Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to survey the reasons for foot orthotic use and the resultant level of satisfaction within a chiropractic outpatient clinic.
Methods: Subjects were randomly sampled from a list of patients who previously purchased Foot Levelers orthotics (Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers) at a chiropractic teaching clinic. A three-page, IRB-approved survey was either mailed or personally presented to each selected subject. The survey’s questions included the subject’s chief complaint when initially presenting to the clinic, the reason orthotics were recommended, and the subject’s overall satisfaction with their orthotics.
Results: The rate of return on the 100 questionnaires was 100%. The majority of patients receiving orthotics initially presented to the clinic with a chief complaint of either foot pain, low back pain, or knee pain. The majority of subjects (79%) were satisfied with their Stabilizers, and 73% would recommend orthotics to a friend.
Discussion: This study represents the first survey of foot orthotic use and satisfaction of use in a chiropractic setting. The majority of disorders treated by orthotics in this setting were biomechanically related. The main disorders described were flat feet and knee pain, which have consistently been described as indications for treatment with orthotics. Also, the majority of subjects surveyed were satisfied with the use of orthotics, similar to previous studies. Patient satisfaction and willingness to refer indicates that chiropractic physicians might better help their patients resolve painful conditions related to biomechanical deficits by prescribing custom-made orthotics as indicated.
Conclusion: In a random sample of chiropractic patients who utilized foot orthotics, the majority of subjects indicated that they wore orthotics for knee pain and flat feet and that they were satisfied with foot orthotics for their symptoms.
This research was provided by Foot Levelers.
800-553-4860 * www.footlevelers.com
