TORONTO DOCTOR DISCUSSES AN INTERESTING PATIENT REGARDING CUSTOM ORTHOTICS

ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, I, DR. JOHN A. HARDY HARDY HAD A PATIENT PRESENT WITH SEVERE BACK PAIN AND ALL DOUBLED OVER.  I DID A CONSULTATION AND HE TOLD ME THAT HE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH HIS KNEES AND WHEN I EXAMINED HIM, HIS ARCHES IN HIS FEET WERE TOTALLY COLLAPSED AND HE HAD OVERPRONATION.  I MENTIONED AT THE TIME OF THE EXAMINATION THAT HE WOULD BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR CUSTOM ORTHOTICS BUT HE TOLD ME HAD JUST RECENTLY RETIRED AS HEAD OF THE HEALTH BENEFITS DEPARTMENT AT THE CITY OF TORONTO AND HIS JOB WAS TO TRY TO CONTAIN COSTS AND THE YEARLY BILL FROM ORTHOTICS HAD DOUBLED IN THE LAST 4 YEARS.  HE DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT ORTHOTICS AND THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS, BUT THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE VERY EXPENSIVE AND TRIED TO DISCOURAGE THEIR USE BY PUTTING UP BARRIERS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES TO OBTAIN THEM.  THE UNION FOUGHT THE NEW CHANGES AND THINGS WERE RETURNED TO THE STATUS QUO.  NEVERTHELESS, THIS PATIENT DID NOT GET ORTHOTICS AT THAT TIME AND THAT WAS THE END OF THAT DISCUSSION.

I TREATED HIM FOR 8 WEEKS AT WHICH TIME HE WAS PAIN FREE IN HIS SPINE.  HE RETURNED AGAIN ABOUT 1 YEAR LATER WITH A MINOR RELAPSE.  I THEN AGAIN DISCUSSED CUSTOM ORTHOTICS WITH HIM AND HOW HE COULD BENEFIT FROM THEM.  HE ASKED ME THEIR COST WHICH I KNEW HE KNEW VERY WELL AND THAT HE WAS COVERED FROM HIS EXTENDED HEALTH BENEFITS FROM WORK, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS RETIRED.  HE ASKED ME WILL THEY HELP TO WHICH I RESPONDED "THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN IS THAT YOUR HEALTH WILL IMPROVE.'  HE DECIDED TO GET THEM , I TREATED HIM FOR ABOUT 5 WEEKS AT WHICH TIME HE WAS PAIN FREE.  HE CAME IN AND I FITTED HIM FOR HIS ORTHOTICS.  HE RETURNED TO MY OFFICE ABOUT 1 MONTHS LATER FOR A FOLLOW UP WITH HIS ORTHOTICS.

HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS FEELING FINE AND THAT HE COULD RIDE HIS BIKE AND WALK 3 TIMES AS FAR THAN HE COULD BEFORE WITHOUT EXPERIENCING KNEE PAIN AND COULD THIS BE THE RESULT OF HIM WEARING ORTHOTICS.  I ASKED HIM WHAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGED THAT CAUSED THIS HUGE RELIEF IN HIS KNEE PAIN. ORTHOTICS.  HE STATED THAT IF HE KNEW THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS HE WOULDN'T HAVE TRIED TO CURTAIL THIER USE.

THIS PATIENT NEVER EVER CAME IN FOR BACK TREATMENTS, BUT DID COME BACK FOR ANOTHER SET OF ORTHOTICS FOR HIS DRESS SHOES AND BROUGHT HIS WIFE IN FOR ORTHOTIC.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY DR. JOHN A. HARDY, OWNER OF ACADEMY FOOT AND ORTHOTIC CLINICS.

 

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