INTENDED PURPOSE AND USE: Elastic Shoelaces are designed laces that stretch so the foot can slip into and out of any lace-up shoe like a loafer.  Allows for increased independence and ease with donning shoes.

BODY FUNCTIONS AND STRUCTURES REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL USE:

·       Basic problem solving skills (initially in order to apply shoe laces to sneakers)

·       General hand/grip strength  (initially in order to apply shoe laces to sneakers and thereafter if a reacher and longhandle shoe horn are required to don/doff shoes)

·       Shoulder/forearm strength in at least one upper extremity impacting ability to successfully manipulate the shoe

·       Gross motor coordination

·       Fine motor coordination to make necessary adjustments

·       Intact trunk and hip flexion for individuals who are able to bend over

·       Active range of motion in at least one upper extremity to successfully don the shoe

·       Intact sitting balance to maintain upright position while donning shoes

·       Bilateral lower extremity mobility and stability in the hip, knee and ankle to don the shoe

·       Ability to sequence (initially in order to apply shoe laces to sneakers)

COMMON DEFICITS ELASTIC SHOELACES COMPENSATE FOR:

·       Memory deficits

·       Decreased fine motor coordination  

·       Weak grasp

·       Use of only one upper extremity

·       Decreased activity tolerance

·       Deconditioning

·       Decreased endurance

·       Hand pain

·       Joint changes in hands   

·       Back pain      

·       Decreased eye/hand coordination

·       Shortness of breath

·       Muscle atrophy

·       Adhering to hip precautions

·       Adhering to back precautions

·       Hemiplegia

·       Hemiparesis

 COMMON DIAGNOSES ELASTIC SHOE LACES ARE USED FOR:

·       Total hip replacement (THR)/Total hip Arthroplasty (THA)

·       Hemiarthroplasty

·       Total knee replacement

·       Spinal/cervical surgery

·       Stroke (CVA)

·       Dementia

·       Parkinson’s

·       UE amputee

·       Arthritis

·       Parkinson’s

·       Total shoulder replacement

·       Reverse total shoulder replacement

·       Shoulder dislocation

·       Upper extremity fractures (humerus, radius, ulna, wrist, hand)

·       Multiple Sclerosis

·       Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

·       Spinal cord injury

·       Stroke

·       Back pain

·       Generalized weakness

·       Huntington’s Chorea

·       Dementia

·       Hemiplegia

·       Hemiparesis

·       Low vision/total blindness

·       Anxiety

SUGGESTED STRATEGIES:

·       Individuals who have had a hip replacement with hip precautions in place can benefit from elastic shoelaces in lace up shoes. This will eliminate the need to bend forward or lift the leg up to tie the shoes (bending forward and lifting the leg up will cause a person to be out of compliance with maintaining hip precautions which can cause dislocation of the newly replaced hip joint).

·       Use elastic shoe laces for individuals who have difficulty tying shoe laces when the difficulty causes the person to feel anxious.

·       Use elastic shoe laces for individuals who are unable to tie their own shoes but are able to slip a foot into a shoe.

·       Use elastic shoe laces to conserve energy when bending forward and/or lifting the leg up to tie shoes causes increased heart rate or shortness of breath.