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"80% of people would benefit from an orthotic"

Discussion in 'Biomechanics, Sports and Foot orthoses' started by Pyearsley1, Mar 10, 2014.

  1. Pyearsley1

    Pyearsley1 Member


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    Hello!

    I came across this poster recently in a store and made some enquiries about where this information was from. A senior manager said "the Nhs".

    Anyone heard anything like this before?!?! Seems outrageous to me!

    (Hope the photo uploads)

    Cheers,

    Pete
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Griff

    Griff Moderator

    80% of all statistics are made up on the spot
     
  3. 99% of gargoyles look like Bob Todd
     
  4. horseman

    horseman Active Member

    Did you know that if you lay all the statisticians end to end across the Atlantic that 99.995% would drown:D :sinking::boohoo:
     
  5. Craig Payne

    Craig Payne Moderator

    Articles:
    8
    Its a made up statistic and has no basis in fact.
     
  6. Jill Halstead

    Jill Halstead Member

    Hi,
    I dont think this is made up. It is quite likely data from NHS Audit...
    They just used the strap line so the methodology is lost.
    It should say "80% of people would benefit from an orthotic" - Who have foot/ankle/knee/back pain and have been referred to a Podiatrist via their GP...

    Instead it looks far more impressive if you extrapolate this to the whole population. A great PR stunt!

    To put this in perspective ... I recall the Audit undertaken by the NHS MSK Podiatry Department in Leeds stated 70% of patients benefited from foot Orthoses. This improvement looks high as it will include expectation bias etc.

    Bob Longworth who coordinated the audit may shed more light on it.
    I think they used the Global Improvement Scale.

    I hope this helps....

    Jill

    Edit: The poster also stated the benefits of Orthoses above back - This is tenuous at best and cannot find any supporting evidence.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2014
  7. Paul Bowles

    Paul Bowles Well-Known Member

    100% of people who breath get enormous benefit from it as well..... perspective is nearly everything. No profession can benefit from ill reported inflated statistics on their percieved treatment outcomes - especially on orthoses. There is already enough "witch doctory" in the world without lumping orthoses into it.

    I take your point though that it may actually come from an audit - but I wonder what professional registration boards might say if any of us did an audit in our own clinics and came up with the statement/then advertised it that "80% of people would benefit from a foot orthoses". How quickly would people pounce on it?

    Perspective is indeed everything!
     
  8. STEVE LEVITZ

    STEVE LEVITZ Active Member

    attributed to a manhattan podiatrist with apublished a patient book
    Steve Levitz
     
  9. Statistics show that of those who contract the habit of eating, very few survive.

    George Bernard Shaw





    There are two ways of lying. One, not telling the truth and the other, making up statistics.

    Josefina Vazquez Mota
     
  10. Blaise Dubois

    Blaise Dubois Active Member

    I'm intrigued,
    From your points of view,
    How many pourcentage of the population need orthotics?
    Blaise
     
  11. Pyearsley1

    Pyearsley1 Member

    How many of the population, as a percentage, have an injury?
     
  12. Griff

    Griff Moderator

    Completely unanswerable question in my opinion.
     
  13. Blaise Dubois

    Blaise Dubois Active Member

    Why unanswerable?
     
  14. Some people benefit from custom foot orthoses and some do not. Like Ian, it would be hard for me to estimate the percentage of people who would benefit from a properly made custom foot orthosis. If I was asked to guess, based on my years of foot screenings of populations of people with and without symptoms, probably more than 25% and less than 40% of the population would benefit from a properly made custom foot orthosis.

    However, no patient benefits from an improperly made custom foot orthosis.
     
  15. Griff

    Griff Moderator

    No way of knowing. No data available on a whole population. Orthoses issued for different reasons. Do you think it is answerable Blaise?

    Anyone who answers that question with a definitive number/percentage has an agenda in my opinion.
     
  16. phil

    phil Active Member

    Words that need to be defined before this discussion even makes sense:
    - People
    - Benefit
    - Orthotic
    - Need
     
  17. CraigT

    CraigT Well-Known Member

    Agreed. I can't think of anyone NEEDING foot orthoses... I can't remember seeing them anywhere on Maszlow's hierarchy of needs ;)
    Benefit is a whole different question and there are many levels ie: An individual may only see a benefit if they start to load their body significantly by,say, deciding to train for a marathon. Others may see a significant benefit during their normal activities of daily living...
     
  18. phil

    phil Active Member

    That's it Craig.

    What about "people"? The whole population? Symptomatic population?

    Even "orthotic". What is an orthotic? Does a pair of orthoheel/ scholl thongs/ sandals/ flip flops count as an orthotic? What about OTC arch supports from the shoe shop? No doubt they give many people "benefit" of some description.
     
  19. Blaise Dubois

    Blaise Dubois Active Member

    - Everybody (100% of the population)
    - prevention or treatment of neuro-musculo-squelettal injuries
    - custom and over the counter
    - (same that benefit) positive effect on prevention or treatment of neuro-musculo-squelettal injuries
     
  20. Blaise Dubois

    Blaise Dubois Active Member

    Question #2 for clinicians that made orthotics : how much (%) of you clients that consult you go back home with orthotics. (plantar orthoses)
     
  21. phil

    phil Active Member

    Blaise,

    For what conditions? Or for all musculokeletal injuries?

    I'd guess 50% with plantar fasciitis, 100% with tib post problems, 10% with insertional achielles pathology, 30% with mid portion achielles tendonopathy, 70% with interdigital neuromas. How far do you want me to go?

    It's kinda like asking what percentage of patients who see the dentist end up with fillings. Well, the percentage that needed/ wanted/ could afford/ tried other things unsuccessfully. People see a podiatrist for treatment of foot injuries. That's what we do.

    Why do you ask? I understand you're a physical therapist. Do you have a philosophical problem with foot orthotics, or the usage of such by the profession?
     
  22. Griff

    Griff Moderator

    For those of us that know Blaise it is fair to say he has an agenda Phil. Blaise, why don't you save time and get to the point you are trying to make?

    "Define orthoses..."
    "Custom and over the counter..."

    Brilliant...
     
  23. Ian:

    I wouldn't know because every time Blaise writes on Podiatry Arena this note keeps popping up:

    Happy day.:cool::rolleyes::drinks
     
  24. Just for you, Blaise.:rolleyes:

    Here is the Jan 2014 figures from Leisure Trends:

     
  25. CraigT

    CraigT Well-Known Member

    Big rise in trail running sales- Perhaps the message that terrain variation is more important for injury management/prevention is becoming more popular?
     
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