Then staff was friendly, time efficient, and my order came rather fast. I was pleased with my overall experience. read more

Kickstart Orthotics and Prosthetics - Orthotics Near Me - Oakland, California

I have flat feet that make walking painful as well as plantar fasciitis on both heels. Michael has made orthosis for my tennis shoes that correct these problems so that I can walk well and minimize the pain in my heels to almost nothing. He is very willing to tweak his work when there is a problem for future wear and tear. Michael is personable and listens well when I have foot pain then immediately goes to work to try and fix my orthosis to remedy it. I go to the San Francisco location on Mission Street. It's easy to get to by MUNI. Also, the people who book the appointments on the phone have great customer service and try to get you in as soon as possible to see him. I have seen three foot specialists over the years and for me Michael is one of the best. read more

Great services Tony is the best. Great products suit My handicap needs I suggest this group above all others! Over the years I have been to a few. This staff cares the seem to fit the needs I highly recommend. read more

I finally found a shoe spot that has great shoes to offer, good customer service and knowledgeable people. Dwayne and Tony are great! Thank you guys for taking good care of us. Us Veterans really appreciate it especially after working with many shoe people before this that did not fulfill my needs nor did they have good shoe options. Thank you for the great type of care that you give and putting in the time to do great business! We appreciate you!! read more

Michael is very good at listening and helping people understand what they need. He's in Oakland on Tuesdays only. He is in SF most days. read more

Thank you Tony for the Brace for my 2 year old. You have made our visits super comfortable and easy! We just had my son's X-ray with the brace on with his orthopedics doctor and they said that his spine has improved so much. Thank you for everything. Also my son needed a new brace after 6 months because he grew and Tony was able to squeeze us in right away and the new brace arrived in 2 weeks. I highly recommend this facility!! I live in Tracy and don't mind the drive because I'm really happy with Tony's work. read more

Kickstart Orthotics and Prosthetics - Orthotics Near Me - Oakland, California

Tony was great taking care of me. He was very caring and efficient. He really took the time to make sure the type of brace I needed was correct and would work for me day-to-day. The piece of equipment I needed came in very quickly. If there is any follow up I can just reach out to Tony for any additional questions or care. read more

Tony is my son's scoliosis orthotist. If you're a parent of a medically complicated child, I don't need to explain the relief when your child is being treated by someone who really cares, and is willing to try different things with a great attitude. My son is in a whisper brace after a Boston brace was not appropriate for my child's condition. Tony kept my son on as a patient and trained to treat my child in the whisper brace. It has been a great experience working with Tony in a medically complicated situation. If you are able to get treatment from him, I highly recommend you do. read more

Tony LaFrance does great work. Our 14 year old son wears a back brace for Scheuermann's Kyphosis (curvature of the upper spine). It's a difficult experience for our son. But Tony is very supportive and helpful. I recommend Kickstart Orthotics to anyone who need this kind of work done. read more

Kickstart Orthotics and Prosthetics - Back brace to correct for Scheuermann's Kyphosis - Orthotics Near Me - Oakland, California

Tony at kickstart got me back on my feet and walking again in just a little over a month the process was fast painless and the people is really nice and caring you can tell he really is into his work that care he showed me made me feel real comfortable I am so happy and appreciative that thank you Tony your friend David Hubbard he was able to take me as a patient read more

Kickstart is awesome! Tiana and Tony fit us into their busy schedule just days before my double knee replacement surgery and fitted me with a foot drop brace that allows me to walk normally. They were professional, accommodating and dealt directly with our insurance so there was no paperwork or hassle for us. I recommend them highly and without reservation! read more

Tony is a FABULOUS orthotist! He is professional, timely, and has a great bedside manner. "Uncle Tony" to my daughter who needs various devices for her feet, he goes out of his way help his patients what they need! Update: 2/26/2020 Tony and Viva only get better! Their customer service is top notch... and their love for their patients is off the charts! You will not regret going to Tony and Viva! read more

Kickstart Orthotics and Prosthetics - Uncle Tony LaFrance celebrating one of the superhero kids he helps! - Orthotics Near Me - Oakland, California

Tony investigated a variety of afos for my condition, helped me decide on the right model, and took pains to cast my feet properly to avoid problems. I'm really happy with my new afos and after 3 months have no complaints! Thanks Tony! read more

