When to See a Doctor for Foot Pain: 4 Signs it’s Time to See a Specialist

We’ve all heard the advice: “Just rest and put some ice on it.” And for the occasional sore foot after a workout or a day spent on your feet, that may be enough. But when pain keeps returning, or starts interfering with your daily life, you may wonder when to see a doctor for foot pain.

At Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, our foot and ankle care specialists help patients get to the root of persistent pain and find solutions to get them back on their feet.

And while surgery is sometimes necessary, it’s often not the first step. Other treatments include:

Activity modification
Physical therapy
Custom orthotics or bracing
Anti-inflammatory medication
Injections or other non-surgical therapies

One of the clearest reasons to seek care is when your pain is interfering with normal life. Addressing the issue early helps prevent small problems from becoming larger ones down the road. Here are four signs your foot pain may need professional attention:

1. Foot Pain that Won’t Go Away or Keeps Coming Back

Minor injuries typically improve with activity changes and rest. If your foot pain lasts more than a few weeks or flares up regularly, it’s worth getting an evaluation.

Persistent pain can be caused by conditions such as:

Stress fractures
Tendon injuries
Plantar fasciitis
Ligament damage

Our foot and ankle specialists can evaluate the structure of your foot and ankle to determine what’s actually causing the pain, rather than simply treating the symptoms.

2. Changes in the Way You Walk or Bear Weight

If you’re limping, shifting your weight, or avoiding putting pressure on one part of your foot, your body is trying to compensate for discomfort. That compensation can throw off your alignment and lead to knee, hip, or back pain over time. A specialist can assess your gait and recommend treatment to restore your natural movement.

3. Swelling, Instability, or Weakness in the Foot or Ankle

Swelling or bruising can be signs of a soft tissue injury, while instability, weakness, or a feeling that your ankle might “give out,” can signal ligament damage. These kinds of issues are especially common after an ankle sprain that never fully healed. Without proper treatment, the joint may remain vulnerable to repeated injuries. Early evaluation can prevent long-term damage.

4. Foot Pain is Limiting Your Daily Activities

When pain limits your activities–whether that’s running, golfing, or simply keeping up with the kids–it’s more than an inconvenience. It’s a quality-of-life issue. If you’re avoiding exercise or having difficulty completing everyday tasks, it’s time to seek guidance. Dr. Eilts works closely with patients to develop customized recovery plans that balance activity and healing, helping you return to what matters most.

Expert Foot and Ankle Care at Atlantic Orthopaedics

Foot and ankle issues can have many different causes, and the right treatment starts with an accurate diagnosis. Our providers’ patient-centered approach starts with listening: to understand your symptoms, activity level, and goals. They help pinpoint the why behind your pain and provide a personalized treatment plan to restore comfort and mobility.

If you’re suffering from foot pain, you don’t have to “tough it out.” When your pain persists, worsens, or affects how you move and live, seeing a specialist will help set you on the path to healing so you can get back to doing the things you love. At Atlantic Orthopaedics, we combine compassionate care with cutting-edge techniques to help every patient move comfortably and confidently again.

If foot or ankle pain is slowing you down, take the next step toward lasting relief. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Eilts today.

Relief from Nerve Compression with ACDF Surgery

Do you have persistent radiating neck and arm pain because of a pinched nerve? Nerve compression is not just painful, but can disrupt sleep, limit daily activities, and make even small tasks feel overwhelming. At Atlantic Orthopaedics, spine surgeon Dr. Philip Zakko specializes in helping patients find lasting relief through cervical spine procedures like Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) and Cervical Disc Replacement (CDR). Dr. Zakko performs the surgery at Portsmouth Regional Hospital and York Hospital.

How ACDF Benefits Patients

ACDF surgery is designed to relieve pressure on spinal nerves caused by a degenerated or herniated disc in the cervical spine. When a disc bulges, it can compress nearby nerves, triggering pain that travels from the neck into the arms. If conservative treatments like physical therapy or injections haven’t helped, the procedure could help patients reduce pain and regain mobility.

