Owww look who uses SuperFeet (or at least used to!)

I'm a bit of a pack-rat...I get it from my mom, I think. Regardless, I have a really hard time throwing away old snowboard magazines. It's sad, I know, but I have a bunch from the mid-90's. When I get really bored, I flip through the old guys and laugh at how much technology and fashions have changed in the last 12 years. Last night, I was flipping through a Buyer's Guide from the 2001/2002 and noticed this article:



If Superfeet are good enough for a pre-pubescent Olympian, they're probably good enough for you (and certainly good enough for me).

Notes:
-Re-printed w/o permission from Transworld Snowboarding (2002 Buyer's Guide Special)
-When looking at prices, this was back when gas was just over $1.50

$250 paperweight...

...it's a good thing it's windy in the store :-(

They're heeeeeeereeeeee...

The leaves are changing, the stores are full of candy (except ours), which can only mean one thing: It's almost Halloween. I have to say, however, that the scary movies are probably my favorite part of this holiday with Celtic roots (known as Samhain, but pronounced "saw-win"). Sure I grew up watching Freddy Kruger and hockey mask Jason movies when I was five with my cousin, but I believe one of the best Halloween movies is "Poltergeist". That little girl was just plain creepy, especially when she says "they're here"(who watches TV static, anyway?) The point of this blog entry is not only to declare my love for cheesey horror movies, but to let you guys know that they, are in fact here. The pronoun I am speaking of, is of course, the Superfeet Black DMP. One of the very first blog entries was actually about this product and for a few reasons, it's ship date was pushed farther and farther back. You see, the folks over at Superfeet are very passionate about feet (weird, I know) and the products they sell. When the initial batch of Black DMPs arrived in Ferndale,Washington, they opened the box, laughed, and called their supplier and told them it wasn't good enough. Obviously their new supplier was able to get it right, which is why they finally shipped. Between the demand of initial orders and the hype that's surrounded this insole, I haven't even been able to try this, myself. Of course, the first day I put them on the shelf, both people that tried them on bought them! If you're in the Columbus area, I strongly encourage you to stop by and try them, as Superfeet will not allow us to sell this product through our internet store at this time.


Now for some pretty pictures...

DMP out of the box:


Welcome:


Brothers from different mothers:


REDhot Greeting:


REDhot compared to Wintergreen (Note: the top layer of the REDhot is fuzzy, whereas the Wintergreens were not):


Bottom comparison (The REDhots not been cut down to fit in the boots...the Wintergreens have):

I miss Zubaz pants.

You remember them. Those loud, obnoxious, baggy (yet tapered) pants from the late 1980's. Perhaps you even had a pair yourself. To be honest, I'm surprised they're still around. I never understood who their core market was, anyway...arm-chair coaches?

NEW, new logo...

The world is a strange and funny place. The business (and legal) world is even worse! Apparently, certain organizations who shall remain unnamed, do not like people using crosses which happen to be red for their business logos. With that said, I present our newest (and really hope, last) logo. I know, it doesn't pop as much the old one did, but if we started our medical supply and e-commerce some 100 years earlier, we probably would've been in the clear.

On a completely unrelated note, throughout high school, I used to feel really bad about not showing up when a certain not-for-profit organization's "blood mobile" would arrive at our cafeteria. Because I ran track and cross country in high school, I never thought donating a pint of blood before an 8 miler was what I would call a good idea. Now scamming cookies that were just sitting out, before the run...I had no qualms about that. I guess it all evens out in the end, which is why I won't be donating to those vampires anytime soon.

It's nothing personal...honest!

So in the last two days, we've had as many calls from Canada asking about international shipping. Unfortunately, as it stands right now, we are unable to fulfill any international orders (due to shipping hoops and current system parameters). Of course, this might all change in a month or two, after we meet with our software consultants and revamp our shipping system (again, another way to serve our favorite customers better) Friends from the north, we love you!

Pimp my crutches...

