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The Align Clinic Blog
​ Your Home For Orthotic and Prosthetic Knowledge

Prosthetics and Orthotics: A Short Guide for Parents

10/18/2020

5 Comments

 
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For a child, living with physical challenges can be difficult. Their minds are not mature enough to comprehend the situation fully. Your job as a parent is to help them deal with their difficulty to the best of your abilities. Prosthetics and orthotics can improve a child’s life immensely.  ​
Injuries, accidents, and birth defects are just a few of many reasons why children suffer physical difficulties. With some help from a prosthetist/orthotist, your child might be able to regain their mobility 100% and enjoy life to the fullest. But how do you pick the right medical professional?

Whether your child needs an orthopedic brace or an artificial limb, you need top-notch quality. Today, we’re going to give you a short introduction to prosthetics and orthotics and talk about:
  • What prosthetists/orthotists do
  • What qualifications they have for the job
  • How to pick the right prosthetist/orthotist for your child

First, let’s talk about…

What Does a Prosthetist/Orthotist Do?

A prosthetist is a person that treats and works on improving the movement of people with missing limbs, muscle disabilities, and injuries like burns and fractures. An orthotist is a medical professional that makes and fits braces for people who have body parts weakened by injuries. 

These healthcare professionals treat a wide variety of patients, for instance, children born with cerebral palsy, people who have had a limb amputated after an accident, and people who experience muscle weaknesses after sustaining an injury. 

Both prosthetists and orthotists usually do the following:
  • Interview and evaluate patients to determine their needs
  • Design prosthetics and orthotics for their patients
  • Adjust, repair, and replace devices if needed
  • Show their patients how to take care of their devices

What Qualifications does a Prosthetist/Orthotist Have?

Medical professionals that are certified in both disciplines are called Certified Prosthetists Orthotists, or CPOs for short. An average CPO usually leans toward one of the two disciplines. However, to give your child comprehensive care, they need training in both disciplines. 

Prosthetists/orthotists rarely work alone. In most cases, they’re a part of a team that includes CPO assistants and technicians. The rest of the team is there to help the experts construct, fit, and adjust the patent’s prosthesis and orthotics.
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What Should You Ask Before Choosing a Prosthetist/Orthotist?

To find out whether a medical professional is right for your child, you need to talk to them, make sure they have all of the right credentials, check what’s their experience, and how much they charge. Here are a few questions to ask before choosing a prosthetist/orthotist.

What Are their Qualifications?

While researching local clinics, you should always start by looking at the staff and their credentials. Prosthetics/orthotists usually work as a part of a large team, so in addition to checking their education and experience, inspect the rest of the staff. Potential team members can include physical therapists, cancelers, nurses, and even dieticians. Different patients have different needs and you need to make sure that the clinic will be able to give your child the help and care they need.

How Much Do They Charge?

Healthcare in the United States can cost you a lot of money. Just last year, Americans spent $1.3 trillion on hospital bills. A checkup from a prosthetist/orthotist will come with a bill, so before you bring your child in, make sure that you can cover the costs. If the costs are high and you have private health insurance, make sure to check whether you can get your money back. Also, keep in mind that professional prosthetics and orthotics are an ongoing cost, so make sure to discuss your payment options with the clinic. ​

What’s the Location of Their Clinic?

When searching for clinics, the first thing you need to find out is the location. No matter how good the prosthetist/orthotist is, you don’t want to spend a couple of hours stuck in your car to go for a routine checkup. In an ideal situation, you should pick a local clinic. Of course, if there’s no local clinic specializing in prosthetics/orthotics, you should look for one closest to you. Also, if you want to get the best care for your child, go with a private clinic. ​

When Can You Make an Appointment?

If the clinic and its staff seem reputable enough, if they’re in your price range, and are located near you, ask when you can make an appointment. In certain cases, when the doctors are well-respected and sought-after, you might have to wait for a couple of days. According to a 2017 study, on average, patients wait 6 days until they can see their doctor for a checkup. More often than not, you’ll be placed on a waiting list for a few days before you can see the doctor. ​

Does Your Child Need Prosthetics and Orthotics?

The role of a good doctor isn’t just to design prosthetics and orthotics for the patient but to monitor their progress, provide therapy, and help them overcome their difficulties. 

Here, at Align Clinic, our experts in prosthetic and orthotic care will come up with custom designs for your child and help them overcome their problem. 

As we mentioned before, the best way to see whether a clinic is a right choice for you is to visit it and inspect it. To determine whether Align Clinic is the right choice for you, why not visit us?

