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Cromwell, CT 06416

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Posts for tag: foot pain

By Feet First Foot Care Specialists
May 23, 2022
Category: heel pain

The arches of the feet play a critical role in overall wellbeing. They are strong yet flexible. The arches distribute weight evenly across your feet and up your legs while providing you a spring in your step. When your arches are too high, too low, or nonexistent, they cause a ripple effect of misalignment and malfunction.

What Is Flat Foot?

A flatfoot disorder is often characterized by diverse symptoms, varying degrees of deformity, and disability, and many types of flatfoot have one common characteristic: a collapsed arch (loss of arch). A flatfoot also tends to point outward, with the toes and front part of the foot pointed outward. A tight Achilles Tendon can cause the heel to lift off the ground too soon when walking, leading to bunions and hammertoes.

Symptoms

The following symptoms may occur in persons with flatfoot:

  • Pain in the heel, arch, ankle, or along the outside of the foot
  • Rolled-in ankle (overpronation)
  • General aching or fatigue in the foot or leg
  • Low back, hip, or knee pain

Non-Surgical Treatments

If you experience symptoms of flatfoot, a podiatrist may recommend non-surgical treatment options. These usually include:

  • Modifying Activities. Avoid prolonged walking and standing to give your arches a rest.
  • Weight loss. Maintaining a healthy diet is important for overall wellbeing. Putting too much weight on your arches may aggravate symptoms of flat feet.
  • Orthotic devices. Your podiatrist can provide you with custom orthotic devices for your shoes to give more support to the arches.
  • Physical therapy. Ultrasound therapy or other physical therapy modalities may provide temporary relief.
  • Shoe modifications. Wearing shoes that support the arches of the feet is crucial for anyone who suffers from a flat foot.

Pediatric Flat Foot- A Cause for Alarm?

Not all children have symptoms, but others will complain of pain, tenderness, or cramping in the foot, leg, and knee. Pediatric Flatfoot tends to make participating in activities more difficult, so parents should take note if their child is unable to keep up with playmates, tires easily, or voluntarily withdraw from physical activities.

When To See a Podiatrist

Board-certified podiatrist Dr. Adam Mucinskas provides treatment for a range of conditions at Feet First Foot Care LLC. If you or a loved one are experiencing any pain in the feet or ankles, call our Cromwell, Connecticut office at (860)-632-5499 to schedule an appointment or visit our website for further information. 

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May 11, 2022
Category: arthritis

Each year, May is recognized as National Arthritis Awareness Month by The Arthritis Foundation. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. The first steps in conquering arthritis are learning the facts, understanding your condition, and knowing that help is by your side. At Feet First Foot Care, we want all our Middlesex County patients to have accessible and reliable resources. Below you will find information to help you learn more about arthritis, and how you can get involved this May during Arthritis Awareness Month.

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is not a single disease; it is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. There are more than 100 types of arthritis and related conditions. But there are three major forms of arthritis. These are:

  • Osteoarthritis – This is the most common form of arthritis which results in the wearing down of the cartilage at the ends of bones. Osteoarthritis leads to bone rubbing against bone, causing pain.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis – is an autoimmune disease that causes an inflammatory reaction to occur in the synovium or lining of the joints. Eventually, this will cause the joints to deteriorate.
  • Psoriatic arthritis – occurs in people who have psoriasis. It affects the joints as well as the ligaments and tendons that attach to the bones.

Signs and Symptoms

People of all ages, sexes, and races can and do have arthritis. It is most common among women and occurs more frequently as people get older. Common symptoms of arthritis include:

  1. Pain
  2. Swelling
  3. Stiffness
  4. Difficulty moving a joint

What To Do

It is always ideal to track signs and symptoms of pain. This will help you to be able to communicate your experience to your podiatrist. If you ever have a fever among these symptoms, we recommend calling your doctor as soon as possible. Getting an accurate diagnosis is an important step to getting timely medical care for your condition. To schedule an appointment with board-certified podiatrist Dr. Adam Mucinskas at our Cromwell, Connecticut office call (860)-632-5499 or visit our website.

Arthritis Prevention and Other Resources

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September 13, 2021
Tags: foot pain   heel pain   bunions   Fall Footwear  

At Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we know as our Middlesex County patients switch from summer sandals to fall footwear, the transition may not go as smoothly as we like. Summer shoes tend to be more open and not as constricting as closed styles which become the norm in the fall.

Three common podiatric problems you may see in the fall and what to do about them:

Problem: Athlete’s foot. shoes invite fungal and bacterial infections. With all the barefoot traffic summer sees around swimming pools and in seaside changing areas and restrooms, infections are prevalent. If you’ve started back to the gym, there’s a high likelihood infection is present in communal showers and locker rooms. These dark, moist spaces are the perfect breeding ground for athlete’s foot and toenail fungus.

Solution: Foot infections spread by direct contact. Keeping your feet covered in public places will help prevent you from getting one. Try not to wear the same pair of shoes multiple days in a row. Allow a day or two in between uses for shoes to air out. Choose shoes made of natural, breathable materials.

