What are Dankmeyer practitioners qualified to do?

QUESTION:

What are Dankmeyer practitioners qualified to do?

MaryNell P.

ANSWER:

We are very proud to say that all of our practitioners are certified by the American Board of Certification and are ready and able to meet all of your prosthetic and orthotic needs!

To be certified means the individual has completed the education, residency and testing to practice the chosen discipline of prosthetics and orthotics, and is required to maintain this status by annual continuing education. A practitioner may choose to be certified in one or both disciplines. When you see the credentials “CPO” after a practitioner’s name, that practitioner is a Certified Prosthetist Orthotist. Someone who is a “CP” is a Certified Prosthetist and practices in prosthetics only. Someone who is a “CO” practices orthotics only.

Many people do not know about the rigorous education involved in becoming a Certified Prosthetist or Orthotist, as our field is fairly small. This is a common question our patients ask of their practitioners.

The required education level for prosthetics and orthotics was raised in 2012 to a master's degree. Prior to 2012, practitioners would complete their bachelor's degree in a major of their choice, and then complete a separate certificate for orthotics and prosthetics. Now, there are no certificate programs available. The only route to become a practitioner is to complete a Master of Orthotics and Prosthetics program.

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Once the master's degree is completed, a clinical residency must be completed. Residents can opt to focus on one discipline at a time for 12 months each, or do both orthotics and prosthetics together over the span of 18 months. During residency, residents work under the guidance of the clinical director and clinical mentors to learn patient care, proper documentation, and fabrication techniques. Following the successful completion of the residency, residents then take their board exams.

There are three exams per discipline. One exam per discipline is a clinical exam that takes place in Florida, where candidates are evaluated on their patient care skills and knowledge. After the candidate passes all of the exams, he or she is then bestowed the title of Certified Prosthetist Orthotist (CPO), CP or CO. Practitioners continue to hone their skills after the exams for the rest of their career by completing continuing education through conferences and courses. Certification is maintained by obtaining continuing education credits as mandated by the governing body.

Dankmeyer's practitioners have completed education programs all over the country!  You can read about each individual and their education journey on our Clinical Staff page.

Thanks for your question! If you have a question about a specific orthosis or prosthesis, please do not hesitate to call us 410-636-8114 or email us at info@dankmeyer.com and we will be happy to answer any questions.

How do we know if the office is closed in wintry weather?

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It is that time of year again, when we might face ice and snow!

QUESTION:

Now that winter is upon us, what is the best way to find out if one of your offices will be closed due to inclement weather?   - Ellie B  

ANSWER:

There are several ways to find out about our office closures due to inclement weather.  You can call our main office, 410-636-8114 or 800-879-1245, to listen to a recorded message which will state if the office is on a delayed opening or is closed that day.  If you do not hear a message regarding office closure due to inclement weather, you can expect our offices will open at their regular 8:00 am time for all scheduled appointments.

Another option is to visit our website where any office closure information will be posted on our main page no later than 6:30AM that morning.   

You can also check out our Facebook page (check it out by clicking here) for posted office closure information.   

Should one or all of our offices be closed due to bad weather, we will call you as soon as possible to reschedule your appointment.

- Kristin Boswell, Director of Patient Services and Billing

Do you have a question you would like to Ask Us? Email us at info@dankmeyer.com.

Do you have any information about foot care?

QUESTION: 

Do you have any information about foot care?  - Andy C

ANSWER:

Hi Andy,

This is a great topic to explore, with a lot of information and resources available to us. Dankmeyer prosthetists see patients who come to us after an amputation that may have been related to any number of issues with the health of the foot. The same thing can be said about orthotists - they often see patients to correct issues with the foot as diagnosed by their physician or foot care specialist.

We have a great document we can refer you to, which came from the US Department of Health and Human Services Healthcare Systems Bureau. You can read and download “Footcare for a Lifetime: A Comprehensive Guide for Care of the Insensitive Foot”.

There are other resources you can visit to get more information about foot care:

LEAP Lower Extremity Amputation Prevention Program

American Diabetes Association

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American Podiatric Medical Association

National Diabetes Education Program

If you have any concerns or specific questions about foot care, you should talk to your physician or foot care specialist. If you are given a prescription for any device, we are here to help you.

Thank you all for your questions!  

Do you have a question you would like to Ask Us? Email us at info@dankmeyer.com.

Back to Class with Orthotic and Prosthetic Devices

This is an encore posting of some Back to Class questions!

We have three questions about returning to school with orthotic and/or prosthetic devices.

QUESTION: 

The start of school is approaching and I am about to start my back to school shopping.   I wear both a prosthesis and an Ankle Foot Orthosis.  Is there anything I should be aware of for my brace or prosthesis?  - Tammy V

ANSWER:

Hi Tammy,

Before going back to school, it is a good idea to do a thorough inspection of your orthosis and prosthesis.  If there are any cracks, creaks or abnormal movements with either device be sure to schedule an appointment with your orthotist or prosthetist to have the devices checked out.   Also, if any of your liners, socks, sleeves, straps or buckles are ready to be replaced, it is better to schedule an appointment before school starts.  This way you won’t miss any classes.

