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Can new orthopedic devices be the answer for chronic pain and injuries?
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The Israeli company AposTherapy offers people who suffer from orthopedic injuries and maladies an alternative to invasive medical procedures. It does so with specially designed orthopedic shoes and special physical therapy to train patients how to use them properly.
AposTherapy is a personalized program for the treatment of various orthopedic conditions, which utilizes an individually calibrated, patent protected, foot-worn biomechanical device. The treatment is delivered by specially-trained physical therapists and is carried out during the patient’s normal daily activities, at home or at work, for about an hour a day to enable optimal results.
The shoes that it markets have special balls fitted to their bottoms that retrain the muscles to reduce pain.
Former New York Jets running back Bruce Harper was approached by the company to wear one of its shoes for a publicity video. But he was doubtful at first. As he told Bloomberg, “I’m skeptical. You need to prove it to me.”
Part of the problem with convincing people like Harper to try the product is that the shoes come with a hefty $5, 000 price tag which, as of now, is not covered by medical insurers in America.
Other NFL veterans who tried the shoes and found them to be helpful include New York Giants players Bart Oates and Karl Nelson.
Back pain and other orthopedic injuries cost Americans a fortune each year in medical expenses and lost productivity at work. AposTherapy offers a solution to this problem. As one of the company’s founders, Dr. Amit Mor told Bloomberg, “There is a lack of effective solutions. Our treatment gives people the chance to retrain the way the muscles control their knee or back, and improve the way they walk.”
Just last month AposTherapy was nominated for the “Israeli Company of the Year 2013/14” award by UK ISRAEL BUSINESS. This award recognizes companies which have executed significant transactions or made significant investments between the Israel and the United Kingdom.
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The company will invest £10m in the UK in the next three years, opening clinics and creating hundreds of jobs. This is in addition to the £11m it has already invested there. The firm currently employs nearly 50 people in the UK.
AposTherapy was founded by orthopedics and sports medicine specialists Dr. Avi Elbaz and Dr. Amit Mor. They developed the treatment began in the 1990’s in response to the growing evidence and better understanding of biomechanics and the central role that the neuromuscular system plays in the development and the rehabilitation of orthopedic conditions.
Its flagship center was opened in Herzliya, Israel in 2004. The company has treated over 50, 000 patients worldwide to date and has 11 centers in four countries, America, England, Israel and Singapore.
AposTherapy’s sales increased 60 percent to $14 million last year. It is forecasting that sales will surpass $30 million in 2015. It has raised $27 million from investors like Israel’s Pitango Venture Capital, but is not yet ready for an initial public offering.
Dr. Avi Elbaz, the company’s CEO, graduated from the Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine and did his residency in the Orthopedic Department of the Assaf HaRofeh Medical Center.
Dr. Amit Mor, the company’s chief medical officer, leads the international development of relationships with various stakeholders in the healthcare industry. Dr. Mor is also in charge of global medical affairs of the company, as well as regulatory and legal matters relating to the company’s global expansion.
He graduated from the Hebrew University Medical School-Hadassah, and attended the Sports Medicine Program at the Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine.