Let me paint for you, a vivid tapestry for your mind's eye..a situation which could easily happen to either yourself or someone you know and/or love!:

Imagine for me, you're walking around your yard on a crisp autumn evening, minding your own business when all of a sudden *wham!* a gopher hole swallows your foot and you sprain your ankle. After quite a bit of cursing, you decide to visit your physician, and he/she takes X-rays. After reviewing the images, he/she concludes that while nothing is broken, you need to stay off it. Your sentence: An AirCast, Physical Therapy, and 3-4 weeks of crutches with no parole. Only on the car ride home from the physician's office to you realize that you have tickets to the big game and you were planning on tailgating before hand. You know you're going to be standing around and enjoying frosty beverages with your favorite cohorts, but aren't quite sure how you're going to swing that while rocking crutches. Don't fret, because this is where we come in: Let me present to you DMI's Universal Beverage Holder. Have no fear, as this baby will hold containers and mugs from 10oz. to 32oz. This means you can enjoy long necks, short necks, cans, Strongbows, and even keg-cans (sorry, no 40's, though). The icing on the cake, however is that it comes with a plastic cup/coozie to keep the Jungle Juice that Hank poured you, nice and cold.

Speaking of cold, if you're lucky enough to live in a temperate climate where you have 4 distinct seasons, it won't be long before the snow begins to fall. Unfortunately, you still might be crutching around when Old Man Winter pays you a visit. Again, we've got you covered with DMI's Crutch/Cane Ice Grip Attachment. Think of these as little crampons that attach to your crutches (or cane) and flip down, allowing you to traverse treacherous parking lots, sidewalks, and maybe even mountains with ease.

While we're still on the subject of crutches, we also stock replacement underarm pads, hand grips, and end caps, in case you ever wanted to refurbish your pair.

Let's talk turf toe...

What's turf toe?:
The formal definition of this painful ailment is "a hyperextension injury resulting in a sprain of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the great toe, either from a single trauma or from repetitive overuse." For those of us who don't do medical-speak, you sprained your big-toe joint.

How do I know if I have turf toe?:
Common signs and symptoms for turf toe include swelling and pain around the big toe joint. It also hurts more when you're pushing off to walk, run, jump, and skip.

What can I do about my turf toe?:
The most effective treatment method is simply amputation the big toe. (kidding!)
On a serious note, though you need to treat this like any other sprain- Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate (RICE) it. That is the key to a speedy recovery (and diminished pain) is to rest/immobilize the area that has been injured. Since the foot is complex and most people hate taking time off, this can be easier said than done. Athletic trainers turn to two things (which can be used separately or in conjunction with one another).
The first is to use a "turf toe insole" which is a thin piece of "spring steel" attached to a felt insole to help stiffen the shoe. Doing so lessens the flexibility of the shoe itself, which in turn, lessens the amount of stretch on the big to, which allows for the toe to heal...
The second is by taping the toe in such a way to lessen the amount of extension the big toe is allowed to have. A quick YouTube search will walk you through it.

Outside of the athletic trainer's circle, a post-operative shoe (sometimes referred to as a Reese shoe) will also do a great job immobilizing that joint, allowing for it to heal.

Disclaimer stuff: I would also like to point out (rather, our lawyers) that this blog entry, like any other information included on this website is not a substitute for actual medical care. Only an allied health care professional, not a silly website will be able to rule out other conditions, like a fractured toe, sesamoiditis, metarsalgia, or even an infected joint capsule.

Yin and Yang...

Saw this while looking out the window today at work:


Dodge Viper:
Engine:
8.3 L V10
510 hp @ 5600 rpm
535 lb·ft @ 4200 rpm


Toyota Prius:
Engine:
1.5 L DOHC I4 VVT-i
76 hp @ 5000 rpm
85 lb·ft @ 4200 rpm

Hmmmmm...

The coolest device you don't have...yet.

I thought I would share with you a limerick I wrote:

There lives a man named Scott.
Who's shoulder at one time was shot.
But he developed a device...
Which is orange and nice.
And now his bad shoulder is not.

That's the story of Scott Kay and "The Rotater".

A few years ago an avid motorcycle racer and mechanic by the name of Scott Kay, severely injured his shoulder in an accident. After the doctors put him back together, he was prescribed physical therapy, to regain range of motion and strength in his upper extremities. Scott would go to PT a few times a week, but was unhappy with his progression. Sure, he would feel great right after therapy but the next day, he would lose some of the motion that he had gained the day before. Frustrated with taking two steps forward and one step back, Scott decided to take matters into his own hands (albeit with limited shoulder mobility) and developed "The Rotater"
After playing around with a few different prototypes, he was able to find a design which allowed for him to do his shoulder exercises at home. This simple, yet ingenious design allowed for Scott to work on internal and external shoulder rotation on any plane he wanted.
It was long before word started spreading about Scott's little device, with people looking for a "Rotater" of their own. Check out the video (with snazzy music), here:

Things that go well together...

