Re: Ped Orthos, Podiatrists, Orthos, Physical Therapists, Orthotists, G.P.s

[Guest guest]

,

While on this subject I have a question for you and the group.

Someone my husband works with has a friend whose baby has been

diagnosed has having clubfoot by u/s. Now this baby's mom and dad

have possible decided to take the baby to a chiropractor to get an

adjustment to fix the baby's feet.

Have you ever heard such a thing??? Obviously, my husband gave his

two cents and we are giving this couple all the information we can

find on the Ponseti Method. I was just very surprised that someone

would think that this would work. I am crazy??

Carolyn and Bruce (blc 11-17-02)

> Something that I have wondered about occasionally over the years

is

> who is it that treats children with clubfoot. My assumption is

that

> in the U.S. most children are treated by pediatric orthopedists,

> although it greatly depends on who the delivering doctor and

initial

> pediatrician refer the parents to. But there are also

Podiatrists,

> Adults Orthos, Physical Therapists, Orthotists and possibly some

> General Practitioners (G.P's)

>

> In the U.S., most children are probably treated by pediatric

> orthopedists. Some ped orthos are members of POSNA (Pediatric

> Orthopedic Society of North America) and some ped orthos are not

> members.

>

> POSNA provides a web site that lists their members names and

> addresses at http://www.posna.org/index?

> service=page/memberDirectory

>

> But I have not figured out a good way to find the names and

> addresses of ped orthos that are not members of POSNA.

>

> POSNA's web site has had for the past year or two a core

curriculum

> of conditions that they treat with some of the basic principles

that

> can be used. http://www.posna.org/index?service=page/coreCurriculum

>

> In addition, there are some doctors who treat clubfoot who are

> General Orthopedists, although this has probably gone away a bit

> since POSNA was formed in the early 1960's. Some of the adult and

> pediatric orthopedic organizations with web sites are listed below.

>

> Organizations

> American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

> American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Online

> Academic Orthopaedic Society

> American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society

> Mid-America Orthopaedic Association

> Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North American

> Southern Orthopaedic Association

> Western Orthopaedic Association

>

> International Organizations

> Australian Orthopaedic Association

> Belgian Association of Pediatric Orthopaedics

> British Society for Children's Orthopaedic Surgery

> Canadian Orthopedic Society

> Clinical Orthopaedic Society

> Eastern Orthopaedic Association

> European Paediatric Orthopaedic Society

> Internet Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology

> Kinderorthopaedie Kinderorthopädie Orthopädie Orthopaedie VKO

> Paediatric Orthopaedic Society of India

> La Sociedad Argentina de Ortopedia yTraumatología Infantil

> La Società Italiana di Ortopedia e Traumatologia Pediatrica

> Taiwan Pediatric Orthopaedic Society

> There are also other international pediatric orthopedic related

> groups other than these

> http://www.mliles.com/pedortho/index.shtml

>

> There are also some Podiatrists who treat clubfoot. Dr.

> Colburn is an excellent example of a podiatric doctor who learned

> about the Ponseti method in the fall of 1999 and has become very

> expert at it's use. I believe that he was one of the first

doctors

> to use the Ponseti method west of Iowa. He has spoken about the

> Ponseti method at a number of medical conferences. His society

the

> American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons did a press release in

> 2002 recommending the use of the Ponseti method.

> http://www.acfas.org/scientabOct9.html

>

> There are some Physical Therapist who use French or other

> physiotherapy methods to treat clubfoot. My guess is that most

> physiotherapists are working in coordination with some other

> orthopedic doctor. The most active of these groups are out of the

> Texas ish Rite Hospital in Dallas.

>

> There have also apparently been some General Practitioners who

have

> treated clubfoot in the past although I doubt that this is common

> today.

>

> There are apparently also some orthotists who also treat

clubfoot.

> Since we have not come across many orthotists who indicate that

they

> treat clubfoot in direct interaction with a patient, it is hard to

> tell how many do.

>

> Our original ped orthos office was about 1 mile from our home

before

> we traveled 1,500 miles one way to see Dr. Ponseti. Since our

> original ped orthos office was near our home, I drive by it all

the

> time. About 3-4 years ago, I noticed an orthotics office sign on

a

> building across the street from our original ped orthos office. I

> decided to stop and visit and see if they carried the Markell

Shoes

> and FAB/DBB in case I wanted to buy shoes through them.

>

> The owner said that he could get Markell products and that he

> occasionally supplied different orthotics items to our original

ped

> ortho. I asked him what he knew about clubfoot and/or the Ponseti

> method. He was not aware of the Ponset method, but said that he

> supplied different materials to our original doctor and that he

was

> already treating other children with clubfoot and was interested

in

> learing more about the Ponseti method. I told him all about the

> Ponseti method and brought him back some Ponseti video's the next

> day. I could not figure out how he got patients referred to him

but

> assume that he must have gotten a few. The group he was with is a

> very large Orthotics and Prosthetics supplier with almost 600

> offices in the U.S. I should probably stop in and ask him some

more

> questions now that it is 3-4 years later. By the way our original

> ped ortho later switched over to the Ponseti method about 2-3

years

> ago.

>

> Although I do not know it for sure, my assumption is that Chad's

> group is an orthotics provider that also treats clubfoot either as

> the primarly care providers or else working with a local doctor

who

> is not a member or POSNA. It is possible that they are provided

> referals from other local Porland Maine doctors.

>

> Does anyone else have experience in having primary clubfoot

> treatment from an orthotics supplier, general practicioner or some

> other less common group. What was your experience like. Thanks

for

> your input.

>

> and (3-17-99)