Elevating The Standard For Orthotic Laboratories

What do you look for in an orthotic laboratory? Perhaps you are looking for the knowledge and expertise that comes from a well-established laboratory. Perhaps you are looking for quality materials in a range of orthotics geared toward athletes as well as business professionals. Perhaps you are looking for quick turnaround on your custom orthotic prescriptions. Perhaps you are looking for a bevy of online resources and a level of personal service that is not so easy to find.

   Hersco Ortho Labs may provide many answers for busy podiatrists who are looking for orthotic solutions for their patients. The company has been providing custom orthotics, custom-molded shoes and ankle gauntlets for over 70 years.

   Lawrence M. Tesser, DPM, is particularly fond of the “quality and craftsmanship” he has seen with the “Sport” and “Marathon” orthotics offered by Hersco Ortho Labs. When it comes to treating active, weekend warrior type athletes, Dr. Tesser says getting the right fit with the custom orthotic is huge.

    “There is nothing worse than receiving a custom orthotic from a lab and it not fitting these patients,” maintains Dr. Tesser, who is in private practice in Merrick, N.Y. “Hersco Ortho Labs gets it right the first time 95 to 98 percent of the time. Any adjustments or modifications are handled with no issues.”

   The “Sport” custom orthotic offers a deep heel cup, an extrinsic post and a sport cover, according to Hersco Ortho Labs. The “Marathon” custom orthotic offers similar features as well as a reinforced sport cover to help accommodate very active or heavier patients, according to the company.

   Other custom orthotics from Hersco Ortho Labs include the “Dress” orthotic, which offers a deep heel cup, an intrinsic post and a thin dress cover, and the UCBL orthotic, which features an extra deep heel cup with high medial and lateral walls for firm control. The company also offers the “Sport Casual Cork” orthotic, which reportedly provides firm support for depth shoes, and the “Sport Casual EVA” orthotic, which provides cushioning with a lightweight device.

   Hersco Ortho Labs also offers a number of downloadable PDF forms at its Web site: www.hersco.com. These forms include a helpful “Orthotic Selection Guide,” prescription forms and a bevy of PDF articles on topics ranging from how to take an impression foam and casting for custom shoes to the treatment of running injuries.

   Dr. Tesser praises the turnaround he sees on custom orthotic prescriptions. He says he receives orthotics back in seven to 10 days, which he says is “better than average” in comparison to other orthotic laboratories.

   More importantly, Dr. Tesser says it is the degree of personal service he appreciates from Hersco Ortho Labs. He says the owners of the company are not only certified and knowledgeable, but they are “super accessible and very open to suggestions.”

   Dr. Tesser recalls one patient who had severe posterior tibial tendon dysfunction and one of the owners of Hersco Ortho Labs came to his practice to educate him on a different casting technique for a gauntlet device to help treat the patient.

   Dr. Tesser says his days of comparison price shopping at different orthotic laboratories are over.

    “It’s one-stop shopping,” notes Dr. Tesser. “Everything is under one roof at Hersco Ortho Labs. They take care of everything.”