Why Experience Matters.

I have been lucky in my career to have some great teachers, mentors and opportunities to grow. I was able to develop orthotics techniques from a design and prescription point of view. Which after 32 years I still use them and see a number of my colleges using some of the same applications, that I use to teach. Though one of my most learning experiences came with in a year of practice. I already had a successful clinic, doing research and lecturing. Then I had a patient that came back with a very different orthotic that worked for them, when the one I dispensed did not. Humbled, I realized I needed to expand my view. It would seem at the time, lot of different devices can work for similar condition's. Setting out on a mission to continuing learning and further understanding even to this day, since that initial experience. I have been a consultant to a number of larger company's in Canada and seen many success and failures of the company's application of orthoitcs. I added to my my knowledge base and the "keep it simple principal" always comes out on top. Between constant emerging 3d tech, points of view from patients and practitioners, to the physical and emotional element of pain management, which has lead orthoitc industry making to complicated of devices that were getting dispensed. They were doing to much. This resulted in making patient adaptation to the orthotics to difficult. However, there are also clients that do need a lot more than keeping it simple, that where the experience comes in.