If you’re looking for prosthetic and orthotic care in Wisconsin, contact our office, set up an appointment, and have a talk with one of our many experts. ​
5 Comments
Taylor Hicken link
1/18/2021 10:42:05 pm

I liked it when you shared that it is important to choose an orthotics clinic that is located in your area so it will be easy for you to come whenever it is needed. My friend just mentioned the other day that she is thinking of taking her son who seems to have trouble walking to a reliable clinic to get the right treatment. I will suggest to her looking for the one that is located near to her house so it will easier for her to go there.

Reply
Eli Richardson link
1/19/2021 11:11:11 am

I'm glad you mentioned how important it is to check your potential orthoptist's qualifications before choosing them. Last week, my sister told me that her daughter had some issues with her feet. She said she's been having trouble walking and climbing up the stairs, and she's worried about how to find the professional help she needs. I think this article will help her out. Thanks for the information about what you should ask before choosing an orthodontist.

Reply
Adam Golightly link
8/4/2021 09:53:06 am

My uncle has been having a lot of problems with his leg because he wants to be more mobile with fewer problems. He would really like to get some help from a professional in order to help it to be easier to get around. I liked what you said about how he should look for the clinic closest to him, so that he doesn't have to drive for hours for a routine check up.

Reply
Kristofer Van Wagner link
1/20/2022 10:17:53 pm

I totally agree that when looking to hire an orthotics to help with our feet pain, it is important to ensure they are certified and qualified. It makes sense as in doing so, we will be guaranteed that we receive the proper treatment. I will definitely keep this information in mind when I look to have orthotics hired.

Reply
Erika Brady link
5/27/2022 11:23:55 am

It's great that you mention finding a qualified orthotics team. My cousin needs orthotics to make life easier. I'll look online to help him find a team that can help him get custom orthotics that fit his problem.

Reply



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San Mateo, California
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  • Home
  • Locations
    • AC San Mateo, CA >
      • Inside AC SM
      • Our Practitioners >
        • Grant Wood
        • Steve Baum
        • Miguel Bustamante
      • Advanced Technology
      • Stanford Children's Health Partnership
      • Local Hotels
      • Contact Us
      • Team Members
    • AC Green Bay, WI >
      • Inside Wisconsin
      • Patient Testimonials
      • Contact Us
      • Emery Maloney
    • AC The Woodlands, TX
    • AC Fort Lauderdale, FL
  • The WCR Brace
    • Case Presentations >
      • Infantile Idiopathic Scoliosis
      • Juvenile Idiopathic Scoliosis
      • Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
      • Switching to a WCR Brace
      • Adult Scoliosis Bracing
      • Neuromuscular Scoliosis
      • Treating Upper Thoracic Curves
    • Brace Articles
    • Patient Testimonials >
      • Grant's Testimonials
      • Paul's Testimonials
    • WCR Partner Testimonials
    • Grant's MS Thesis
    • Our Patients
    • Patients and Sports
    • Patients and Hobbies
    • Brace colors
    • Scoliosis Fashion
  • Patient Resources
    • WCR Brace Clinics >
      • USA Clinics
      • China Clinics
      • Canada Clinics
      • Australia Clinics
      • WCR Brace Clinic Finder
    • WCR Certified Practitioners
    • Professional Contacts & References
    • Forms & Insurance
    • Clinical Photos and X-rays
    • Scoliosis Rehab PT, CA
    • Blog
  • Events
    • Brace Clinic Calendar
    • Sosort 2022 - San Sebastian, Spain
    • Past Events >
      • Advancements in Conservative Treatment of Scoliosis 2018 >
        • Award for Advancements in the Conservative Treatment of Scoliosis
      • Past USA WCR Clinics and Conferences
      • Advancements in Conservative Treatment Of Scoliosis 2017
      • Shanghai Clinic
      • AAOP Meetings
      • BSPTS Schroth PT Training
    • Past SOSORT Conferences >
      • sosort2019 San Francisco - CA
      • SOSORT2018 Dubrovnik/Croatia
      • SOSORT2017 Lyon/France
      • SOSORT2016 Canada
    • Northeast Region Re-Align Clinic
  • Services
    • Scoliosis & Spine Online Learning
    • Prosthetics
    • Orthotics >
      • Pediatric Orthotics
      • Cranial Remolding Band
  • Hope's Embrace® Undershirts
  • Wall Grids
  • WCR Brace Fitting Evaluation
  • For PTs/Orthotists
  • WCR Measurement Order Form
  • Masterclass Conferences
  • Careers