Advertising Feature Gain your mobility back with aids

By Murray Green

You can live a normal life with the aid of braces and orthotics without running to the big city.

Karl Hager founded Karl Hager Limb & Brace in 1977.

“We have a satellite clinic in Camrose and over the last few years it has been once a month. We want to see more people at one time, usually the third Thursday of each month,” said Steve Stredulinsky, who serves the Camrose area with a monthly visit to the Smith Clinic.

Though Karl Hager Limb & Brace is a comprehensive orthotic company, it has become very well known over the years for its custom-made knee orthoses.

“We see such a wide variety of patients. We are seeing everybody from high school students to people who are retired but want to remain active. In Camrose, it is a bit seasonal. In the summer we get people who are more active. In the winter we get farmers or people who intend to be more active in the upcoming months,” explained Steve.

“COVID-19 put a hitch into the plans, but typically in the spring and fall we are seeing the teen athletes who are practicing and playing more games when repetitive stress injuries can occur. Outside of that we have nurses, mechanics, warehouse people who are on their feet so much, all year round that will feel pain and that is when we see them,” shared Steve.

“For some people, it is tough for them to get out to Edmonton based on their schedule, that is why we come to Camrose about once a month. You don’t need a prescription to see us, but if patients have a medical plan or WCB then for coverage, they should have a prescription to see us. It is a medical device that needs to be prescribed to them,” added Steve.

“The assessment is free. We do a thorough assessment to come up with a treatment plan. That treatment plan may or may not involve something from us. It gives patients an idea of why they are having pain and what can be done to get rid of the pain. We have people come in who don’t have pain, but maybe they have had it years ago and they want to stay pain free,” said Steve.

“If you’ve had pain in your high school years and had to do physio, you are now in adult years and you don’t want to deal with pain anymore; those people want to take preventative measures to make sure they can participate at the level they want. They also don’t want to deal with pain for the rest of their lives.”

Most of the custom items they provide are designed and hand crafted in an on-site laboratory in Edmonton. In 1982, the TCKO knee brace was its first design then followed by the Double X graphite knee orthosis in 1986. The Flex X and Neutralizer OA thermo molded knee orthoses were released in 1995, and then the Accelerator Graphite knee orthosis in 1997. The Blade Runner was designed in 2003 with the Victory being launched in 2009.

“We want to be part of the treatment plan. We work with a lot of other health care practitioners, so we are there to make sure people are moving as good as they can. We want people to get better and we don’t want people to be in pain. People come to see us for advice and we go through everything, even if they don’t get anything from us,” said Steve. “We want to pass on knowledge to help them get better.”

Karl Hager Limb & Brace has endeavoured to provide Canadians with the best available technol ogy for motion.

“Often people think that having sore hands or feet is part of the job and part of life, but pain should never be part of normal life. If you feel pain, you should be doing something about it.”

Steve joined Karl Hager Limb & Brace in February 2017. He is a graduate of the University of the Fraser Valley in 2008, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology, and he successfully achieved his Pedorthic Certification in May 2013. In 2015, he relocated to Calgary before moving to Edmonton to join the clinic team.

Having both a love for the performance side and the medical side of Custom Foot Orthotics, he brings his passion for patient treatment to every appointment. Steve is available for patients who may require custom foot orthotics, custom footwear, custom knee bracing for ligament injuries, compression therapy, or shoe modifications.

To book an appointment for March 16, April 20, May 16, June 15, September 21, October 19 or November 16 clinics, call 1-800-387-5053 ext. 1 or visit www.khager.com for more information.

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