Meriden CT Podiatrist

Foot care for the entire family, located in Meriden, CT. Dr. Boucher and her staff are committed to providing the finest comprehensive care to you and your entire family from the moment you walk through our door. We treat patients from pediatrics to geriatrics. We offer our patients a comfortable, relaxed environment and strive to exceed our patient expectations at every visit. We treat bunions, hammertoes, heel pain, fungal toe nails, athlete's foot, plantar fasciitis and much more.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Arthritis in the Feet

Are you dealing with pain and inflammation in your joints?

Arthritis affects around 40 million Americans so you if you suffer from this painful disease, please know you are not alone! Our job at Central Connecticut Foot Care Center is to give patients relief from their foot and ankle pain. Foot specialist, Dr. Tina Boucher, treats patients with arthritis in their feet on a regular basis.

More specifically, it is osteoarthritis that develops in the joints of the foot and ankle. It is the most common type of arthritis and is degenerative in nature. This means that it gets worse over time as you age. The cartilage in your feet breaks down over time and because each foot has 33 joints, the result can be significant pain and loss of mobility.

How do I know if I have arthritis in my feet?

Arthritis can affect anyone at any age but typically those over 50 years of age are more susceptible. Early diagnosis can significantly limit and slow down the damage that this disease can cause. For this reason, please pay close attention if you experience the following symptoms:

Stiffness in your feet and ankles in the morning

Recurring pain or tenderness

Inability to move your foot or ankle, walk or bear weight

Redness or heat

Changes in your skin

Swelling

Please contact our office if you have any of these symptoms. Dr. Boucher can diagnose if arthritis has set in and start you on the right path of treatment. This may involve pain relievers, arch supports, physical therapy or special shoes. Don’t allow joint pain to affect your life any longer. Call us today (203) 238-3668 to make an appointment or visit us online.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Osteoporosis Might First be Found in Feet!

Did you know that your bones are actually made of living, growing tissue? There are several components that make bones strong and flexible. Until about the age of 25, your bones continue to become more dense until they reach their peak bone mass. At this point, you have the most bone that you will ever have and more bone mass reduces your chances of breaks and osteoporosis as you get older.

Do you have an unexplained foot fracture?

As we age, we can lose bone and when you lose too much bone or don’t make enough, the condition is called osteoporosis. There are many risk factors for developing osteoporosis. Some you can’t control such as age, menopause and family history. Others factors such as poor diet, inactivity, smoking and weight loss are within your boundaries to control.

Foot specialist, Dr. Tina Boucher continually reminds her patients that foot pain is not normal. This bone condition is one reason you should always get symptoms looked at. Foot pain can be due to a stress fracture and the fracture could be indicative of osteoporosis. Unexplained stress fractures are often the first sign of the condition. Catching the condition early will provide time to respond with appropriate diet or lifestyle changes to slow down its progression.

Since your feet can provide valuable clues to your health such as whether you may have osteoporosis, please contact us with any unusual pain or symptoms. Call Central Connecticut Footcare Center at (203) 238-3668 and make an appointment with Dr. Boucher today.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Osteochondritis

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are you having pain and stiffness in your ankle?

Persistent pain in your foot or ankle can be very frustrating as it impairs your ability to carry out daily tasks or takes you out of activities. Dr. Tina Boucher, foot specialist in Meriden, CT regularly sees patients complaining of ankle pain and ready for relief.

If you are experiencing pain and stiffness in your ankle joint, it could be the result of a condition called osteochondritis. This is a common condition that most often develops after you have had a twisting-type injury to your ankle. During an injury, a piece of cartilage from the end of a bone in your ankle can “chip” off or become loose. Sometimes a chipped piece of cartilage stays in place leaving no pain or symptoms. It is when a fragment of cartilage moves and and gets caught between a joint that pain or stiffness can develop. Swelling and aching are also common symptoms we hear from patients at our podiatric office.

This sounds like what I may have, what can be done?

This is one of those conditions where the early it is diagnosed and treated the better. Rest and immobilization in a cast can give the bone injury time to heal. If the condition is more severe, surgery may be needed to remove the loose fragments of cartilage. The area where the fragment broke off from may need to be addressed as well. This can be done by drilling holes which stimulates blood vessels resulting in scar tissue that fills in the area.

To avoid surgery, please call us today if you are experiencing nagging, aching pain or stiffness in your ankle. Dr. Boucher can diagnose the severity of your injury and start appropriate treatment immediately. Call our office at (203) 238-3668 or visit us at www.centralctfootcare.com.