July 2021
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Publisher Memo
By Rich Dubin, Publisher
So much has happened, I don’t even know where to begin. This is time for reflection and appreciation for where we have been and where we are going. All our lives and businesses have been changed forever. This pandemic has affected us in so many ways personally and professionally. In many ways, our eyes and hearts were opened. My relationships have become stronger, and it is easier to see who and what is important. This past year plus has been a valuable learning experience for all. That is, if you were able to remain open and see where the opportunities lie. There is typically no growth without struggle and the struggle this past year provided significant opportunity for growth. At least for me and LER.
With 12 years under our belt and a strong brand with a loyal following, we have been able to weather the storm (with a little help from the Paycheck Protection Program loan program) and come out stronger and more resilient and focused. While maintaining a commitment to LER and our readers, we have launched several new endeavors. lerEXPO is our online event company, where we build, host, market, and moderate online events for Associations, manufacturers, and clinicians. To date, we have facilitated over 17 events with another 15 slated for the balance of the year. These are all accredited and offer online learning from trusted sources. We work with experts in the fields of podiatry, orthotics and prosthetics (O&P), orthopedics, physical therapy, athletic training, biomechanics, pedorthics, and wound care to bring you the best content.
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Post COVID-19:
22 Experts Weigh in on What Was, What’s Next
3D printing has been waiting to disrupt the orthotics market for years. Only time will tell if the pandemic’s pause afforded clinicians the opportunity to understand the benefits this technology can bring to their practice and their patients. Recent decades have seen a proliferation of technological advances that promise to transform traditional methods of fabricating ...
I joined Langer Biomechanics toward the end of 1979. I believe the orthotic industry was about halfway through the first of 3 distinct periods in its evolution: the development phase. The science, education, and product development work of that era created a level of utilization by clinicians that forever altered the previous use of “arch ...
We see the signs of COVID-19 loosening all around us. Protocols are relaxing, stores are opening, social events are happening, and people are traveling again. At a personal level, we are experiencing a series of post-COVID firsts. Some are small, such as a first trip to the store without a mask, first in-person meeting, or ...
Lower Extremity Review reminds us of Bob Dylan’s famous line, “the times they are a-changin’,” as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. But one has to wonder a bit why it took the pandemic to induce 1 very large change we all experienced: the shift from centralized to decentralized workspaces, at least for those ...
In 2019, I worked in an office/clinic setting seeing multiple patients per day. On a normal day, I would shake their hand, touch as clinically necessary, fit and adjust prostheses. I would talk with colleagues in the breakroom while reaching for adjoining coffee mugs and exchange pleasantries with the patients of colleagues I passed near ...
Forcing Change…The intensity, uncertainty, and rolling grip of the COVID-19 pandemic has, without doubt, challenged many of us, both professionally and personally. The arrival of innovative vaccines at the end of 2020 and early 2021 has enabled many countries to slowly return to some degree of normality.
By Sarah Curran, PhD
The past 18 months have proven challenging for everyone; however, those afflicted with diabetes have borne a heavier load than most. The increased mortality associated with diabetes1 has justifiably received much attention.
By Ryan T. Crews, PhD, CCRP; Brian D. Lepow, DPM; and David G. Armstrong, DPM, MD, PhD
The times are definitely changing and will continue to change for the better. As the rest of the world pulls down their masks, we in the medical community will continue to stay masked, prepared, and ready for change.
By Philip Stotter, CEP
The COVID-19 pandemic became an unwelcome defining factor of 2020 and into 2021. Now, we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. And this makes it a good time to reflect on the pandemic’s effect on podiatric medicine and surgery. It’s also time to ask how we can be prepared for future events ...
The COVID-19 pandemic’s profound effect on the healthcare system will produce a ripple across all healthcare industry sectors, including podiatric medicine and surgery. Some of these changes are obvious and currently taking place, and many are still to be determined.
By Patrick DeHeer, DPM