As for your personal shopping, it is important to pay attention to what shoes you purchase for both your prosthesis and orthosis.  Typically, with an AFO we recommend that patients purchase shoes ½ size longer.  It may also be important to purchase a wide shoe in order to fit the device into the shoe.   For both your AFO and prosthesis, it is important that the new shoes also have similar heel heights to the shoes you brought to your most recent appointment with your orthotist or prosthetist.  

QUESTION: 

I want to try out for a school sport this fall.  As a below knee amputee and prosthetic user is there anything specific I should know before trying a sport and are there any restrictions?  - Derek Z

ANSWER:

Hi Derek,

We never want a prosthesis to limit a person’s potential activities.  We have patients who play or have played many of the common fall sports, such as football, soccer, volleyball, cross country and more!  That being said, here are some things to think about when starting a new sport.  1) Before going through a large change in activity levels it is always a good idea to contact your prosthetist.  Different prosthesis setups are intended for different levels of activity.  If your current prosthesis was not built with the expectation of high activity it has a higher chance of malfunctioning or holding you back.   2)  In whichever sport you decide to participate, it is important that you regularly inspect your residual limb for wounds or bruising.  Especially in the beginning, new, unfamiliar movements can change how your limb contacts the prosthesis.  Changes can be made to your prosthetic socket if this becomes an issue.   3) Be ready to sweat!  Prosthetic users almost always deal with the issue of sweating in their socket/liner.  With increased activity, it is very normal and expected.  It may be helpful to remove your prosthesis during breaks in play in order to air out your limb.  Bring extra prosthetic socks to practice and games.   As you sweat the size of your limb may shrink throughout the day, if this is the case, socks can help improve the fit and can assist in preventing unwanted limb movement within the socket.  Also clean your socket and liners daily.  Mild soap a damp cloth and rubbing alcohol can help with personal hygiene, component longevity and odor!  4) Have fun!  

QUESTION:

I am a fairly new above knee amputee.  My limb is very sensitive and I struggle to wear my prosthesis for more than a couple hours at a time.  Any recommendations to help get me through a day of school?  -  Julia D

ANSWER:

Hi Julia,    

Never feel like you have to keep your leg on during an entire school day.  It is common for amputees, especially new amputees, to limit the wear time of their prosthesis.  Schools want to help students who may need accommodations, so rather than struggle, take your time and do what you need to get through the days.  Talk to your prosthetist about writing a schedule down to help you gradually increase your tolerance.  Bring your prosthetist’s recommendations and contact information with you to school. Speak with your school counselor and ask for a meeting with your parents, teachers and the school nurse about your necessity to take breaks with the prosthesis throughout the day.  Your school will help you develop a plan that works for your needs and they can call your prosthetist if they have questions.

We also recommend that you do some work to help desensitize the limb.  First, become aware of issues that create stress for you. Trying to control stress is very important.  Relaxation techniques have been shown to significantly help with residual limb pain.  A second recommendation would be to start desensitizing exercises.  A common exercise is to lightly touch and rub hypersensitive areas of your limb with different textured materials. At first the materials should be extremely smooth and soft, for example silk.  You can do this for about 2-5 minutes, or to your tolerance, several times per day.  Once your limb can handle the silk material you can gradually use more coarse materials.  A common progression in material would be silk, cotton, corduroy, then wool.  If there are any open wounds on your limb do not rub it with any material. Never hesitate to give us a call if you have questions.

Thank you all for your questions!  

Do you have a question you would like to Ask Us? Email us at info@dankmeyer.com.

What is a kidney guard used for?

QUESTION: What is a kidney guard used for? - Joel K

ANSWER:

Thank you for asking, Joel. A kidney guard is a device worn around the torso to protect the individual’s kidney from injury following kidney transplant or other condition resulting in a single working kidney.

How does a kidney guard work? It protects the kidney by transferring forces away from the soft tissue surrounding the kidney and onto more stable areas, such as the ribs and pelvis.

What kind of kidney guards does Dankmeyer provide? Our kidney guards are custom made to each individual.  They consist of a thermoplastic material, covered in padding, and held on with a circumferential waist strap.

Does health insurance cover a custom kidney guard? It depends.  While kidney guards are not part of standard health insurance coverage, your particular insurance plan may provide a benefit.  At Dankmeyer, we can check to see if your insurance may approve a kidney guard.

Do you have off-the-shelf kidney guards? We do not sell any prefabricated kidney guards.  If you are looking for a simple kidney guard for sports that does not require custom fabrication, you may consider a google search for “kidney belt/guard/protector for sports.”

My doctor recommended a custom kidney guard.  How do I go about getting fitted for one?

Contact us at 410-636-8114 to schedule an appointment at any one of our Maryland locations.  You will need to bring the Rx from your doctor to the appointment.  We will schedule you with one of our certified orthotists, who will go over your medical history and take measurements and a mold of your torso.  Once the kidney guard has been authorized by insurance or other payment arrangements have been made, you will be scheduled back in for the fitting of your custom kidney guard.

- Angie Bryl, Dankmeyer Clinical Director

Do you have a question you would like to Ask Us? Email us at info@dankmeyer.com.