SECRET WEAPON CUSTOM ORTHOTIC INSOLES SUCCESS STORY
“Secret Weapon” Custom Orthotic Insoles Success Story - Zachary Mangiafico, Towson High School Varsity Lacrosse Star
“My son, Zachary Mangiafico, started experiencing foot pain around April of 2023. He was a freshman starting on the Towson High School (MD) varsity lacrosse team. At the end of that season, he started experiencing some pretty significant foot pain, which eventually became excruciating, so we assumed it was Plantar Fasciitis. After a few weeks or so, the pain had not subsided, so we saw a podiatrist in our hometown of Towson, MD. This podiatrist diagnosed it as PF, and started a series of four cortisone injections. The four injections came and went with no real long-term relief. In November of 2023, we were visiting a friend of mine in Lincoln, NE, who works as the head athletic trainer for the Cornhuskers. He evaluated Zachary and said he doesn't think this in PF. He got on the phone with Dr. Cohen, and he agreed, this wasn't PF, and said "come to Philly". My friend in NE and Dr. Cohen had worked for years with the Eagles, and Chris told me that Dr. Cohen was by far the best he has ever worked with. So that is what we did, we took Zachary to Philly to meet Dr. Cohen and are so glad we did! Dr. Cohen, another doctor, and a trainer gave Zachary an examination like I had never seen before. I am used to a 10-15 block of time seeing a doctor, then said doctor is off to his next appointment, another 10-15 minute block of time.”
Dr. Lee S. Cohen with Zachary Mangiafico, Towson High School Varsity Lacrosse Star pictured at Dr. Cohen’s Cherry Hill, N.J. state-of-the-art Sports Medicine Podiatry Center
“However, Dr. Cohen and his team evaluated Zachary for roughly an hour. They were determined to figure out Zachary's issue. It was amazing to see. Dr. Cohen fitted Zachary for custom orthotics and ordered a few tests which were done closer to home near Baltimore. Once the results were in, we returned to Philly to meet with Dr. Cohen. He explained exactly what the issue was and how he was going to treat it. My friend Chris in Nebraska and Dr. Cohen were correct, it was not PF. One of Zachary's legs was 13mm longer than the other. This affected his gait and for a lack of a better phrase, it was making his PF angry. He looked at Zachary and told him, "I am going to save your life here", and boy did he. Almost immediately, the custom orthotics worked like a miracle for Zachary. His pain decreased pretty rapidly, and was able to play lacrosse this season, his sophomore year. Zachary's team, Towson High School, made it all the way to the state finals. We didn't win in the big game, but Zachary had a great season because of Dr. Cohen's help. Zachary started and played every game, making an all-county team. This simply would not have been possible without his help. We are grateful and wish we would have "gone to Philly" sooner...” -Brian Mangiafico
If you or someone that you care for suffers from pain in the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and/or lower back, the pain may be due to misalignment caused by faulty biomechanics which can be treated and corrected with the help of custom orthotic insoles. To schedule your comprehensive biomechanical evaluation, visit drleecohen.com or call our Sports Medicine Podiatry Center and book an appointment at our Cherry Hill, N.J. Sports Medicine Facility or Ridley Park, P.A. Office location with one of our podiatric sports medicine specialists today by calling (610) 522-9200 or by visiting us at www.drleecohen.com