Who is a Good Candidate?

ACDF is recommended for patients who:

Have neck pain radiating into their upper extremities

Have MRI evidence of nerve compression

Have completed six or more weeks of conservative treatment, such as physical therapy and/or injections, without improvement

How Does the ACDF Procedure Work?

With the patient under anesthesia, Dr. Zakko begins by making a small horizontal incision along the neck. Next, the damaged disc and bone spurs (if any) are removed. Once the space is cleared, a piece of donor bone, or a metal spacer filled with bone material, is placed where the disc was, creating a bridge that will allow the vertebrae to fuse into a single bone over time. To keep everything stable during healing, a small metal plate and screws are typically used to hold the bones in place.

Physical therapy may be prescribed during recovery to strengthen the neck muscles and increase mobility. Within a few months after the ACDF procedure, most patients experience less pain and are able to return to their normal activities.

A Patient Success Story

We asked Dr. Zakko to tell us about a recent patient who underwent ACDF with excellent results. His patient–a 70-year-old man–arrived with three months of significant right arm pain that radiated from his neck to his middle finger, along with weakness in his right triceps.

Despite more than six weeks of physical therapy, his symptoms persisted. X-rays showed degenerative disc disease at the C6-7 level, and an MRI confirmed compression of the right C7 nerve root caused by a disc osteophyte complex.

The patient elected to undergo C6-7 ACDF with Dr. Zakko. The surgery went smoothly, and he woke up with immediate relief of his arm pain and a return of strength–a life-changing improvement after months of discomfort.

What Patients Should Know

ACDF has long been considered the gold standard surgical treatment for symptomatic cervical disc degeneration, although Dr. Zakko notes that some patients may be candidates for a motion-preserving option called Cervical Disc Replacement. By replacing the affected disc with an artificial one, CDR can help maintain natural movement in the neck and help preserve adjacent levels from future wear and tear.

Cervical Spine Care Tailored for You

Whether you’re dealing with a painful compressed nerve or other neck and spine issues, Dr. Zakko and the team at Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine are here to help you understand your options and find the treatment that works for you. With expertise in both minimally invasive and traditional surgical techniques, Dr. Zakko provides expert, individualized care to restore your quality of life and get you back to the activities you love.

To learn more about ACDF or other cervical spine treatments, schedule a consultation with Dr. Zakko. Relief could be closer than you think.

Get Back on Your Feet: Help for Patients with Bunions

Bunions can make everyday activities like walking, exercising, or even wearing shoes extremely uncomfortable. A bunion is a bony bump that forms at the base of the big toe when the joint becomes misaligned. Over time, the big toe drifts toward the smaller toes, causing the joint to protrude and become painful. Bunions can develop for a variety of reasons, including inherited foot structure, improper footwear (especially narrow or high-heeled shoes), arthritis, or repeated stress on the foot. As the deformity progresses, the joint can become increasingly swollen and sore.

How Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy Can Help

Dr. Theodore Guild, a foot and ankle surgeon who recently joined our team, offers Minimally Invasive Bunionectomy (Bunion Deformity Correction), an innovative procedure designed to correct bunion deformities with less disturbance of the skin and soft tissues than open surgery. Traditionally, bunion correction has involved a large incision along the side of the foot. The minimally invasive approach requires incisions of just 1cm or less, through which Dr. Guild uses specialized instruments to reshape the deformity. This reduces tissue disruption, wound complications, and post-operative pain.

Dr. Guild performs the procedure at NECOS, Portsmouth Regional Hospital, and York Hospital, making it accessible to patients in several communities.

Who is a Good Candidate for the Procedure?

If you’re dealing with persistent bunion pain that hasn’t improved with non-surgical treatments like toe spacers, shoe modifications, or splints, minimally invasive bunionectomy may be the right treatment for you. Dr. Guild encourages patients not to wait until pain limits daily life. When a painful bunion prevents you from being able to do the things you enjoy recreationally, or that you need to do regularly, it’s time to come in for an evaluation and begin a conversation about the best treatment approach.

Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine is committed to utilizing the latest surgical techniques to improve patient care, comfort, and outcomes. If you’re suffering from a painful bunion, take the first step towards better foot health and schedule a consultation with Dr. Guild today.

Meet Dr. Theodore Guild – Foot & Ankle Surgeon

Atlantic Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine is excited to welcome Dr. Theodore Guild to our team! A fellowship-trained Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle surgeon, Dr. Guild brings clinical excellence and a passion for patient-centered care to our community. He specializes in treating the full spectrum of foot and ankle conditions, from sports-related injuries and fractures to arthritis and chronic deformity.

Beyond his technical expertise, Dr. Guild finds getting to know his patients and their lives the most rewarding part of his job. “Having the opportunity to be someone’s teammate and advocate throughout their healing journey makes this work truly gratifying,” he shared.

From an early age, Dr. Guild was drawn to physical, constructive work – building decks with his dad, and working in both landscaping and farming as a teen. That love of hands-on work, combined with his experience as an EMT during college, led to his interest in medicine. It was through his post-college job as an Emergency Room Technician working alongside orthopaedic residents that Dr. Guild found his true calling in orthopaedics, where he could combine technical skill, problem-solving, and meaningful patient care.

Dr. Guild’s approach is rooted in collaboration—starting with non-operative treatments whenever possible and offering surgery only when truly necessary. For patients who do require surgery, he is proud to bring Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) to the Seacoast. Using incisions just millimeters long, MIS allows for less scarring, quicker recovery, and reduced pain. For advanced ankle arthritis, he also offers Total Ankle Arthroplasty (ankle replacement surgery) to restore movement and improve quality of life.

When asked what made him want to join the practice at Atlantic Orthopaedics, Dr. Guild said it was the genuine, caring nature of the entire staff—from front office to clinical teams—that drew him in and made our practice a natural fit. Outside of work, Dr. Guild can be found exploring the local trails on his gravel bike, hiking, skiing, or kayaking with his wife exploring the beautiful coasts and mountains of New Hampshire and Maine.

Atlantic Orthopaedics is thrilled to expand access to advanced foot and ankle care in the Seacoast and help our patients get back to the activities they love. If you’re suffering from a foot and ankle injury or condition, schedule a consultation with Dr. Guild today.

Innovative ACL Surgery for Athletes

An ACL injury can sideline an athlete for months, but fortunately, orthopedic sports medicine surgeon Dr. Abigail Boduch is successfully treating patients with an innovative approach to ACL reconstruction. The all-soft tissue quadriceps autograft is a cutting-edge technique that uses grafts from the quadriceps tendon, and offers numerous benefits, including a reduced risk of arthritis and decreased pain when bending or kneeling. Notably, the procedure eliminates the need to use bone from the patella, reducing the fracture risks associated with the traditional method. As the number of ACL injuries among high school and college athletes continues to rise–especially among female athletes–this approach is likely to be more widely adopted.

Why the Quad Graft Technique Stands Out

For female athletes, the quad graft technique can be a game changer. Emerging research highlights the differences in how ACL injuries impact male and female athletes, and studies suggest that females benefit significantly from this approach. With female athletes being three to six times more likely than males to suffer ACL tears, innovative solutions like this are crucial for addressing the unique challenges they face.

Additionally, Dr. Boduch’s ability to tailor her surgery to the individual sets her apart. Since there’s no one-size-fits-all graft for ACL reconstruction, her personalized approach maximizes success for each patient. Factors such as the patient’s activity level, age, and injury specifics guide her choice of graft, providing a truly customized surgical solution.

Why It Matters Now

ACL injuries are reaching “epidemic” levels among young athletes, making prevention and effective treatment more important than ever. Dr. Boduch recommends programs like the FIFA 11 injury prevention program, which has been proven to reduce ACL injury risks.

However, if an injury does occur, it’s crucial to seek medical attention promptly. Signs of an ACL injury include knee swelling, difficulty bending or extending the leg, and pain after an injury. Athletes experiencing these symptoms should consult an orthopedic specialist to assess the damage and explore treatment options.