The kids are back in school. The leaves are starting to turn. The days are getting shorter. All this means one thing: It's almost snowboarding (and skiing) season! If you're not quite on the same frequency as I am, feel free to watch this video. It combines my two favorite things: Cars and snowboarding.


"But James, what does this have to do with B&A Sports Medicine?"
Not much...but these "stunts" are pretty "extreme"...they're bound to injure their arm, back, knee, and/or feet.

Boxes.

Whoever said "it's the little things that make life so good" is spot on. A big part of running a retail business is making sure we always have what our customers need, when they need it. Roughly translated, we're always ordering and reordering products from our vendors. When the UPS/FedEx man drops off our orders, they come in a wide variety of different boxes. As with everything else, all boxes are NOT created equally. Some companies have really crummy boxes that look like they've been passed around for decades, while still others have really nice and solid ones. Some are big, some are small, and others are just plain ridiculous.

Since I've been doing this for a while now, I feel pretty confident that I know a good box when I see one. Since boxes don't have an annual awards ceremony, I thought these boxes needed a little recognition (after all, if I don't, who will?) As for the rating criteria, these are my own opinions and not a while lot of thought has gone into them...this is just my gut reaction after being knee deep in box. It's like "man, that's a good smelling box" or "man, that box looks beat". Without further ado, this is what I've concluded:

Worst Box: Cramer
Honorable Mention: Ossur's crutches box

Prettiest Box: Ossur
Honorable Mention: Mueller

Sturdiest box: Med Spec
Honorable Mention: Superfeet

Best Smelling Box: SOLE
Honorable Mention: BioFreeze

Well there you have it: The best (and worst) boxes.
It's important to note, however, that box quality is not indicative to product quality.

You're not hip until you have a Facebook page...

Surprisingly enough, we DO have a page on Facebook...yet we're still not hip. You win some, you lose some. If you're on Facebook and you're not a fan of our store, then we're going to send a boxing Kangaroo to let the air out of your tires. If you try to stop him while he's letting the air out of your Michelins, he'll kick you. Why? Because you were expecting a right hook, not a knock to the shins. Do you think we're joking? Perhaps, but why risk it?



Fake Edit: Our parent company, Burkam & Associates also has a Facebook page...but they're still not cool.

Fake Edit #2: Don't look for us on MySpace- we're not a no-name emo band who wears eyeliner, a 12 year old girl, or a dude looking to pick up a 12 year old girl.

Misc.

2 Items I wanted to pass along to our incredible customers:
1) We'll be closed on Labor Day (Monday, September 1st)
2) We'll be closed Saturday, September 6th.

Kinesiology Tape (Kinesio Tape): The biggest story of the Olympics that doesn't rhyme with "ichael elps"

If you're anything like the other 252,000 households in the United States you've undoubtedly watched at least some of the Olympic Games in Beijing. What's more, if you're male, then there's also a good chance that you've caught some women's beach volleyball. Along with the skimpy bikinis, you might have noticed the crazy, colored tape (which aren't tattoos, by the way) plastered all over these tanned and toned bodies (I know I have). This tape that these world class athletes trust their dreams to is called "Kinesio Tape".

Who: Anyone who suffers from tired muscles, is looking to recover more quickly, or needs to address biomechanical problems. Trivia: Kinesiology is the study of human movement.

What: Kinesio Tape is a waterproof stretch tape. Due to its heat-activated adhesive, Kinesio Tape can be left on the skin for days at a time, without losing its effectiveness or causing irritation.

Where: The most popular locations for this taping technique have been on the shoulders and knees, but can be applied to just about any body part. In some instances, the tape will be stretched out, while other times the tape will be less taut.

When: This product, Kinesio Tape, has been around for over a quarter century and was developed by a Japanese-born, chiropractor here in the United States.

