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by Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
Joined Mountain View Medical &
Surgical Associates of
Madras, Oregon July 2008 |
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Part 1
e all know podiatrists are the best source for custom foot orthotics (much less any other treatment of the foot and ankle). Who receives better biomechanical training than us? As such, orthotic therapy is a significant part of standard podiatric care, and it behooves the podiatrist to carefully consider which primary orthotic company to choose.
During my nine years of podiatry life thus far (school, residency, and practice) I’ve had the opportunity to try many different orthotic companies. I would recommend that anyone who will be practicing podiatry should review as many companies as possible. |
In my opinion, as a podiatrist you should be able to get a free pair of orthotics from EVERY orthotic company. If not, it’s a bad sign:
if they’re too cheap to give a prospective doctor one free pair, imagine what they’ll be like when you’re doing business with them!
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Here’s what I personally consider when determining an orthotic company (in no particular order):
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- Quality – is the orthotic well made and professional in appearance? Does it work?
- Cost – is it affordable for me and thus my patients?
- Included benefits – will the company nickel and dime me for every modification I ask for? Will a reverse morton extension add $20 to my cost?
- Guarantee/warrantee – if they don’t have a guarantee don’t use them. Period. I’ve seen everything from no guarantees to lifetime. I think a three month guarantee is fair.
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Are they based on reasonable science?
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With this said, I chose Sole Supports as my primary orthotic company. Before I go any further, here’s my
disclaimer. I am receiving NO monetary compensation or benefit from Sole Supports other than a free pair of orthotics, which I had made prior to actually using them for my patients. In fact, they won’t know I’m writing this editorial until it’s published. So, why did I choose them? I considered numbers 1-5 above, but in reality I chose them for one reason – they work. I know - it’s anecdotal. A one person study? What kind of science is that? I
read the literature backing Sole Supports (which is extensive), but the final deciding factor is that my feet feel much better than before.
Sole Supports is the brainchild of Edward Glaser, DPM who described MASS (Maximal Arch Subtalar Stabilization) position and Gait Referenced Casting. I’m not going to get into the biomechanics here. If you’re interested, I’ll refer you to the three PRESENT Courseware lectures on the subject presented by Dr Glaser: you can
get it straight from the “horse’s mouth.” Dr Glaser is somewhat of a heretic in the biomechanical world, and I’ll warn you, if you haven’t seen his lecture yet, hold on. He smashes just about everything we learned in school about Root biomechanics. I was overwhelmed the first time I heard his lecture.
The company provides training in the MASS position casting technique, and they require that you be certified by sending in 3 trial casts that are reviewed by the company. This is a very responsible move by Sole Supports; by requiring competency
they are decreasing the risks of orthotic failure due to poor casting methods. In their introductory box comes a set of 6 casting boxes, a comprehensive
reference manual, topcover swatches, and three orthotic samples, as well as patient education materials, and a DVD that offers two CME credits (useful for those of us out of residency). They have a 6 month warranty and are covered for one year against breakage or cracking. Their cost for a standard orthotic is $119 (a little higher than the average orthotic) but well worth the price and includes the shipping. My orthotics was delivered about three weeks after I sent in the casts. They came in a professional box with break-in instructions and patient information. I was surprised to receive not only a superior pair of orthotics that has greatly reduced my pain, but an entire support system from Sole Supports.
For me the bottom line is: do they work? Along that vein I am going to report 2 short case presentations in my next editorial, hopefully describing in tangible and visible terms how effective these orthotics have been. Choosing an orthotic company is an important consideration for podiatrists that requires some thought.
What do you consider important when choosing an orthotic company, or any company for that matter? Write in with your responses. Best wishes.
Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
PRESENT New Docs Editor
[email protected]
GRAND SPONSOR
This program is supported by
an
educational grant from
STRATA DIAGNOSTICS
MAJOR SPONSORS
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