Footcare Express and the NBA

Jarett Reinhartz, Owner & Managing Director of Footcare Express

It’s that time of year… Starting Wednesday, our experts will be visiting with many teams in the NBA to conduct biomechanical evaluations of the lower extremity on various athletes.  Additionally, we will be scanning these individuals for custom foot orthotic devices that address current mechanical issues and/ or prevent future issues and increase athletic efficiency.

Follow us on our foot care journey.

Heel Healing with Platelet Rich Plasma

Heel pain is a common foot problem and can make every step you take unbearable. Now, doctors are using a breakthrough treatment to cure it using your own blood. Seven’s Richard Lemus shows us this Heel Healing.

WSVN — Several times a week you’ll find Johnny Rodriguez pacing the sidelines of the baseball field.

Johnny Rodriguez: “I’m on my feet a lot. I coach little league baseball. Very active person. By the time you’re releasing it here, that’s how the ball is getting it’s spin.”

But recently heel pain has slowed him down.

Johnny Rodriguez: “See the pain is right here and when you step like that and come off of it, that’s when you feel the pain.”

Doctors diagnosed him with a very common foot problem called Plantar Fasciitis. It’s a condition where the tissue inside the bottom of the feet becomes inflamed. It often strikes people who are on their feet a lot.

Dr. Abraham Wagner: “Steroid injections has been one of the first and foremost type of treatments when it comes to this type of condition. Unfortunately, it deteriorates the bone quality.”

Now doctors are performing a breakthrough procedure for foot pain where they use a patient’s own blood to treat the inflammation, it’s called Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP .

Dr. Abraham Wagner: “We’re taking it out of one location of the body and re-injecting it into another one.”

Doctors draw blood from your arm and then spin it around in this machine to harvest the platelets. Platelets have high counts of growth factors, which are thought to speed up healing.

Dr. Abraham Wagner: “We can see the separation of the plasma from the whole blood. This plasma on top is filled with stem cells and growth factor.”

The plasma is then injected into the swollen area of the heel where it starts to repair the damaged tissue.

Dr. Abraham Wagner: “What we’re essentially doing is putting the plasma as an anti-inflammatory component just to reduce the swelling.”

The procedure takes about 30 minutes and the patient is able to walk out of the office.

Johnny Rodriguez: “It wasn’t painful at all. It was easy.”

One week later, Johnny’s heel pain is gone and he’s back on the ball field.

Johnny Rodriguez: “Feeling really good walking on my feet before I was limping on this field. Now I’m ready to run to out with the kids again.”

Richard Lemus: “Some insurances will now pay for the PRP procedure.”

Arch Support Question

Question:
Hello Dr. Mutschler,

I have very wide, flat feet and have been diagnosed with plantar fascitis in both feet. I was told to purchase a quality arch support and came across your website. I’m very interested in purchasing a pair of arch supports from your on line store but was hoping for a recommendation on the type I should buy. I like to hike and was wondering which type (running, basketball, soccer etc…) of Athletic Custom Arch support you would suggest best meets my needs or would I be better off buying the Express Correct Custom Arch support? I’m 5 foot 9 and weigh 205 lbs and I’m a 44 year old male. Thank you so much for your help! – B

Answer:

B,

Thank you for your interest in Footcare Express.

Our $99 product is considered a semi-custom device. At Footcare Express, we have a library of engineered shells that are used to match the length, width and arch height of your foam cast impression. The $199 product is a completely custom-made arch support designed and fabricated from your foam cast impression. These custom arch supports are manufactured using a variety of different materials based on discomforts, activity, use, etc. (Cast Foam Impressions are provided once purchase is made)

In either case, the materials are durable. The life expectancies for any of our products really depend upon the amount and type of usage. We have had customers and patients replace their custom devices yearly, while others have gotten much longer “life”. Softer materials can wear and will wear out quicker. In most cases, each of these products can simply be refurbished without having to fabricate an entirely new product. Refurbish fees may vary.

I hope you find this information useful. Should you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Sincerely,

Charles A. Mutschler, DPM

Medical Director
Sincerely,
Customer Service Team