Even if your patients’ feet don’t hurt, their feet could be a major factor contributing to their health problems. Pain in various parts of the body can be traced directly to the feet.¹

Chiropractic Products interviewed two experts about how chiropractors can help their patients and their practice’s bottom line by selling orthotics out of their practice. Kent S. Greenawalt is president and CEO of Foot Levelers Inc, Roanoke, Va. Bruce Marrison, BSc Kin, MBA, is senior vice president for The Orthotic Group, Markham, Ontario, Canada.

What type of patient-education materials are available with the purchase of orthotic products?

Greenawalt: Foot Levelers offers a variety of free patient-educational materials. Chiropractors can order these materials to display around their office and give to patients when they receive Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers. These materials are easy-to-read brochures that help patients understand more about their condition and what their custom-made orthotics can do to help. These brochures help educate patients about a variety of issues, from low back pain, to heel spurs, to taking care of kids’ health.

Marrison: At The Orthotic Group (TOG), we believe patients’ understanding of the need for orthotics and how orthotics will help is almost as important as the efficacy of the orthotic. As a result of this belief, we have developed a wide variety of patient-education programs, including programs as sophisticated as GaitScan™ (pressure-mapping hardware and software). In addition, we have just released a new patient-education DVD on the benefits of orthotic therapy to be viewed in the waiting room of DCs’ offices. Other patient-education materials include what many of our competitors offer—posters, patient brochures, and sample orthotics and footwear. Every client receives this package of patient-education material when joining TOG.

What return on investment (ROI) can a DC expect from selling orthotics, and when can a DC expect to see an ROI?

Greenawalt: The profit opportunity with orthotics is expanding the quality of care by providing a higher level of service. Completing a foot- and gait-analysis exam to determine the necessity of orthotics; adjusting the foot, ankle, and lower-extremity joints; and instructing the patient in strengthening and stretching exercises are all ways to enhance care. On ensuing visits, the doctor will fit the patient with custom orthotics, instruct the patient in the proper use, recheck the adjustments in the spine and lower-extremity joints, and review home exercises. Often provided over 3 visits, the total profit margin for the product and the service provided by the doctor can actually be more than $500 for each pair of custom orthotics!

Marrison: Orthotics are a health and profit center for DCs. For as little as $49.95 for a foam starter kit or as little as $0 to $200 a month for GaitScan™, a new DC can start with The Orthotic Group and distribute orthotics in the $300 range to patients (price to patient varies with demographics). Average TOG clients may do five pairs a month, and it is not unusual for our busier clients to exceed 20 to 50 pairs a month or $6,000 to $15,000 billing a month. This is a very generous return on your investment, regardless of which formula you use.

What type of seminars or continuing-education courses do you provide for DCs to get educated about the products?

Greenawalt: Foot Levelers offers a series of seminars around the world where doctors can learn hands-on techniques and the clinical justification for Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers. This is a great opportunity to learn about custom-made orthotics while also earning valuable continuing-education credits. We also provide one-on-one training to review products, make recommendations to patients, learn how to get paid for orthotics, and use the materials. Our trained customer service team can assist any doctor with any problem. We also make sure to educate CAs on how they can assist the doctors with the procedures and billing.

Marrison: TOG has Kim Ross, PhD Biomechanics, DC as our key lecturer across North America. Over 2006, Dr. Ross lectured at over 50 dates globally on orthotic therapy. All our USA dates are partnered with chiropractic schools for continuing-education credits. As well as the seminar lectures, each DC is partnered with an account manager and a team of technical advisers from TOG that have a health sciences background.

Describe the display materials that you offer, such as orthotic samples, brochures, posters, and footwear.

Greenawalt: Foot Levelers has a variety of display materials to offer. Our Step-by-Step Success Display kit features samples of Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers, Shoethotics^®, and other educational materials. All the samples are neatly presented to patients on a compact tabletop display. We also offer a wall-mounted display as a convenient way to showcase Stabilizer samples, featuring Stabilizer samples and informational brochures. We also offer many different educational posters to be displayed in the office. These posters attract patients’ attention and drive them to ask the chiropractor about our products. We have posters about many topics from pillows to rehab to golf.

Marrison: Our stock display materials include posters and brochures promoting foot health, sample orthotics, sample footwear, and footwear stands. TOG also invested in a patient-education display in the form of a DVD that can be played through a TV or a computer in the waiting room or treatment rooms. This DVD educates patients on orthotics and footwear. This DVD is available in both an audio version and a silent version.

What technological or other advancements have taken place with orthotics over the past few years, and what do you see for the future?

Greenawalt: With a digital foot scanner, such as Foot Levelers’ Associate Platinum, 21st century technology is literally at your fingertips. The Associate Platinum’s technology takes the guesswork out of scanning patients and recommending Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers, increasing the level of patient education and acceptance. In less than 2 minutes, you can scan your patient and send his or her order instantly to Foot Levelers’ laboratory over the Internet. A digital scanner offers the best technology in a compact unit, making it easier for use in a tight space and on-the-go screenings.

Marrison: The main technological advancement is computerized gait analysis. Due to improvements in computer processing speed, pressure plates have increased their sampling speed and number of sensors. What does this mean to DCs? One, DCs have a much more accurate and visually impressive gait-analysis tool to educate patients and prescribe orthotics. Two, while the efficacy of orthotics is well researched, the understanding of how orthotics work is still in its infancy. With tools like GaitScan™, researchers have a tool to assess the foot’s movement and better understand how orthotics work. Now and in the future, this research will help DCs determine what type of orthotics will best help different foot types.

Reference
1. Pain relief could be only two feet away. Available at: www.footlevelers.com/conditions/back_pain_relief.php. Accessed November 15, 2006.