Harry Hlavac
Encyclopedia
Harry F. Hlavac, DPM, MEd, (b. 1944) is a podiatrist, author, consultant, and inventor. With his wife, Connie, Dr. Hlavac is the proprietor of Footguru, LLC, and Lavac Foot Products, based in Mill Valley, California
. He is a past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, and a Clinical Professor of Biomechanics at the California School of Podiatric Medicine
. Along with Drs. Richard Schuster and Steven Subotnick
, Dr. Hlavac is considered to be a pioneer in the modern use of podiatric clinical biomechanics for the management of knee, hip and back pain and treatment of athletic injuries.http://www.podiatry.co.uk/articles/podiatric.html
s. The foot aid replaces the use of tape to control pronation and maintain proper alignment of the foot. The Lavac Strap prevents expansion and relieves these conditions, restoring resiliency and 'spring'. Regular use of the Lavac Strap during daily activities prevents recurrence of heel and arch pain. The Lavac Strap reduces tension on the plantar fascia
, and can be beneficial in treating patients who have arch sprains and heel problems. According to Hlavac, the strap helps to prevent injury as it cushions the arch of the foot, curbing over expanasion and elongation. Patients can use it while barefoot or in water. It is washable, reusable and fits either foot.
The 'Biopedal' is an adjustable bicycle pedal for balanced performance on bicycle and rehabilitation equipment. The Biopedal can be adjusted to alter foot pedal position in the two planes of movement (varus-valgus & inversion-eversion) and in leg length height. In a study aimed at determining whether the standard platform foot pedal position, in comparison to the Biopedal foot pedal position, affected the highest tolerated work-rate during prolonged cycling performance measured by critical power, Moran, Robertson, and Einhorn-Dicks (1992) determined that the use of the Biopedal foot pedal position was successful in rehabilitation of knee pain in bicyclists.
The 'Hlavac Heel', also marketed under other trade names including 'Sports Wedge' and 'Gait Wedge', is a wedged heel cup designed to relieve stresses caused by ankle and foot imbalances.
Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The population was 13,903 at the 2010 census.Mill Valley is located on the western and northern shores of Richardson Bay...
. He is a past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, and a Clinical Professor of Biomechanics at the California School of Podiatric Medicine
California School of Podiatric Medicine
California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt University is a podiatric medical school based in Oakland, California. It is one of nine podiatric medical schools in the United States. The school was originally founded in 1914 as the California School of Chiropody and was located in San...
. Along with Drs. Richard Schuster and Steven Subotnick
Steven Subotnick
Steven Subotnick is an animation teacher and award-winning independent animator. He received a BFA in Film from UCLA. He later received an MFA in Experimental Animation from California Institute of the Arts. While at CalArts, he was mentored under Jules Engel....
, Dr. Hlavac is considered to be a pioneer in the modern use of podiatric clinical biomechanics for the management of knee, hip and back pain and treatment of athletic injuries.http://www.podiatry.co.uk/articles/podiatric.html
Inventions
The 'Lavac Strap' was developed by Hlavac for controlling foot function, as an alternative to the adhesive tape commonly used by athletic trainerAthletic trainer
An athletic trainer is a certified, health care professional who practices in the field of sports medicine. Athletic training has been recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health care profession since 1990....
s. The foot aid replaces the use of tape to control pronation and maintain proper alignment of the foot. The Lavac Strap prevents expansion and relieves these conditions, restoring resiliency and 'spring'. Regular use of the Lavac Strap during daily activities prevents recurrence of heel and arch pain. The Lavac Strap reduces tension on the plantar fascia
Plantar fascia
The plantar fascia is the thick connective tissue which supports the arch on the bottom of the foot. It runs from the tuberosity of the calcaneus forward to the heads of the metatarsal bones .The often painful condition plantar fasciitis is an inflammatory condition of the plantar...
, and can be beneficial in treating patients who have arch sprains and heel problems. According to Hlavac, the strap helps to prevent injury as it cushions the arch of the foot, curbing over expanasion and elongation. Patients can use it while barefoot or in water. It is washable, reusable and fits either foot.
The 'Biopedal' is an adjustable bicycle pedal for balanced performance on bicycle and rehabilitation equipment. The Biopedal can be adjusted to alter foot pedal position in the two planes of movement (varus-valgus & inversion-eversion) and in leg length height. In a study aimed at determining whether the standard platform foot pedal position, in comparison to the Biopedal foot pedal position, affected the highest tolerated work-rate during prolonged cycling performance measured by critical power, Moran, Robertson, and Einhorn-Dicks (1992) determined that the use of the Biopedal foot pedal position was successful in rehabilitation of knee pain in bicyclists.
The 'Hlavac Heel', also marketed under other trade names including 'Sports Wedge' and 'Gait Wedge', is a wedged heel cup designed to relieve stresses caused by ankle and foot imbalances.
Publications
- The Foot Book: Advice for Athletes, World Publications: Mountain View, California, 1977, ISBN 0-89037-119-9
- "Redefining Plantar Fasciitis", Podiatry Today, November, 2001
External links
- FootGuru.com - Dr. Hlavac's homepage
- PodiatryToday.com - 'Strap To It', Podiatry Today