Why: The theory behind both the tape and taping technique is that by supporting (and not limiting the movement of) the muscles, the body is better able to heal itself. The tape, when applied to the skin, actually lifts the outermost layer, promoting greater circulation of the lymph (drainage) system.

Now I know what you're thinking: It's just tape-there's no way that some stickum and cloth can do all those things. If that's the case, you might want to check with Lance Armstrong, Serena Williams, David Beckam, and oh, Kerri Walsh.

Go Team USA!

"I got SOLE, but I'm not a soldier" - The Killers

When I think of Canada, I conjure up images of frothy rivers of beer, games of hockey played on ponds, and funny accents. While my passport might be from the United States, I grew up in Buffalo, NY. If you know anything about geography (and more specifically, geography of the northeastern United States) you would understand why I consider myself an honorary Canadian, allowing for me to verify the accuracy of the aforementioned stereotypes.
One generalization that I had never made about Canada, however, was their competence in designing and manufacturing shoe insoles. That was until I tried some of SOLE's heat moldable custom insoles. I now have no problem adding SOLE Insoles to my list of "favorite Canadian things", right next to maple syrup and the lower drinking age (it's 19, by the way).

Now you're going to say, "James, what are you doing? Hyping up another insole? You made the Superfeet sound like God's gift to man in previous blog entries! What's all this bologna about Sole insoles?!"
First off, I like that you said "bologna" out of a grocery store context.
Second, I still love and believe in Superfeet's lineup. Don't get me wrong, the Superfeet are an incredible product and we will surely continue to carry them. However, since we've been open, there have been instances when, *gasp* not one model in the entire off-the-shelf Superfeet line fit a customer.
This is where our newest addition to our off the shelf orthotics come in. In our quest of "improving the quality of life for our customers by providing access to the best sports medicine, orthopedic, products available" we have noticed that it is necessary to offer another type of shoe orthotic for our customers.

As you probably know by now, SOLE is a "heat moldable" custom insole. What this means is that you can either wear the insoles out of the box (which is recyclable) and over time, the orthotics will conform to your feet. Or you can expedite that process by popping them in the oven, pulling them out and standing in them. Personally, I prefer the latter. To see how simple the process is, watch this:


Much like the Superfeet line, SOLE has a variety of offerings based on foot type and application, which essentially affects the width of the insole and the thickness of the foam. B&A Sports Medicine Store will be initially carrying the "Softec Regular" and "Slim Sport". Personally, I like the "Regulars" for my running shoes, while the "Slim Sports" are awesome for my Doc Martens.

I have no idea as for the reason why Canada makes such a good insole. Could it be because they were developed in proximity to the University of Calgary, home to one of the most renowned researchers of the biomechanics of the foot and ankle, Dr. Benno Nigg? Could it be because they have so much free time while waiting for a doctor's appointment, not uncommon with a universal health care system? It's difficult to say. It is, however, easy to say that if the Superfeet haven't worked for you, then SOLE certainly deserves a chance.


(Softec Regulars)

Two additional things,
a) In a previous post, I spoke about our "Green Initiative" and how, whenever possible, we would take necessary steps to limit our impact on this fragile planet. I'm proud to say that our partnership with SOLE is congruent with this program. The kind folks over at SOLE use vegetable-based ink on their 100% recycled stock for their print materials and Ecopac packaging, which is a corn-based petroleum product.
b) Our SOLE shipment came! In store feedback with this product has already been pretty incredible.

8 Ball says: "All Signs Point to YES!"

New and exciting updates B&A SMS-related:

Things I hope this new sign accomplishes:
-Reduction in helpful suggestions that we *might* need a bigger sign.
-Decreases the frequency of phone calls from people driving around aimlessly looking for our awesome little store.
I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am about this. It took us 6 months from deciding on a logo to getting the sign designed, then submitting it for approval, then revising it, then finalizing the design, and finding someone to build and install it at a reasonable price. Without further ado, here's our "newest" addition to B&A Sports Medicine:


Speaking of new additions, we are currently being honored with presence of a bright young man by the name of Matt. Matt used to work at a store which rhymes with "Pee the Rainer", so he's a seasoned veteran when it comes to the retail medical equipment/supply-arena. In a month Matt will be awarded his doctorate in physical therapy at THE Ohio State University, to boot.

