Prosthetic & Orthotic Solutions, LLC.

08/13/2021

Check out our wall of fame!
Here’s some demo models to show patients the possibilities for custom prosthetics. Which one is your favorite?

07/05/2019

We hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July! Prosthetic & Orthotic Solutions is open today, call us if you need an appointment!

04/26/2019

Our patient is impressing us all with her step-over-step stairs on her new prosthesis. This is her first prosthesis that she received only 3 weeks ago! And check out her awesome P&O Solutions shirt!

04/24/2019

APRIL BLOG POST #2: FOOT HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

April is National Foot Health Awareness Month! It’s important to maintain healthy feet to live a healthy lifestyle. It is estimated that 85% of lower limb amputations are caused by a foot ulcer, so it is important to watch out for signs that could lead to a foot ulcer. Podiatrists recommend checking your feet and toes once a day to look for any troubling indifferences.

Wear appropriate socks and shoes

Making sure that you are wearing shoes and socks that are the right size for you is simple but important. If your shoes or socks are too small they can cause irritation and rub against your feet, causing calluses or loss of blood flow. Wearing athletic socks and shoes when exercising will give your feet the ability to breath from sweating. If you remain in sweaty socks and shoes for too long it could allow the growth of fungus.

Exercise/Rest

Staying active and exercising can have great health benefits for your feet. However, too much exercise and not enough rest can put a lot of strain on your feet. It is important to make sure that you give time for your feet to rest up and heal (no pun intended).

Proper Hygiene

Proper hygiene is the biggest key to maintaining healthy feet. Cleaning and washing them in the shower, including in between the toes and the bottom of the foot will make sure they are clean and healthy. Other tactics like using sunscreen to avoid sunburn, applying lotion after a shower to keep them moisturized, and allowing them to dry off properly by getting air all help as well.

Diabetes

Diabetes patients are most at risk for foot injuries that could lead to potential amputation. It is estimated that 85% of lower limb amputations are preceded by a foot ulcer and 25% of all diabetics will develop a foot ulcer at some point in their lifetime. Many diabetics suffer from diabetic neuropathy, which is a condition that impairs one’s ability to detect pain or injury to the foot. Because of this, small injuries to the foot could go unnoticed and could quickly lead to major concerns. In fact, the number of amputations caused by diabetes increased by 24% from 1988 to 2009.

Prosthetic and Orthotic Solutions offers therapeutic shoes and foot orthotics for a variety of reasons. Whether patients have a vascular condition, swelling due to diabetes, or need help offloading pain, our expert team will help develop a strategy to offer relief.

04/03/2019

Did you know that scholarships are available through the Amputee Coalition if you are an undergraduate student or would like to attend the Amputee Coalition National Conference? Check out this website to learn more!

College Scholarships The Amputee Coalition is excited to announce two scholarships for people who are living with limb loss or limb difference to be used for undergraduate studies. Christina Skoski, M.D., Scholarship Application Deadline: May 31, 2019 The Amputee Coalition is incredibly grateful to....

04/02/2019

APRIL BLOG POST: Limb Loss Awareness Month

Wear Orange for Limb Loss Awareness Month

Limb Loss Awareness Month is celebrated every April throughout the entire country and aims to educate the public about limb loss and limb loss prevention. It also focuses on celebrating, supporting and uniting amputees to build a stronger community.

Limb Loss Support

About 185,000 people have an amputation each year, which is about 300 to 500 amputations performed every day. There are about 2.1 million people living with limb loss in the USA, and that number is expected to double by 2050.

The mission of the Amputee Coalition of America is to let the public and limb loss communities know that limb loss is not uncommon and that there are a variety of outlets and support systems for amputees and their families.

Limb Loss Prevention

Amputations may be performed to treat an injury, disease or infection. They can also be done to remove tumors from muscles and bones.
The most common cause for an amputation is poor blood flow. Peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, is a circulatory issue that causes narrowed arteries to restrict blood flow to the limbs. PAD is usually caused from diabetes or atherosclerosis. By maintaining a healthy weight, diet and daily exercise, the risk of diabetes can be reduced.

How to Celebrate

Whether you are an amputee or know of someone who has lost a limb, it’s important to celebrate, encourage, and support one another.

Experiences with amputation are deeply personal and the path to recovery looks different for each person. At Prosthetic and Orthotic Solutions, we take pride in our work every day to ensure our patients receive the highest quality care and customized solutions for all levels of amputation.

