meal may cause you to eat less at dinner.

If you have questions about lifestyle choices that affect your podiatric health, don’t hesitate to ask our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas.  Contact our Cromwell office by calling (860-632-5499).

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
April 27, 2020
Category: general health

We’re well into our second month now of self-isolating and staying home as much as possible, and at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we know that it’s putting quite a bit of stress on our Middlesex County patients. One strategy that is helping many families cope with this challenging time is maintaining a consistent and regular schedule.

Here’s why:

  1. Routine Brings Comfort and Security—For children and adults alike, having a familiar routine and schedule is good for emotional health. Creating a structure to the day—getting up at a certain time, eating regular meals, taking care of personal hygiene, and doing chores and work—allows some sense of control in a situation that seems to be largely out of our hands. Try to incorporate as many elements as possible that you were doing before the virus. For example, if you typically would meet your kids at the bus stop in the afternoon, have a 3:00 p.m. time out and go for a walk around the neighborhood. Keep bedtimes and evening rituals the same, as well as any other touchpoints your family is used to.

  2. Helps Everyone be More Productive—In many households, one or more people are trying to work from home, and children are attempting to stay on track with their schoolwork. When there’s no schedule, it’s easy for hours to pass and nothing to get accomplished. Set specific times for work and lessons and also for breaks for physical activity and fun. Put Zoom meetings on a calendar or whiteboard so family members all know when quiet is needed. Once the rhythm of the day is firmly established it will be easier for everyone to get their work done.

  3. Paves the Way for a Smooth Transition Back—Yes, we will get the virus under control and eventually go back to school, work, and some more normal way of life! It will prove much more difficult to get people back on track and able to get out of the house on time if everyone has been operating without a schedule and routine.

It’s definitely a balancing act. It’s necessary to allow for downtime for everyone to de-stress but it’s beneficial to maintain as much of a schedule as possible. As always, we are here for you and your family. If you are experiencing any foot or ankle issues, don’t hesitate to contact our Cromwell office by calling (860) 632-5499 so that our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, can evaluate your condition and determine the best course of action. Stay well!

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC
January 07, 2019
Category: general health
Tags: diabetes   nerve damage   gout   neuropathy  

Podiatrists are like the Sherlock Holmes of feet. They check the appearance and condition of your feet to find important clues about your overall health. They can pinpoint serious issues like impaired circulation, lung disease, and dehydration with their podiatry detective tools.

Your feet can show signs of serious health issues

There are some overall health issues that could change the appearance or feel of your feet during a foot exam. This is because circulatory system issues often appear in the extremity that is furthest from your heart: your feet! Here are some issues that could point to serious health problems:

  • Cold feet – hypothyroidism causes your thyroid to underproduce important hormones, which could cause your feet to chill. This might also cause depression, hair loss, and fatigue.
  • Dry, flaky skin – dry skin on the feet could be caused by nerve damage or an allergic reaction.
  • Swelling in the feet and ankles – fluid retention is a common sign of kidney disease.
  • Constant foot or leg cramps – frequent cramps could be from a lack of vital minerals like calcium or potassium, or from dehydration. Try eating a banana daily and make sure you’re getting plenty of fluids.
  • Hairless toes – impaired blood circulation could cause you to lose the hair on your toes.
  • Numbness – needles and pins or numbness in the feet and toes could be neuropathy, which is often linked to diabetes.
  • Red, painful, swollen big toe – Gout is a form of arthritis that results from uric acid buildup. It often causes a painful reaction in your big toe.
  • Clubbed toenails – rounded toenails could be a sign of pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, or lung cancer.
  • Sores that won’t heal – abrasions or ulcers that don’t heal quickly are a common side effect of diabetes.

Are you experiencing any of the above issues? Here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, Dr. Adam Mucinskas can open up his detective’s bag of tools and get to the bottom of what you’re experiencing with your feet. 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