Speaking of Ohio State, we have also hired an athletic training student from there to help hold down the fort..in the few days he's been here he has already proved to both our customers and to the team that he knows his stuff. Also, his last name is "Pickel", so you've got to love that.

In non-personnel related news, we will be adding a new server and workstation to our collection of computers and tweaking our internal network to run even more smoothly. This should not affect our internet orders for 2 reasons: 1) Our site and data is hosted by a 3rd party off site (read: we're not tinkering with the uber important computers.)
2) We will be performing these improvements during low-traffic time periods (nights/weekends)

If there is a small (medium, or large) disruption anticipated, I will make a note of it on this blog.

Debbie is also alive and well...she has been rewarded for her hard work with a MacKenzie lumbar roll for the driver's seat...vinyl graphics are on the horizon...

Please keep in mind: Everything we do, whether its new computers/more employees/bigger sign, we do to better service you, our customer.

Nice balls!

There are four pillars in which the construction of our business was founded by:

Innovation
Quality
Honesty
Family

While I could get sappy and go through every one of them with a nice little anecdote, I would like to save that for a longer and more ambitious blog entry. Instead, I thought for today, we would just discuss quality. Here at B&A Sports Medicine Store, we make it a point to carry only quality products.
The reason is twofold: Providing quality, clinical grade medical supplies to the masses is what sets us apart from a big-box sporting good's "Sports Medicine" corner pushed way back behind the bike helmets and fishing lures.
The other is that it's incredibly hard to keep a business going when you're constantly getting returns.
Preferably, we would much rather get things right the first time.

Nothing exemplifies our dedication to quality more than our balls...exercise balls, that is. These bright balls are tough enough to withstand abuse in clinics across the country, due to their resistance to puncture and heavy grade construction. These magical orbs are great for increasing coordination, core strength, and flexibility, all while supporting up to 600lbs. Try doing that with a ball from one of those "other" stores.
Not only are our balls very nice and smooth (but grippy!), they're also bouncy and come in a variety of different sizes and colors to fit your needs. We're able to fit the right ball with you, whether you prefer big balls (blue), small balls (red), or really tiny balls (yellow).

At the store, we like to blow up the balls for our customers, so that they can use it as soon as they get home. For our internet customers, I would blow your balls up, too, but shipping it would be pretty expensive. With that said, everything you need to blow up your balls on your own is included with the purchase of the ball, with the exception of the pump (a bike or air compressor will suffice...). If and when you lose the adapter, plug, and/or plug remover, feel free to call either Hygenic directly (1-800-321-2135), or our store (1-614-326-1490) to get a replacement.

I think it's safe to say that we have some of the nicest balls out on the internet. Big, small, blue, green, or otherwise. Also, I managed to mention "ball" and "balls" over 10 times in this entry. I should probably grow up sometime soon.

ASO Ankle Brace BIBLE (everything you need to know about them, anyway)

Where do you start? You think you need an ankle brace to provide a little more stability while trekking through the amazon jungle, in search of undiscovered tribes who know the whereabouts of Jimmy Hoffa. Maybe your years as a rodeo clown are catching up to you and you feel you could use a little help getting your feet more firmly planted on solid ground. Or perhaps you simply have a history of ankle sprains and need a little extra support.

I would turn to Med Spec's Ankle Stabilizing Orthosis, or more commonly referred to as the "ASO ankle brace". This brace is far and away the most popular brace on the market. I assure you, you have seen this brace before, you just might not have known it. It's the gold standard in the world of ankle braces for both the collegiate and professional athletes, as well as the weekend warriors who demand nothing but the best in ankle support.

The ingenious design of the Med Spec ASO ankle brace is also really quite simple. ASOs start their lives as a standard lace-up ankle brace. You remember, the one you used to wear in high school. In the same way we no longer have brown leather medicine balls or super short shorts, the lace up ankle brace has gone the way of the dinosaur. This lace up ankle brace, with its patented stabilizing straps, provides excellent control of the heel, limiting both inversion and eversion (side to side movement) while still promoting plantar and dorsi-flexion (pointing your toes up and down).

So now that we have convinced you that the Med Spec ASO is worth more than its weight in Sassafras, it's time to figure out not only which size is for you, but also how to properly put it on.