Meet Dr. Abigail Boduch

Dr. Boduch is a highly skilled orthopedic surgeon at Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. With expertise in Sports Medicine and Trauma, she specializes in treating injuries of the shoulder, elbow, and knee. Her areas of expertise include the treatment of tendon, ligament, cartilage, and other soft tissue injuries through both arthroscopic and open approaches, as well as trauma care focused on fractures of the extremities.

By offering state-of-the-art procedures like the quad graft ACL reconstruction, Dr. Boduch is helping athletes return to their sport stronger and with a reduced risk of future complications. Her individualized approach ensures every patient receives the care and attention they need to get back in the game.

If you or someone you know has experienced a knee injury or wants to learn more about sports injury prevention and treatment options, reach out today!

Bringing Multispecialty Expertise to Dover, NH

When it comes to orthopedic care, residents of Dover and the surrounding areas have plenty of options to choose from. But if you’re looking for a practice that delivers a unique combination of multispecialty expertise, compassion and patient-focused care, Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine stands out. With a team of surgeons and specialists who treat the full range of orthopedic issues, including fractures and trauma, arthritis, pain management, and arthroscopic and joint replacement surgeries, AOSM offers an unmatched level of comprehensive care.

Unlike other practices that may focus on one or two areas like knees and hips, our highly skilled team brings a diverse range of specialties that cover the entire musculoskeletal system–from the neck and spine to shoulders, elbows and wrists, to knees, hips, feet and ankles. Our orthopedic surgeons bring a wealth of knowledge gleaned from top universities, world class residencies, and prestigious fellowships. Knee and hip specialist Dr. Akhilesh Sastry is recognized as the first surgeon to perform a robotic-assisted total knee replacement in New Hampshire and was among the first 15 surgeons to perform the operation worldwide. The newest addition to our team, Dr. Abigail Boduch, completed her Orthopedic Surgery Residency and Orthopedic Trauma Fellowship at Brown University, a Sports Medicine Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, then served as assistant team physician to the Pittsburgh Steelers before returning to her home state of NH to join our practice. This breadth of experience means that patients receive complete, cohesive care in one place, ensuring that treatment is coordinated between providers and handled by someone who truly understands their unique condition and goals.

Another benefit that sets Atlantic Orthopaedics apart is the level of care and compassion our team offers. As the largest physician-owned orthopedic practice in New Hampshire, we are uniquely equipped to prioritize patient experience. When physicians, rather than executives, determine how a practice is run, it fundamentally changes the approach to care, allowing for a more personal touch. Our doctors themselves shape the way care is delivered and have put systems and processes in place that put patients first. From consultation to treatment to recovery, our team is dedicated to providing the best possible patient experience, while maintaining the highest standards of medical care.

Choosing Atlantic Orthopaedics means choosing a practice that’s genuinely invested in the well-being of every patient. It means being treated by the best doctors around, whose comprehensive expertise and commitment to compassionate care truly sets them apart. We believe in taking the time to really listen to our patients, to understand their unique needs, so we create a treatment plan that aligns with their goals and lifestyle. Whether you’re an athlete dealing with a sports injury or someone managing chronic joint pain, Atlantic Orthopaedics is here to provide the care and support you need to feel your best. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you get back to doing what you love, pain-free.

To stay updated on announcements and our opening date at the new Dover location, sign up for our email list here!

Read what our patients have to say:

“Recently had my 2nd hip replacement procedure by Dr. Sastry and Dr. Cusson. These guys do a great job! Was again impressed by their expertise. Also, all staff associates at their surgical center were terrific. Like my 1st operation, I’m hoping to be back on the tennis court within 10 weeks. Thank you Atlantic!” – Steven G.

“You will not find a doctor better than Dr. Lehn. Always makes you feel comfortable about the procedure you are having and always takes the time to answer your questions. So grateful to have his expertise in treating my back issues.” – Joanne P.

“Doctor McMahon is great. He spent time explaining the procedure, listened and answered all my questions. It was an excellent experience.” – Ed P.