Hope for Seniors in Newly-Released Study on Balance and Falls

The Journal Gerontology Reports Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) Effective in Improving Balance and Reducing Fear of Falling

Hauppauge, NY – June 19, 2019 – OHI, the leading manufacturer in North America of custom, lower extremity orthotic devices, today commented on a far-reaching study published in the journal Gerontology that provides Level 1 Evidence that OHI’s Moore Balance Brace (MBB) improves balance and reduces fear of falling in older adults.

Said Paul Joyce, OHI’s CEO, “The problem of falls in our senior population is among the least discussed yet most pervasive health crisis we face today. At an annual financial cost to the US healthcare system of nearly $45 billion and the daily human cost of lives lost or grievously altered, a study like this one can have an unprecedented positive impact.”

The study, published in the journal Gerontology on November 30, 2018, was designed to examine the long-term effectiveness of a balance AFO, the Moore Balance Brace, in improving balance, and its potential to encourage older adults to become more physically active. Conducted by researchers at Houston’s Baylor School of Medicine in the departments of Neuroscience and Surgery, as well as the Interdisciplinary Consortium on Advanced Motion Performance (iCAMP), the study is an important step in communicating to medical professionals and the general public that falls in our senior population are not inevitable.

Click to download the whitepaper as a PDF

Explained Dr. Jonathan Moore, podiatrist and inventor of both the Moore Balance Brace and the Moore Balance Shoe, “My own clinical work, as well as that of the hundreds of medical professionals who regularly prescribe the Moore Balance Brace to seniors at risk for falls, has demonstrated consistent and enduring efficacy of the device. Add to that the unqualified positive conclusions of this newly published study, along with a previously-published MBB study that demonstrated an immediate effect on postural stability in older adults, and we now have proof positive that millions of seniors can benefit from the MBB.”

Added Mr. Joyce, “The conclusions drawn from this new study will no doubt lead to greater independence and a better quality of life for seniors at risk for falls, but the MBB alone is not a magic bullet. It’s understood that an integrated protocol that includes the MBB along with physical therapy, occupational therapy, annual vision and hearing exams plus other common-sense measures can dramatically decrease the incidence of senior falls and the associated financial and human costs.

About the Moore Balance Brace

The Moore Balance Brace is a custom-made ankle foot orthosis (AFO) prescribed by medical professionals to help improve balance and decrease the risk of falling in older adults. Custom fabricated exclusively by Mesa, Arizona-based company Arizona AFO, an OHI brand, the device was developed by Jonathan Moore, DPM and has been prescribed to nearly 100,000 at-risk patients since its introduction in 2010. Light-weight and machine-washable, patient compliance in wearing the Moore Balance Brace is exceptionally high.

About Arizona AFO

Arizona AFO has been a premiere fabricator of custom-made ankle foot orthoses since 1994. Valued for its tradition of innovation, excellence in manufacturing and exceptional customer care, Arizona AFO launched an entirely new product category and moved its industry in a less invasive, non-surgical direction with the launch of its patented Arizona Brace®. Often copied but never equaled, the Arizona Brace® is the only AFO of its kind to have been proven in clinical trials to effectively treat PTTD (Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction). Arizona AFO is also the exclusive fabricator of the Moore Balance Brace™, the only balance brace clinically proven to reduce the risk of falls and the fear of falling in seniors. All Arizona AFO products are designed, developed, manufactured and tested in the United States.

About Orthotic Holdings, Inc.

Headquartered in Hauppauge, NY, OHI is the global leader in lower extremity DME technologies for healthcare providers who treat diseases associated with the extremities. Through a growing family of brands, including Apex Foot Health, Arizona AFO, Australian Orthotic Group, Langer Biomechanics, PedAlign, Roomy Socks, The Orthotic Group and SafeStep, OHI will continue to innovate and create global scale to provide a complete solution of therapies and medical technologies for their partnering customer base of healthcare providers. Recognized as a pioneer in the manufacturing of custom foot orthoses and ankle foot orthoses, OHI currently distributes medical technologies throughout North America, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand.

Contact:

Mark Lipsky, Director of Marketing, OHI
480-588-0853 Mark dot Lipsky at OHI dot net

For further study info please visit: https://www.arizonaafo.com/resources/clinical-research.html