The most accurate way to size for your Med Spec ASO ankle brace is to take the circumference of the ankle, in inches. Simply take a tape measure and measure the widest part of your ankle including your heel, like the image below.


Once we have a measurement, we consult this chart to make our sizing decision:

XX-Small Fits: 9" - 10"
X-Small Fits: 10" - 11"
Small Fits: 11" - 12"
Medium Fits: 12" - 13"
Large Fits: 13" - 14"
X-large Fits: 14" - 15"
XX-Large Fits: 15" - 16"


Now that we know the size, we need to put this guy on. Since ASOs are not pre-laced from the factory (located here in the US of A), the first "step" is to lace them up and slide your foot in. If you have trouble getting your foot in, unlace a couple of the top eyelets and try again. Now that your foot's in the brace, check to make sure that the material in the heel (highlighted in our image) is nice and snug. If it's too snug, then I suggest going up a size. If there's too much slop, then size down.



Now that we know the brace fits the heel snugly after lacing it up all the way, now it's time to apply the straps. Starting on the medial (inside) of the brace, pull the strap diagonally, across the top of the foot and under the arch and pull UP. You should wind up back where you started. Repeat this process for the strap on the outside of the foot:



(Inside foot, first)



(Outside foot, second)

If you did these steps properly, the straps should have formed a nice, clean "X" across the top of the ankle. The straps should be smooth, too, as bunching/twisting = blisters :-( The last step is to take the top strap and Velcro it together. This keeps the side straps in place and gives the brace that warm and fuzzy feeling.




(Final straps)


¡Fin!

Of course if you think I made this incredibly more complicated than it needed to be, you could always consult Med Spec's instruction guide (which comes with every ASO Ankle Brace), or click here.

Announcement

We will be closed this coming Saturday, June 21st. We will be back open for business during normal hours Monday, June 23rd. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Interesting...

So if you type "Russian climbing" into YouTube, which I do daily, you will be presented with one of the coolest videos ever witnessed. The music is tolerable, but keep in mind that this video has been around long before the latest James Bond movie. While you're probably saying to yourself "what does this have to do with sports medicine?", I will answer. These "athletes" command incredible amounts of brute strength, endurance, and neuromuscular control/proprioception.

Apparently, there's not much to do over in Russia.
Someone get this kid a Playstation!
"Real" blog entry coming soon...Enjoy!

INSURANCE

"So I bought one of your products and I was wondering if insurance will cover this." This is probably the second most common thing heard in the store (with the first being "You need a bigger sign") so I thought that if people in the store are asking this, so might our online readers.
Let me first start out by saying: WE DO NOT BILL INSURANCE. At least for most items in our store.
And the reason why is incredibly simple: Doing so would cost us both time and money. With so many providers and plans available, it's very difficult to know what your insurance will and will not cover, which is why we leave this responsibility up to you guys. Realistically, we would have to dedicate 2 people to phone duties, alone. At this time, we feel that we can effectively serve your needs in other ways, with ways like super-speedy shipping, and info-taining blog articles.
The other part of this issue is that even if your insurance DID cover a product for you, chances are they wouldn't reimburse all of it. We would probably loose money on the deal, making it hard to keep the lights on. With that said, if you decide to bill the insurance, let me first start out by saying "good luck". Secondly, I offer you this guide to help assist your insurance-claim-journey, should you choose to accept it.
Let us use the example of an ankle sprain suffered while you were out playing ______ with _______ (I loved Mad Libs growing up!):

1) You sustain your ankle injury. You curse, swear, and maybe even cry.

2) You go see a doctor/nurse/PT/Athletic Trainer/Chiro/etc.

3) They listen to your story, how you injured it, take a look at the body part, poke around the skin, and maybe even move the joint around to figure asses the damage.
The health care professional has successfully diagnosed you, with a mild ankle sprain. It's at this point, do they assign a corresponding diagnosis code to your file. This is known as an ICD-9 code. For instance, most sprained ankles are a 845.00 This is one number that you'll need to have if you decide to make a claim for insurance reimbursement.