Tony and the entire Kickstart team is what quality, health CARE is all about. The front office personnel have always been helpful, polite, prompt, professional, and make my young daughter and I feel at ease. They've helped us find last minute appointments when needed and are excellent communicators. Tony's bedside manner and care for my daughter is the absolute best I could imagine for her. She was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 8.5 and due to the rate at which her curve was rising, her doctor wanted her braced young. Tony has now made her 2 braces over the last two and a half years, and watching him do his craft is fascinating; it's like watching an artist at work. He took his time, was very patient and detail oriented, and made her feel very comfortable throughout the whole process. He had a wide array of patterns to have your brace made from and was really sweet with my daughter when she went with cheetah print. ;-) Most of all, he explained to her in very clear, kind language that her brace and her consistency in wearing it was HER responsibility. He laid down the foundation at the first appointment in such a thoughtful way that she knew from the get-go that it was up to her (not parents) to wear it regularly or deal with the potential consequences down the road. She has worn it for the recommended 18 hours per day for 2.5 years now and I give Tony the credit for talking to her with such sensitivity and clear communication. He is a wonderful doctor and has worked wonders for my sweet girl. She is making tremendous progress and Tony is a big factor in that, I believe. I literally cannot rate this doctor and his team highly enough- they're incredible!! read more

If your child has scoliosis, DO NOT use Tony to design a corrective brace. He will NOT help your child straighten his/her spine. If you are lucky, it stays the same after 3 weeks but for me, he made the brace incorrectly and pushed the other way, making the curve worse. For parents who are new to brace or scoliosis, getting the brace designed and correctly fitted is probably the most important thing for scoliosis. If the brace is made correctly and your child has a less than 30-degree curve, an in-brace x-ray should show a straight spine. If more than 30-degree, you should expect at least a 30% correction. This is not the case for using Tony. So, do NOT risk your child, trying to save a few hundred. It will only cost more in the long term. You need an expert orthotist that understands the spine and scoliosis. Tony doesn't even know how to read X-ray correctly. read more

I am so happy with my fitting and my orthotics. I have had problems in the past with other companies getting my left foot fitted correctly. Tony was fantastic, he listened to my concerns and needs and did an excellent job when doing the laser scan of my feet. This was the first time in many many years and many pairs of orthotics that things worked out this good and on the first attemp. I'm so pleased knowing I have finally found a place for future pairs of orthotics. I highly recommend Kickstart and Tony for your Orthotics read more

Tony has done a wonderful job working with our son with a very high degree scoliosis curvature. Other orthotics specialists had given up, but Tony has been passionate and professional in trying to help our son. He has helped to maintain and improve the curvature over the course of a few years. He diligently addresses our concerns in fit, comfort and other brace issues, and we find him to be very accessible. At this point, we feel like he is part of the family! read more

I wouldn't even give Tony 1 star. Tony made my 11 year old child a Boston brace that did absolutely nothing. She was in it 18 hours a day. We went back for him to adjust the brace after the X-ray showed no difference and his new adjustment made her curve worse and she was in more pain. Would not recommend. read more

Tony and Kickstart are amazing! The office itself is so cute, extremely kid-friendly just over all bright and beautiful. We've been seeing Tony for a few years for my son's orthotic boot and he's always been fun friendly and professional. Christina is amazing well, she's so kind. read more

Wow! I am very happy with customer service and my leg brace,"KFO". Kickstart, puts them self in my shoes to receive the best care for me. I am very happy with my leg brace. Thank you!!Kickstart. read more

Tony with kickstart is incredibly enthusiastic and easy to work with. My son has had his feet measured for SMOs in the past. I can tell Tony is very experienced because he got it done quickly and with the least amount of discomfort to my son. Their billing department and customer service is also incredible. If you have the choice, this is a company you actually WANT to work with as opposed to a larger, less friendly company. read more

We have worked with Tony for 8 years and he is professional, welcoming, and has always been open to feedback and fixing my sons braces if needed. I would recommend him every time! Thank you for helping my son walk and always explaining how to use his products in an easy way to understand. read more

