Story of Hope: With the help of Ruth Tindall, CO, of Alliance Orthopedic Labs and the good people at Easter Seals, Jeremiah Learns to Walk! Watch the story of his inspiring progress.

"Ruth was great. I'm really pleased with the look and the fit of the braces.

I will definitely refer you guys to prospects." 

mother of a 5-year-old who received DAFOs

"Nothing you could do would be better than the service

we receive here every time we come.  Love this place!" 

mother of a 31-year-old AFO recipient, a patient since 2007

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Orthotics

What is an Orthotist?

An Orthotist is a healthcare professional and clinician who evaluates and designs orthoses (braces) for patients requiring protective support or correction due to muscle/bone impairment, disease or deformity. Utilizing extensive training, the orthotist works to restore mobility and to prevent or limit disability.

An orthosis is the true term for a brace that is designed and fitted to the body to achieve one or more of the following goals:

• Control biomechanical alignment
• Protect and support a healing injury
• Assist rehabilitation
• Reduce pain
• Increase mobility
• Increase independence

Whether the orthotic needs are the result of disease, traumatic injury or congenital problems, your rehabilitation is personally prescribed and your orthosis will be custom designed to meet your unique needs.

In many cases, our orthoses begin with a cast, taken by hand, to get the best possible fit. It takes years of experience to perfect the art and science of handcasting and fitting.  Casts are then fabricated into orthoses at our on-site lab or sent off-site to trusted fabricators with whom we have long-term relationships. Regardless of where the orthosis is fabricated, we work with patients to achieve the absolute best custom designed orthosis. 

Orthotic Devices We Commonly Provide

• Ankle and Knee Orthoses: for joint protection or support after surgery.
• Boston Brace: For over 35 years, Boston Brace has been the leading provider of pediatric orthotic and prosthetic patient care and products in the United States. With concentrated efforts in innovative solutions that better each patient's life and lifestyle, our product lines have grown to offer comfort support and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. Some of their products are: Boston Scoliosis Brace, Boston Body Jacket, Boston Soft Body Jacket and the Boston Overlap Brace.
• DAFO™ (Dynamic Ankle-Foot Orthosis): Cumulative clinical experience and research has shown DAFO™s to be successful in addressing a variety of positional and functional areas: correcting the foot to the best possible position of function to provide appropriate stability, improving standing and walking abilities, preventing and/or correcting deformity, maintaining and/or increasing range of motion.
• Foot Orthoses: for various foot problems.
• Fracture Orthoses: the modern alternative to plaster or fiberglass casts.
• Providence Brace: Studies have shown that the Providence brace, a spinal orthosis worn only at night, is just as effective in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis as full-time braces. That’s important, because compliance increases when braces don’t interfere with a child’s everyday life.  The Providence is also effective for obese, juvenile and neuromuscular patients.  Sometimes this brace is used in conjunction with the Boston Brace.
• SureStep is the most effective means of providing stability to children who pronate when standing and walking. This patented, dynamic system allows children to gain stability, while still allowing normal movement and function.  Children with low muscle tone who have trouble with stability due to pronation can now walk, run and jump without the delays and instabilities that often result.  SureStep is not a different brace, but rather a completely unique system that manages the foot and ankle without over-managing.
• S.W.A.S.H^® (Standing, Walking and Sitting Hip Orthosis) A unique orthotic solution for the management of children with scissoring gait and sitting imbalance associated with Cerebral Palsy, S.W.A.S.H^® is a Standing-Walking-And-Sitting-Hip Orthosis that ensures variable abduction throughout extension and flexion. The orthosis provides support to the active child throughout the day - when the child needs to sit, stand, walk, or crawl. It uses simple geometry to provide hip abduction, which is wide when the child sits, but narrows when standing or walking.
• Theratogs are one of the most innovative, versatile and progressive modalities available for physical and occupational therapy practices. TheraTogs are a live-in exo-muscular system for neuromotor, postural, and sensory training. The system provides a versatile, flexible approach to addressing and managing mobility, sensory input, and stability issues.
• ToeOFF^® is a new generation AFO, covered by several patents. The design absorbs energy at heel strike and returns it at toe-off, restoring a more normal and dynamic gait. The benefits are the ability to walk further... with greater comfort... and with less impairment of gait pattern, if not normality, ToeOFF^® is used in conventional shoes and is easy to put on and take off - just two straps attach it to the leg.
  
• Ultraflex bracing for neurologic and orthopedic dysfunction: Ultraflex's dynamic bracing/dynamic orthoses address the special bracing needs of patients with cerebral palsy, CVA (Stroke), traumatic brain injury, total knee replacement, limb loss, extremity burns, arthritis, ligament reconstruction, post fracture reduction, spastic or hypertonic limbs and other diagnoses. Their dedication to advancing the function of the most demanding orthotic and prosthetic patients with conservative treatments reflect their mission toward compassionate, state-of-the-art care.
• The WalkAide system is indicated for patients who exhibit foot drop caused by upper motor neuron injuries or central nervous system disorders.  If you experience foot drop due to any of the following conditions: multiple sclerosis, stroke, cerebral palsy, incomplete spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury, then the WalkAide may be right for you. To download a video file with more information, click here. 

Support Resources

Lollipop Kids Foundation is an organization located in Washington, DC, that provides support to children with disabilities and their families. Here's their mission: Children with disabilities have the right to be given opportunities that allow them to live to their fullest potential. Too often, parents raising these children feel isolated socially and are burdened financially, emotionally and physically. They are forced to make hard decisions and sacrifice substantially in areas that most could not imagine. The Lollipop Kids Foundation exists to combat social stigmas, ease the financial burden placed on these families, offer emotional support, and provide brief respite so that every child with a disability has access to a hope and a future.

Anne Arundel County Special Education Citizens' Advisory Committee, otherwise known as AA-SECAC, is a partnership between parents, families, community leaders, advocates, educators and administrators. The committee works to enhance services available to students with disabilities and to advocate for positive changes in special education in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. 

Got Scoliosis? You are not alone! Join Curvy Girl, peer led support groups empowering pre-teen and teen girls to become leaders, make healthy lifestyle choices and improve self-esteem by diminishing the emotional impact of scoliosis.  They seek to help girls find their voice through support and acceptance.

Cheer4All is a non-profit organization dedicated to aiding athletes with special needs in their pursuit of excellence in their lives.  Their present endeavor involves assisting over 35 athletes to participate in competitive cheerleading.  These athletes are members of a senior team, Eye of the Storm, and a developmental team, Storm Chasers.  The Eye of the Storm are the two-time, defending NCA National Champions in the Special Needs Division.

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