10/25/2024    Irv Luftig, DPM

Would you support a class action lawsuit against retail stores selling "custom orthotics" for practicing podiatric medicine without a license? (Greg Caringi, DPM)

I graduated from OCPM in 1980 with Greg and
practiced near the Toronto area for over 40 years
until I retired in 2002. My practice was a
successful one with thousands of loyal patients,
standing out from almost all of the others within
a 50 mile radius using the same mantra as Greg's.
Proper biomechanical exam, non-weight-bearing
plaster casting of each and every orthotic patient
whether they were 8 years old or 80 years old. I
was lucky enough to have a 3 year residency,
surgically trained (with fellowship) podiatrist
come up from the U.S. to take over my practice
when I retired. He practiced in the U.S. for 5
years before coming up here to settle.

It took a full year of hammering away at the
importance of Biomechanics as an adjunct to all
his surgical training. It took awhile but it sunk
in. He had virtually no training in Biomechanics.
I was shocked but was relentless, teaching and
mentoring about the principles of gait analysis, a
thorough biomechanical exam, and CAST, CAST, CAST
.

The local GPs whose patients he sees are thrilled
with him taking care of their patients and
continue to refer. He also has many existing
patients referring their friends and family,
probably the most important marker of a great
practice. Plaster casting set him apart from all
the chiropractors, physiotherapists, foot clinics,
etc. who scan or even worse, have a patient step
in a foam box. His office schedule is jammed with
patients wanting to be cast for proper orthotics
after having been elsewhere.

Orthotics are not a legislated act in Ontario so
technically anyone can do it. However, because
there were are those of us who only did plaster
casting, that led to private insurers who cover
Orthotics to limit coverage to podiatrists like
us. The chiropractors, physiotherapists, etc. who
saw a quick buck in foam impression " orthotics"
were removed from coverage and those patients
quickly migrated. It's unfortunate to see what has
happened with young graduates in the U.S. , and I
have to agree with Greg that it may be too late to
save orthotics as being a service belonging to
podiatry down there. It's a shame.

Irv Luftig, DPM (retired), Toronto, Ontario

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