Tony and Cristina at Kickstart provided the most comprehensive service I've ever received. Therefore, this review is also extremely comprehensive. I came to Kickstart because I had a specific, unusual request - to create custom molded AFOs out of carbon fiber. This was unusual because typically carbon fiber AFO braces come in standard sizes, which are then modified to fit the needs of the individual. I needed my braces to be developed from the ground up to fit my leg and foot shape, and couldn't use one of the standard options. I hadn't found an orthotist within a larger system who would work with me, and I hadn't really found many examples of people doing this on the internet either. Cristina worked diligently to navigate all of the insurance hurdles (which my weird request only complicated), promptly answered any questions I had regarding billing and scheduling, and on more than one occasion fit me into Tony's schedule last-minute. She was super friendly and it was very clear that she was extremely invested in making sure I got my braces as quickly as possible, for the right price. Tony was inquisitive, curious, and adventurous in the (many) meetings I had with him. Each time I went in, I never felt rushed for time - Tony always spent as much time as he needed making sure the fit of my molds and braces was spot-on, and he even took time to explain his thought process while he worked. He didn't assume that the design of the previous AFOs I had used was going to be appropriate for my needs forever, so he made sure to do a comprehensive intake with me, assessing my current needs and goals. At each point in the process, Tony was transparent about the cost associated with various decisions I had to make. That said, when all was said and done, (and this will vary between insurance providers of course), my out of pocket cost was on the same level, if not lower than if I had gone through a larger orthotic/prosthetic system. By showing me multiple options for AFOs on our first meeting, Tony showed me that incorporating a plantar stop instead of a free-moving hinge would add propulsion and efficiency into my step. Though he doesn't mold carbon fiber AFOs himself, Tony contacted multiple third-party manufacturers to find someone who could. When he found a company that would fulfill this unusual request, he made the excellent suggestion of first molding a "test socket," typically something only done for prosthetics, to ensure that I'd have no issues with fit. Essentially, Tony went through the trouble of making a test pair of plastic AFOs in clear plastic, which he then had me try on to mark areas of unevenly distributed pressure which weren't caught with the original cast he had taken. After modifying the shape to even better fit my feet and legs, he sent the test AFOs over to the carbon brace company and had them back in his office for me to try on within a few weeks. The fit is great, the braces look badass, and Tony even mentioned that he requested extra carbon on the bottom plate to account for the numerous pendulum falls that I take as an avid sport and trad climber (and the #1 reason my previous plastic AFOs had failed)! The process was super easy from start to finish, and I have no doubt that Tony and his team have developed one of the finest orthotic/prosthetic practices in the Bay Area. I would recommend their services without hesitation. read more

Kickstart Orthotics and Prosthetics - Custom carbon fiber hinged AFO - Orthotics Near Me - Oakland, California

This place is awesome. It's a new orthotics and prosthetic place that makes sure you get the right service and most top quality stuff. The best part about this is Tony LaFrance, who formerly worked at Laurence Orthopedic, is the owner of this establishment. If you was a former client with Tony, now you know where to find him, kickstart! read more

Tony LaFrance is how I wish everyone in the medical field is. He's gone an extra mile with fixing my daughters brace even when a Stanford Doctor said it was fine. I think the doctors figured, my daughter will be off the brace within 6 months that the X-ray didn't really matter as much since she would be off of it soon enough. However, 6 months is still 6 months. Tony fixed it, it significantly improved my daughters curvature. It was even more comfortable than before. He's integrity and genuine nature in helping others is something that most medical field professionals should learn from. We are not just another patient to him or for that matter a number, he truly cares. He wasn't happy with how the Boston Brace was on the X-ray, he took it upon himself to talk to me and I am truly grateful for his diligence. read more

My Physician Assistant at Kaiser referred me to a brace vendor for a custom unloader knee brace for medial osteoarthritis but they didn't have one. I did my own research online and found Kickstart. It's an unassuming place and the owner, Tony LaFrance, is super competent and friendly. It wasn't a completely smooth process, but that's Kaiser for you. Gloria handled all of the insurance authorizations competently. Tony recommended a brace that would be lightweight, could be worn under clothes, and could be worn all of the time. When the brace arrived Tony fitted it to my leg and showed me how to take it on and off. He set clear expectations that any brace has pros and cons. They're uncomfortable, they slip, and they can irritate your skin, but they provide support and pain relief. At first the brace didn't seem to do anything. I had trouble taking it off (user error) and had to return to Tony's office for adjustment. I'm now in the break-in period - 2 hours a day for the first week. I noticed aching for the first few days, due to the realigning of my knee, but now that is gone and the brace feels super supportive. More details after the break-in period. Tony is great - he has decades of experience with orthotics and prosthetics. So glad I found this company online! read more