Are your dogs barking?

Ankles achy?Pain with every step?Now Panther Valley residents suffering from foot and ankle troubles don't have to travel to get help.PA Foot & Ankle Associates, 341 E. Bertsch St., Lansford, opened Tuesday with a well-attended ribbon cutting ceremony. Guests included Lansford Alive president Mark Sverchek; Janine Partenio, representing state Rep. Doyle Heffley; Bill Richards, representing Sen. John Yudichak; Lansford borough council president Rose Mary Cannon; Carbon County Commissioner Tom Gerhard; Sara Ruch, Project Manager of the Lansford/Summit Hill Community Partnership; Bill Moyer, president of St. Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital, Coaldale; and Micah Gursky, Director of Development for St. Luke's Miners Memorial.The practice is owned by doctors Adam J. Teichman, Thomas M. Rocchio and Joseph S. Saka. All are members of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and specialize in surgical and nonsurgical treatments of conditions including diabetic foot complications, ankle reconstruction, heel pain and sports medicine.Rocchio said the group has come to the borough because there is a clear need."This area, we know from the previous groups we've worked with is tremendously underserved in foot and ankle surgery and basic podiatry," he said."I think there's a need in Lansford. Ever since the old practice (Lehigh Valley Foot and Ankle Surgeons) left Lansford, there's been a void with good, experienced podiatric foot and ankle care," Teichman said.Among the three of them, he said, the group has about 15 years of solid experience. Teichman and Rocchio both lecture nationally; Rocchio holds patents on several surgical devices."We're thoroughly embedded in the communities our practices are in," Teichman said. The group sponsors the Women's 5k, which raises funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and local sports teams."We're a caring practice. It's important to establish relations with the community," he said. Teichman said the group offers one-one, personalized care, with each patient typically seeing the same doctor on each visit.Saka said the practice "gives our patients a lot of options" in treatment decisions. Doctors educate patients about different kinds of treatments, offering the benefits and drawbacks of each."We're able to guide the patient toward their eventual healing," he said. "Patients usually do very well."Teichman is the official team podiatrist for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. He earned his doctorate in Podiatric Medicine from the California College of Podiatric Medicine, and completed his surgical residency at Hoboken University Medical Center, Hoboken, New Jersey.Rocchio earned his doctorate in Podiatric Medicine from Temple University, Philadelphia, and completed his surgical residency at Community Medical Center, Scranton.Saka earned his doctorate in Podiatric Medicine from New York School of Podiatric Medicine, and completed his surgical residency at Hoboken University Medical Center.Teichman and Rocchio provide surgical instruction for the Podiatric Residency Program at St. Luke's Hospital, and are Wound Care Specialists for the Easton Limb and Salvage Team. They are also internationally published authors and legal consultants.The group also has offices in Allentown, Easton and Northampton.Cannon is glad to have the group in Lansford."We're very happy to see another business opening," she said. "I wish them good luck, and hope this is the beginning of more coming to town."Sverchek was happy to welcome PA Foot & Ankle Associates to town."We're absolutely thrilled to have another new business opening. Obviously, they are very experienced and skilled podiatrists, so we're glad to have them in town, providing for our citizens," he said.The practice can be reached at (610) 330-9740, or by accessing the website at

www.PAFootDoctors.com.