The condition of flat feet is characterized by a disappearance of your arch when you put weight on your feet, and the return of the arch when you remove that weight. Flat feet often start in childhood and typically affect both feet. If left untreated, there are many severe complications that could arise as the child grows into adulthood.

Common Flat Feet Complications:

• Achilles tendonitis – the Achilles tendon, which runs from your calf muscle along the back of your heel, can stiffen due to flat feet. This can turn into a nasty injury.
• Soft tissue injuries – your arch’s ligaments and soft tissues become stretched and inflamed and occasionally will tear due to flat feet. This can be extremely painful.
• Deformities of the feet – bunions and hammertoes are likely to develop when the foot’s arches are not supported sufficiently.
• Pain and discomfort – the tendons along your arches, ankles, and heels can become strained and very painful.
• Pain in other areas – overpronation that comes with flat feet can lead to complications in your knees, hips, and your back.
• Shin splints – untreated flat feet will lead to a higher occurrence of this painful condition that occurs in the shin bone area.

Flat Feet Treatment

Due to the wide range of severity and symptoms associated with flat feet, the condition must be thoroughly checked out by a podiatrist. For pain, NSAIDs can be taken under a doctor’s direction. Our office can also produce custom orthotics that will support your arches and realign your foot. Orthotics not only help to relieve pain, but also can correct issues with your knees, hips, and back. In severe cases of flat foot, surgery might be the best method to repair the foot. After surgery, the doctor might require physical therapy and immobilization with a boot.

If you’ve noticed flat feet in your child or if you’re having complications yourself, call our office today. 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.

Feet are so cool! Obviously, we believe that here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists. We talk about feet nonstop! Mostly though, we talk to our patients about how to prevent and treat the foot woes that they are currently dealing with. Today, we thought we’d share some lesser-discussed foot facts with you. Here are four fun things about feet that you might not have known:

1. Each of your feet has over 250,000 sweat glands that produce sweat! Collectively, that means our feet can produce up to a half of a pint of sweat each day. That might seem gross to you, but it’s fascinating to us! It’s also a great reason to bring a pair of socks to change into in the middle of the day. Just think of that next time you’re thinking about walking barefoot on a gym locker-room floor!
2. Standing for an hour can actually make your feet feel more tired than if you were walking for the same amount of time! This is because standing uses just a few muscles, which means that the muscles being used are being used in an extra concentrated manner. They are working hard to compensate and balance your weight. This can be exacerbated by improper footwear or any pre-existing foot condition.
3. Everyone suffers from foot issues! Up to 5% of Americans have developed corns, calluses, fungal infections, or ingrown toenails. These are all issues that your podiatrist is trained and equipped to help you handle if you’re dealing with any of them.
4. Some people are born with flat feet. We know that our feet sometimes lose arches over time as we age or if we put on too many pounds, but some people are naturally born without that arch. If you notice this issue in your child, it can often be corrected using custom orthotics.

Like I said, we love feet! If you have any foot issues you need to talk about, Dr. Adam Mucinskas here at Feet First Foot Care Specialists is here to help. Please give us a call today to schedule an appointment at our conveniently located office in the Cromwell, Connecticut area: (860) 632-5499.

Foot reconstruction is an important and necessary procedure once the foot has become nonresponsive to conservative forms of treatment in certain situations. Our podiatrist, Adam Mucinskas, D.P.M., will help to develop the best reconstruction treatment plan for your feet at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, located in Cromwell, CT. Call our offices at (860) 632-5499 and review the Patient Education library on our website for more substantive information about this procedure.  

Foot reconstruction surgery is a huge procedure and is therefore undertaken as a last option. When foot deformities produce discomfort, and have you struggling when walking, other complications such as corns, calluses or other wounds may result. Significant deformities are usually caused by flatfeet, high arches, arthritis or severe traumatic events.

Conservative treatment for many foot conditions includes orthotics, wearing proper shoes and using other foot support devices. Reconstructive surgery, if elected, will involve moving bones into optimal locations, lengthening or relocating tendons and the fusing of bones. Complications that may eventually lead to this procedure are:

• Bunions.
• Pediatric defects.
• Flat feet.
• Foot fractures.
• Injuries sustained during high intensity activities.
• Heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis.
• Heel Spurs.
• Infections.

This procedure’s main goals are to reduce severe pain and to once again reestablish a normal foot function. The type of reconstruction surgery to be utilized is determined by age, the specific complication and the advancement of symptoms. For example, a form of surgical reconstruction involves cutting the heel bone to reposition it in the best location via a screw mechanism. This type of surgery can help to place the heel bone in the best position to support the arch. Metal plates may also be used to increase the arch. Due to the seriousness and the many positive benefits that foot reconstruction surgery can have on your feet, please contact our offices to receive a comprehensive consultation and a potential reconstruction treatment plan. We can help restore your normal foot functions and get your feet back on the road to being the way they once were!

Flat feet can be a common yet unfortunate condition. Proper support for your feet can make a lasting difference because without it, your knees and ankles can suffer due to a chain effect. There are arches on the insoles of your feet that normally develop due to a tightness in the tendons that hold the foot together. Flat feet occur when these tendons do not develop at all. Our podiatrist, Adam Mucinskas, D.P.M., can treat this condition if you happen to be experiencing it. You can visit Dr. Mucinskas at Feet First Foot Care Specialists, LLC, located in Cromwell, CT.     

When flat feet occur, the tendons as mentioned above, do not develop correctly and the foot is left without a proper arch. The foot therefore presses against the floor in a flat manner, without any tendon support. In some other adults, the tendons that once properly formed can loosen later in life, causing flat feet. Flat feet can make walking or running extremely painful because people with this circumstance tend to roll their ankle inwards right after the heel touches the surface. Abnormal angles in joints thus occur. As you can see, flat feet make routine tasks more difficult than they have to be.

Treatment for flat feet can include the use of arch support orthotics, special shoes that provide extra arch support or physical therapy to help correct the incorrect walk caused by flat feet. Our use of state of the art technology allows us to provide your feet with a custom solution that will act to minimize pain caused by flat feet. By using our services, you will help to minimize pain brought about by an unequal stride. However, arch supports may require investing in new shoes since you may require the extra space to accompany them.

For those experiencing flat feet, contact us online to make an appointment as soon as possible. Take the opportunity to get the very best treatment offered by Dr. Mucinskas today and your pain will fall flat!