Problem: Heel Pain. If one of the reasons you hate to see summer end is because you love living in flip-flops, there’s a good chance your heels will be hurting once you go back to regular shoes. That’s because traditional flip-flops do not provide any arch support. It, in turn, aggravates the plantar fascia—a long band of tissue along the bottom of your foot—and causes your heels to hurt.

Solution: Try to gradually transition to traditional shoes, wearing them a few hours a day and increasing usage slowly. You may also need to do some stretching exercises to help decrease inflammation in the plantar fascia.

Problem: Bunion Pain. Ah, it was so nice to wear open-toed shoes that didn’t press on your bunion and make it hurt! Going back to closed-toe styles may mean an increase in the pain and discomfort you experience from your bunions.

Solution: Some additional padding may help to protect a sensitive bunion. You may also have to consider shoes that are a little larger or at least designed with a roomier toe box. It may also be time to have the podiatrist check to see if your bunion progresses to a point where a different treatment plan is necessary.

With all of the above foot problems and any new uncomfortable symptoms you develop, if they persist, it’s best not to put off making an appointment at our Cromwell office by calling 860-632-5499. Our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, will examine your feet and track down the source of your discomfort as well as the best solution to bring you relief.

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists
July 27, 2021
Category: arthritis

July is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month. At Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we want to inform our Middlesex County families about this condition, manifesting in the joints of the feet and other parts of the body in young patients. Below are some facts about Juvenile Arthritis.

FACT: Juvenile Arthritis (JA) affects nearly 300,000 children in the U.S. under the age of 16.

FACT: Arthritis—for both children and adults—is not just one disease. It is an umbrella term that covers over a hundred conditions that affect the joints.

FACT: In children, most kinds of JA are autoinflammatory or autoimmune diseases. It means the immune system gets mixed up and releases inflammatory chemicals that attack healthy cells and tissue rather than foreign elements like germs and viruses in the body.

FACT: While most types of JA do cause joint inflammation, some varieties do not show signs of pain or swelling in the joints but rather exhibit symptoms in the skin or internal organs.

FACT: Common symptoms of JA accompanying joint pain, stiffness, and discomfort, may include chronic eye inflammation; skin rashes; lung, heart, or digestive disorders; fatigue; loss of appetite; high, spiking fever.

FACT: The causes of JA are not precisely known. Researchers have found that genes may be a factor or it’s possible that the disease develops as the body’s response to a bacteria, virus, or other external factors. Exactly why it occurs is not known.

FACT: JA is a chronic condition. It can last for a few months, years, or an entire lifetime.

FACT: Treatment for JA has multiple goals: relieving pain and other symptoms, slowing or stopping the progression of the disease, preventing joint and organ damage, preserving mobility through adulthood.

FACT: There are many treatment options including medication, massage, mind-body therapies, and acupuncture. Healthy lifestyle choices such as regular exercise and nutritious eating habits can also aid in the management of JA.

FACT: If your child exhibits any signs of joint pain in their feet or ankles, you should make an appointment at our Cromwell office by calling 860-632-5499 to get their symptoms evaluated promptly by our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas. The foot doctor will determine if your child’s discomfort is due to a podiatric problem or potentially arthritic.

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By Feet First Foot Care Specialists
June 21, 2021
Category: Foot conditions
Tags: foot pain   heel pain   Bursitis  

You notice the back of your heel hurts when you’re walking or running. It’s also a little bit swollen, red, and warm. At Feet First Foot Care Specialists, we recognize these as potential symptoms of bursitis. Many of our Middlesex County patients are not familiar with this condition and how it can affect your feet. Below is some helpful information you should know.

Bursitis Defined

Bursas are tiny, fluid-filled sacs located near a joint, tendon, or bone. Their purpose is to provide some cushioning by reducing friction and acting as a lubricant to the area. Bursitis occurs when the bursa in a particular spot becomes inflamed or irritated. Common areas where bursitis develops in your feet in addition to the heel are the ball of the foot, toes, near the base of your Achilles, or on a bunion.

Causes

Most often, bursitis is the result of repetitive motion or pressure to the affected area. Other contributing factors may include:

  • Improperly fitting shoes
  • Not warming up and stretching sufficiently before exercise
  • Haglund’s deformity (also known as “pump bump,” a bony enlargement that forms on the back of your heel)
  • Underlying medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, gout

Diagnosis and Treatment

If you suspect you may have bursitis, it’s important you make an appointment at our Cromwell office by calling 860-632-5499. The symptoms of bursitis are also typical of other podiatric disorders. Our podiatrist, Dr. Adam Mucinskas, will want to conduct a complete physical examination and get your medical history to rule out other possibilities. To confirm a diagnosis of bursitis, the podiatrist may order imaging studies such as x-rays, an MRI, or ultrasound. Sometimes a small amount of fluid will be drawn from the bursa and sent to the lab to be analyzed.

The good news is most patients with bursitis recover using conservative treatment methods. The foot doctor may recommend rest from the activities that are aggravating your bursa. Icing and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications may be prescribed to relieve pain. Physical therapy and stretching exercises may also be prescribed.

Don’t suffer unnecessarily. If you are experiencing any pain or other unusual symptoms in your feet, contact us today, 860-632-5499.

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162 West St Ste K
Cromwell, CT 06416