Tag Archives: castcoverz

Cast Covers Team Attends AAOS Conference in Chicago

CastCoverz! just returned from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Conference held in Chicago, Illinois, at the world famous McCormick Place Event Center. The AAOS show is the largest orthopedic trade-show in the world, with over 13,000 attendees from every continent on the planet! Owner, Annette d. Giacomazzi, and Community Champion, Kristine Champion, had a fantastic week talking to doctors, nurses, and ortho techs about their 18-branded product line, providing functional and fashionable products that bring relief and comfort to orthopedic patients.

CastCooler, MediShield, and CastCoverz! Team

CastCoverz! represented the orthopedic soft-goods industry well, with a spacious booth shared with industry leaders, MediShield and CastCooler. MediShield fills an enormous demand for waterproof protection of casts, bandages, and prosthetics. Doctors, nurses, and especially ortho techs stated they were “unaware of any truly effective means of protecting casts, prosthetics, or bandaging against water.” “We are proud to distribute a product that works well for showering and bathing,” says CastCoverz! owner and founder, Annette d. Giacomazzi. “But, I am very excited about their product upgrades, including a stronger, latex-free material.”

CastCooler is a breakthrough in cast care, designed to concentrate cooling and drying effectiveness on moist areas under your cast. CastCooler will cool your cast, reduce odor and itch, freshen your cast, and speed dry your cast, should moisture get in. When exhibit attendees tried out the sample CastCooler on display, they were AMAZED at how this product really works! Also joining them in the booth was Tom Schwab, Founder and Owner of Goodbye Crutches, and his very popular knee scooter!

All in all, the AAOS Exhibit was quite a success! CastCoverz! looks forward to expanding upon their product line and remaining the leading global manufacturer, e-tailer, and innovator of essential orthopedic soft goods. OH…and they announced their new toll-free number, 1(800) CASTCOVER (1-800-227-8268) and an adorable new pediatric line of arm cast covers, too. BIG things happening at CastCoverz!

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Common Causes of Chronic Knee Pain

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Did you know the spine and nerves are infamous for referring pain elsewhere? If a portion of your lower back is irritated, you could possibly feel pain in your back, but you may also feel it in your thigh or knee.

It would seem that if you feel pain in your knee, it must be coming from inside the knee. This is not always the case. Knee pain can come from many different areas, including the spine, muscles, tendons, and nerves.

Common causes of chronic knee pain can vary from bulging discs in your back and irritated quadricep muscles, to knee arthritis and tendon tears, in addition to many other causes. Refer to this cool info-graphic from Regenexx for more information.

The Regenexx Procedures are a family of non-surgical adult stem cell and blood platelet treatments for common injuries and degenerative joint conditions, such as osteoarthritis and avascular necrosis. These stem cell procedures utilize a patient’s own cells to help heal damaged tissues, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, spinal disc, or bone.

If you find yourself wearing a knee brace or having to use crutches due to a knee injury, CastCoverz! has you covered! CastCoverz! has the world’s largest selection in cast covers and patient requested orthopedic gear. We give casts, braces, splints, boots, and our designer colored crutches fashion, function and FUN!

New Year! New You?

Happy New Year!

Annette Giacomazzi and CastCoverz! products

I am so blessed. I get to help people feel better, so they heal better with CastCoverz! products AND I get to answer questions about starting a business. The proverbial question, “How did you do it?” referring to building a business, is asked a couple of dozen times per week! So, in response to the people that dare to dream, I thought I would periodically answer some common questions. So, here goes…

Today’s post is oh, so, important! Not just because the new year often means recommitting, renewal, Goal setting. It can also be described as making resolutions or defining your priorities. Regardless, it is your vision, your dream for your future. Whether you’re a mom or an entrepreneur, or both! I recognize planning the future for some people may be challenging given the nation’s economic uncertainty, relationship issues you may be struggling with, or just living an overwhelmed life. With that in mind, I drilled down my goal setting process into a 1-2 punch for you:

Goal Setting Maxim #1 Before you know where you’re going, you

need to know where you’ve been. Planning for hopes, dreams and goals is vital to our vision and mission, whether it be as the CEO of my family or my

company. But, more important than that is taking a critical look at the year. This task is vital to give your goals, vision and mission a dose of reality. And there is no better time, than at year’s end. I set aside some time without distractions (I go off-site), bring the necessary numbers/information, bring a pad of pretty paper, and a sharpened pencil with a great eraser.

The first macro question I ask myself, “What are the top 5 things that worked this year?” With regards to the success of CCZ!, it was publicity/brand awareness, customer service experience, innovation (8 new

Elli, her collection of casts and Annette (Mother and Daughter)

products!), my employees (retained and added!), and a four fold increase in sales (!!). Answering the next question, “What are the top 5 things that didn’t work?” can be painful because it looks at your weaknesses. For example, inventory controls tops that list (I don’t have a [reliable] process to manage the fabric, webbing, thread, snaps, boxes, labels, etc…). Not knowing exactly what I have and don’t have allows for leakage and that means lost dollars. Not to mention, you can’t manage something if you don’t know what it is. Now take each of those lists and ask, “Why?” In other words, “Why did innovation work?” Another example, “Why don’t I have a reliable inventory management process?” If you’re just starting a business/thinking about inventing a product, the same questions apply, just re-frame them. For example, if you have an idea for a product, what top 5 things worked (met with a graphic designer, signed up for Tamara’s Power Mentoring Class, etc…) and the top 5 that didn’t (I didn’t call the plastics molding company contact back, I didn’t conduct the market research [beyond my friends and family] I need to do, etc.).

Goal Setting Maxim #2: Focus on your strengths

This goes against everything we’re taught. How many times does that voice in your head (god forbid it’s your spouse or friends) say, “you need to shore up your weaknesses,” or “you can’t do that because you don’t know how to do…” So, you commit yourself to learning, doing “X”. Instead, focus on what you do well. For example, I knew a woman that was in a dark, deep depression and didn’t think she could do anything. But she made her bed, every morning. She started building on that success. Now you can really plan for next year. At this time, next year you’ll have an effective tool to build on. Psst, I have a secret. I conduct quarterly and semi-annual (off-site) reviews, too. Weekly and monthly are done at my desk.

Next blog post: Help! I can’t find my commitment!

CAVEAT to Goal Setting: Though you need to always look at your life and see if it is heading in the right direction, the first of the year for me means rebirth, renewal and new beginnings. I love this time of year.