Michigan Company Takes Aim at Health Care Costs

Online, August 27, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Each year, approximately 20 million Americans with knee pain spend about $1.5 billion on knee braces. In the Groove®, a Saginaw, MI based manufacturer of a revolutionary rehabilitative knee orthosis/brace, is hoping to provide both individuals and insurance companies some much-needed cost savings in the health care arena. "Our innovative product can help improve people's lives while saving health care dollars that might be better allocated elsewhere," says Alice Brown, RPh. PharmD, FMPA, inventor of the In the Groove® orthotic knee brace.

In the Groove® rehabilitative knee orthosis/brace is lightweight, comfortable, and helps to rehabilitate muscles by wearing it during weight bearing activity.* The 62-year-old retired pharmacist designed the brace as a result of her personal experiences following a head-on car accident. Severely injured in the crash, Brown underwent multiple surgeries, ended up in a wheel chair and had to relearn to walk several times. While in physical therapy, one of the exercises allowed her to move without pain for 20 minutes and that was the inspiration that prompted her to create the prototype brace.

"I have been disabled and know first-hand the mobility issues and how they impact a person's lifestyle," she states. "My primary goal is to help others like me find non-invasive relief from pain while improving their mobility. I also hope to change the way medicine looks at braces." Usage data collected over the past three years has already shown Brown is in the process of securing more clinical trials of her patent-pending device with a major Michigan university-based medical center, as well as others in California and Colorado.

This pioneering "Made in Michigan" product and its inventor have received recognition from regional business entities, including placing third in the 2009 Best New Business Concept competition, sponsored by Great Lakes Entrepreneurial Quest. Founder Alice Brown received the kudos for her well-prepared "elevator pitch." In the Groove® also tied for first place to win the Ann Arbor Spark Boot Camp for Entrepreneurs award in 2008.

Primary individual markets for In the Groove® include athletes, particularly runners, along with seniors. In the Groove® recently hired and trained a certified sales staff to make direct vendor inquiries to hospitals, medical clinics and individual physicians. Retail cost for a standard size In the Groove® brace is under $100.

*Note: Braces of this type are FDA waived, so In the Groove® is not evaluated by the FDA. It is not designed to diagnose, cure or treat any disease.