03/25/2019

March Blog Post 2: Cerebral Palsy Awareness

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a movement disorder that starts in early development of young children. It occurs as a result of a brain injury sustained during birth. CP is caused by damage in the motor cortex. This region of the brain affects muscle control and coordination. Cerebral Palsy affects a child’s movement and coordination. Failure to walk or crawl is an early sign of CP in young children.

There is no cure for CP, but treatment and therapies exist to relieve symptoms. Symptoms can vary from person to person. Some CP patients need special equipment, while some may not be able to walk and require lifelong care. Mild CP patients might walk a bit differently than able-bodied people; however, they will not require special equipment.

Using orthotic devices and instruments may help a child maintain a certain level of mobility, or correct any physical issues that may be preventing the child from being fully mobile.

Orthotic devices are worn externally by the patient and are designed to relieve several conditions including weakness, deformities, dislocation, or inward and outward turning of the legs. Braces can be made from several materials such as metal, carbon fiber, leather, plastic, or rubber and are made to fit the patient’s physical condition.

The goal of orthotic treatment is to help patients with CP gain the ability to walk and move about. When orthotic treatment is successful, patients will establish improved joint motion and muscle movement.

At Prosthetic & Orthotic Solutions, we provide our patients with high quality orthotics to brace, support, protect, or correct various parts of the body. We offer a wide range of options for the head, neck, spine, and upper and lower extremities to meet each patient’s unique needs for support and stabilization.

03/08/2019

CHD's Disability Resource Program (DRP) has created a new event that teaches people with a physical disability how to get involved in CrossFit! Their program runs in April and May and is filling up quick, so sign up if you're interested! Check out their website (https://chd.org/adult-services/community-based-programs/disability-resources/) to see all the other adaptive sporting events they sponsor!

03/06/2019

March Blog Post: HONORING THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD GAMES

Every two years the world comes together as one to honor the Special Olympics World Games. In 2017, we came together as a globe in Austria, where the Winter World Games were held from March 14th through March 25th. This was the largest sports and humanitarian event in the world that year with a total of over 3,000 athletes and 1,100 coaches from 110 different countries. Over 3,000 volunteers and thousands of spectators followed.

This year we get ready for Special Olympics Summer World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 that is expected to have over 7,500 athletes, 3,000 coaches, 20,000 volunteers representing 190 countries. With 24 events ready for competition, there are expected be over 500,000 spectators watching from across the globe.

Many American athletes compete in these games as well as our National Games that was most recently held in Seattle in 2018. Let’s take a look back at a certain athlete that has represented the five values of Special Olympics Team USA: Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Accountability, Integrity, and Respect.

Thirteen year old Riley Baxter represented her home state of Illinois in the 2018 Special Olympic National Games, competing in four events. Baxter brought home a silver medal in the 400-meter relay and a bronze medal in the 400-meter yard dash. Baxter won these medals despite being born with foot deformities and currently wears orthotic braces on both legs. She has recovered from three surgeries on her left leg and one on her right.

Baxter has not let the braces hold her back as she is now proud of two National Special Olympic medals. She also competed in the 800-meter race and the running long jump.

Every day we work with children like Riley Baxter who fight through adversity and make us proud. Prosthetic and Orthotic Solutions do their best to create braces for children that allow them to have a normal life and complete regular daily activities.

13 year old Riley Baxter wears two orthotic braces and is a two-time track medalist in the Special Olympics National Games

02/16/2019

Medical Receptionist/Billing Specialist – Full and Part Time positions available for a busy private practice in the West Springfield area. This position communicates with a variety of individuals in a manner that enhances the reputation of the office and strengthens its relationships, manages patient charts, and provides administrative and operational support.

Must be able to work in a fast paced environment and be able to multi-task. Duties include, but are not limited to: answering phones, patient registration, appointment scheduling, check in and check out, collecting patient copays, eligibility verification, prior authorization requests, claims submission and accounts receivable follow up with various insurance companies.

We offer a superior environment, competitive salary based on experience, and a benefits package including retirement options, health insurance, and paid time off.

Position: Full Time, Monday - Friday
Schedule: 8:30am-5:00pm
Location: 66 Myron Street West Springfield, MA 01089

Minimum Requirements:
•High school diploma or equivalent required.
•The ability to send correspondence in a clear and efficient manner, complete with good grammar, is essential.
•Good interpersonal skills required.
•Strong computer skills required, including experience with Microsoft office, excel and outlook.
•Experience with medical terminology and medical documentation.

Experience: Three (3) years administrative and in-person customer service experience required, preferably in a health care setting. No billing experience is required but is a bonus. The ability to speak Spanish is also a bonus but not required.

Visit our website for more information https://pandosolutions.com/join-our-team/