4) Like a game show, you probably received some lovely parting gifts after your visit with your health care professional. One of them was undoubtedly a bill, and the other was a course of action to make you better. This could be anything from a drug prescription for anti-inflammatories to an ankle brace, crutches, and physical therapy (if it's bad enough).

Sometimes health care professionals might even recommend 2 ankle braces: an Air Cast with crutches to diminish swelling, and then a lace-up ankle brace for activities of daily living (ADLs). Unfortunately for you, these braces and crutches were not part of the package and told you to find your own.
Obviously you knew better than to go to a sporting goods store, so you turned to the internet to help you out, and you came across our site.
Like the diagnosis, the product that you need to get will also have a corresponding code, known as an HCPCS code. For our ankle example, the corresponding HCPCS (or "hick-pick" as the industry calls them) for the Air Cast is L4350 and for the ASO-style ankle brace it's L1902.This is the other code that insurance will ask you for when you submit a claim.

If you have ADD/ADHD and/or don't like to read, here's a quick summary of what you'll need when going for medical reimbursement:
-ICD-9 Code
-HCPCS Code
-A copy of the prescription (not necessary but handy to have when filing)
-A copy of the receipt/invoice/packing slip, showing the item you bought with the description and how much you paid.

*DISCLAIMER* As I previously mentioned, not all insurance companies are the same. This is just a general guideline and neither myself nor B&A Sports Medicine make any promises, claims, or warranties about the accuracy/effectiveness of the previously outlined process. Again, it's a general guideline. There are people dedicated to insurance reimbursement, and even they aren't 100% successful.

If you don't have the time/desire to mess with insurance and their reimbursement programs, might I suggest try using your flexible spending card. It should work.

She's gonna love me in my Chevy van and that's alright with me...

So part of the deal when B&A purchased See The Trainer Ohio's inventory was for their Chevy Express Van. When we got it, it was covered in cheap vinyl and White Castle wrappers were strewn throughout. While the vinyl may be gone, the wrappers remain. We thought that it gave Debbie a bit of character. Oh, and yes, we (I) named the van Debbie.

Never having driven anything larger than my mom's Honda CR-V, I was apprehensive about driving such a large monstrosity for 40 miles of highway and winding country roads. Contrary to popular belief (mainly Lee's belief) the van DOES go above the 65-mph mark, while the speedo taps out at 100 mph. Unfortunately, I think that's wishful thinking on Chevy's part. If we WERE to get Debbie up to the 100mph mark, "Express Delivery" would have a whole new meaning.

The main point of this blog entry is to declare my love for this dirty, disgusting van. Perhaps it is the White Castle Eau De Toilette, or inflatable bounce-house-esque suspension which captured my heart.

Whatever it is, we will treat Debbie with some new, high quality vinyl, a car washing, and maybe even some spinner hubcaps or a wizard painted on the side. We'll see.

The times, they are a changin'

Here at B&A Sports Medicine Store, we abhor laziness. It's probably why we don't like Porsches that much, as they have the laziest designers in the history of cars. Seriously, even their "newest" cars look very much like their "older" cars.
The point is, we really like companies that refuse to stand still. Superfeet is one of those companies. It seems like every other week I'm getting a new letter in the mail about how they're changing this or that with their products. Most of them are minor changes, but I found something worth posting on the blog:

For this upcoming winter season (or "Summer" if you're in the southern Hemisphere) Superfeet will be releasing two new models, REDhot and hotPINK.

These two models, which are gender-specific will be replacing the Wintergreen model. Now for Superfeet's propaganda:

"REDhot and hotPINK provide the support, shock absorption, power transmission, and edge control your customers need for a full day on the slopes. Out full length Rebound foam allows for maximum forefoot flex, while our patented stabilizer cap gives the rearfoot the stability and alignment it needs to perform at its peak potential. In addition to the Adaptive Comfort® top cover by Outlast®, our new Air Weave technology layer in the forefoot efficiently regulates temperature, offering excellent heat management for all day comfort. The new models also feature Agion® antimicrobial treatment to inhibit the growth of odor-causing bacteria."

The MSRP for these fancy dancy new insoles will be $49.99.

Basically- if the Berry/Orange did "it" with Wintergreen, the result, 4 months later (which is the gestation period for Superfeet, btw) would be REDhot and hotPINK (fraternal twins!)

