Outsource Marketing Solutions blog

Raquel the baby raccoon to get prosthetic paw

NAVARRE - The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge and a local veterinarian are giving a baby raccoon a chance to live a more normal life by getting the animal fitted for a prosthetic limb.

A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigator found the 3-to-4-month-old raccoon after it had been tied up by the throat for weeks by people who were keeping it as a pet. The leash had not been loosened as the raccoon grew, and the rope had cut into the raccoon's neck and become imbedded in its skin.

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Ebay. Not The Best Place To Buy Your Prosthesis. And This Is Why.

HOUSTON, Jul 29, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Balbir Kaur walked today for the first time in almost two years thanks to Limbs of Love. Desperate without healthcare insurance, Kaur had bought a used limb on eBay for $40 following the loss of her leg because of complications from diabetes.

Unfortunately, the limb she bought would never be of use to anyone other than the original owner and Kaur had no hope of ever raising the $15,000 required for a new limb. Today, one day after her birthday, she received the gift of a proper-fitting artificial limb -- a birthday present she'll never forget.
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Bethpage Red Hosts Amputee (EAGA) Golf Tournament

Every player in the tournament this week at Bethpage Red was thrilled to be involved in such intense competition on such a good course, even though every one of them wishes he or she weren't eligible.

Dozens of golfers participated in various flights that had nicknames such as AK (above the knee) or BK (below the knee), referring to where a leg had been amputated. In any case, all of the competitors in the Eastern Amputee Golf Association Championship insisted they are OK.

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Robo-Arm On The News...Friday with Charlie Gibson

A New Hampshire man involved in testing a state-of-the-art robotic prosthesis will demonstrate the use of the "Luke Arm" on ABC's World News Tonight with Charles Gibson on Friday.
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South of France!

For the third consecutive year Razzett tal-Hbiberija is organising the Ability Challenge, a week-long event which takes place in a foreign location every summer.

This year it will be the breathtaking South of France that will host a group of 30 participants between the 11th and 18th August 2008.  

The Ability Challenge is not just any regular challenge.  The participants have various levels of physical abilities and amongst them are some who have a physical disability such as Spina Bifida, Polio, Hearing Loss, and Lower Limb Amputation.  Five teams will embark on this challenge and each team will include a person with a physical disability as well as five non-disabled individuals of different age, sex and physical strength.
 
Each participant has taken the commitment to attend all training sessions which have begun in May 2008 in preparation for the event.  Participants are presently undergoing supervised training at the Iasis Fitness Centre gym and indoor pool, as well as organised outdoor training such as abseiling, climbing, canoeing and trekking around the island.  In the meantime, participants have been raising funds to cover their participation costs in order to make this event possible.

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Cheney's office denies making imperial demands of disabled vets group

The vice president's office is denying reports that its draconian security demands prompted the Disabled American Veterans organization to uninvite Vice President Dick Cheney to the group's convention next month in Vegas.

According to the vice president's office told planners that the Honorable Dick Cheney requires audiences to sit in place for two hours before his arrival, and they may not leave until after his speech is over. With bathrooms located outside the hall, and with many of its 1.4 million members facing daily health challenges, the organization decided to sack the veep.

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Hey Buckaroo!

McQuade was born without one hand and one foot, and now, thanks to the Shriners' hospital in Tampa, puts his prosthetics to the test on rock climbing walls and the basketball court.

To continue helping children like McQuade, the Shriners will be hosting the 27th Annual Ocala Shrine Club Rodeo at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion on Aug. 28, 29, 30 and 31. All proceeds will be given to affiliated hospitals.

Orthotic and Prosthetic Companies Are Blogging? Fortune 500 Survey Says They Should Be!

From PR Week
"Fifteen percent of Fortune 500 companies are blogging, according to a recent study from WOMMA member company Burson-Marsteller. Technology companies were the heaviest bloggers, with the top four industries with blogs listed as: Computers, Office Equipment; Network and Other Communications Equipment; Semiconductors and Other Electrical Components; and Internet Services and Retailing. The study included only external blogs, and indicated a reported 270% increase since Fortune 500 blog tracking began in December 2005. A full 32% of the Fortune 50 have blogs, while the number shrinks to only 2% of the Fortune 451 to 500."

Why are they blogging?
They blog to proactively communicate with their customers in ways that their websites can't.

“It's not surprising that the biggest companies are doing more blogging. They have more resources for communications,” Byrne said. “What the results across the board show is that blogging has become a core part of any communications program,” Byrne said.

O&P Blogs?

Outsource Marketing Solutions
Advanced Arm Dynamics
Mobile Limb and Brace
Grace Prosthetic Fabrication
P&O Care
Prosthetic Center of Excellence

Custom foot orthoses actually work

I love Amy Norton.

She uses the following terms properly.
orthoses, custom-designed orthotic devices

She needs to get a special commendation from the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics, Inc.'s Marketing and Public Relations Committee for proper usage of Orthotic Terminology.

Tommy Derrick, are you reading this?

From Reuters Health
Amy Norton

Cutom-made insoles may ease certain foot pain

Custom-fit insoles may help ease foot pain caused by high arches, rheumatoid arthritis and certain other conditions, a research review suggests.

Australian researchers found that in 11 clinical trials, custom-designed orthotic devices for the shoes helped ease certain forms of foot pain. One study, for instance, showed that within 3 months, the shoe inserts improved pain in adults with abnormally high arches.

Another study, of 209 adults younger than 60, found that custom orthoses eased pain from bunions -- though they did not appear to be as effective as surgery in the long run. Custom orthoses are shoe inserts that are prescribed by a doctor and designed based on an impression taken of the patient's feet. They are widely used, but few well-designed clinical trials have been done to confirm that the devices work....READ MORE

Tripod Dogs

Tripods, they're called - dogs that have had a limb amputated, usually as a means of controlling cancer. Other reasons can include severe trauma to a limb, such as being hit by a car, or a congenital anomaly or deformity that makes the leg nonfunctional. Often, tripods are viewed with sympathy, considered victims of guardians who couldn't bear to euthanize their beloved pet. But surprisingly, tripods not only adapt to life on three legs but also thrive.

"People humanize the loss of a limb, but dogs don't," said Amy Kapatkin, a veterinarian and associate professor of orthopedic surgery at UC Davis. "As long as they aren't in pain and they are doing things they love to do, they're happy." She added that if some dogs have trouble adapting to three legs, it might be because of other orthopedic problems like arthritis. Complications from the amputation itself are rare, and most dogs adapt well.

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Winter, Sally, Molly...O&P animals.  People love, love, love to read about them.