While I'm not sure if we'll be carrying these particular model, I wouldn't be surprised if we did. If not...well then I guess you heard it here first.

Also in the land of Superfeet, the GREY insole will now be called the YELLOW (because that's the new color). Changes include a slightly different shaped forefoot and a couple holes punched in to increase ventilation.
Check it here:

So hot right now...

Earlier this week we received our shipment of Stretch-Out Straps. We've had quite a few customers come into the store looking for this product, because they've seen the pros use them before games and matches. While my experience with the Stretch-Out Strap is somewhat limited, the half hour I've spent playing (Lee, if you're reading this, I mean "working") with it, I believe it's a very effective tool to increase range of motion. To be honest, I'm not all that surprised that it's popular amongst many baseball and soccer professionals, either. If you haven't made the jump to the product description, yet, I will tell you a little more about this guy

For starters, because of all the loops for your different extremities, this strap is a bit more effective for stretching, than say a towel, rope, or Thera-Band. While those items can all do an OK job stretching, the Stretch-Out Strap just does it better. The loops not only keep your feet in place but also give you something to hold on to. Towels and rope just can't match the comfort of the Stretch-Out Strap.

While the Stretch-Out Strap is more comfortable and secure than the Thera-Band, towels, and rope, it also allows for you to perform proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, or PNF Stretching without a partner. For more information on this incredibly effective stretching technique, check out this link.
The Cliffs Notes version is this: You can increase your range of motion by firing certain muscle groups in multiple planes and not actually moving. Traditionally, PNF stretching could only be achieved with a partner to push up against. Utilizing this strap, however, you no longer need a partner.

Product plug of the week: The Stick

Feel Good, Inc. No, it's not just a Gorillaz song (Windmill, Windmill for the land. Turn forever hand in hand...) but really what every medical business should be called. You see, the field of medicine has really just one goal-Make the customers (patients) feel better. Now that I've set the table with an irrelevant pop-culture reference, I'd like to highlight one of my favorite products in the store: The Stick.

The Stick looks simple enough- two handles at the end of a rod with plastic spindles in the center. To be honest, it looks a bit like your kid sister's beaded necklace gone horribly wrong. In spite of the peculiar aesthetics, I can attest to the incredible performance of this handy little gizmo. I first came across this self-massage device when I was at track camp where we would have gruesome two-a-days under the hot, summer sun. Rolling out my quad, hammies, calves, and anterior tibialis (shin muscle), allowed for me to have consistently good workouts. I used this product throughout my high school career and most of college (in conjunction with the foam roller) until I lost it. Not only did I find it incredibly effective for my running, but I also found that it kept my legs feeling fresh after an 8 hour day of snowboarding.

This product is great for any athlete, from the casual walker and weekend warrior, all the way up to the professional football and track athlete. For a quick "What":
-Warms muscle without expending vital energy stores
-Performs both general and segmental stretching procedures
-Removes trigger point barriers to peak athletic performance
-Enhances strength, flexibility and endurance
-Accelerates muscle recovery and relieves pain

..and now for the "how":
-Relaxes tight muscle to enhance muscle growth, repairs tissue and augments glycogen repletion following heavy exercise.
-It expedites the discharge of lactic acid from your muscles and encourages its conversion into glucose by the liver

Welcome!

Congratulations- you found us! It's hard to believe that in less than 5 months we have gone from essentially a dirty warehouse running on Business Works to a tidy, Mom & Pop retail store and e-commerce website.
Lee (the owner) and I (the manager) agree- there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. With that said we're always working towards bringing the best shopping experience to you, our readers (and hopefully customers!). Hint: Bookmark this page, as we have many surprises up our sleeve that we will be sharing in the upcoming months.

If this is your first time visiting this site, I invite you to spend a little time and poke around. Peruse the product descriptions, join our page on Facebook, and read some of the previous blog postings. We hope you enjoy this website as much as we did making it. Come back often, too, as we're adding new products every day.

Oh, and we finally decided on a new logo...we'll stick with this for a while, but an alternate logo is also in the works...

Do we deny reality?

Maybe it was your science teacher. Perhaps it was algebra or even the one who taught English. For me, it was the one who taught my Basic Athletic Training course my sophomore year in college. You know who I'm talking about- that