Walkwell Clinic Ltd has been providing podiatric care in London for over 25 years. Founded in 2001 by Helen Mikellides, Director and Senior Podiatrist, the clinic began as a small practice within a pharmacy and has steadily grown into a multidisciplinary clinic. Over the years, Helen expanded her expertise in biomechanics, orthotic prescription writing, and pelvic assessments. Today, the clinic includes osteopaths, a physiotherapist, and additional staff, while Helen continues to treat routine patients and perform minor surgical procedures.
Helen Mikellides – Walkwell Clinic Ltd
The Challenge Before LutraCAD
Before adopting LutraCAD, Walkwell Clinic relied on traditional approaches to orthotic production. Helen would prescribe either adapted off-the-shelf orthotics or lab-manufactured bespoke devices. This process often proved frustrating; casts had to be sent to external laboratories, communication could be limited, and turnaround times were long, typically around eight weeks.
For younger patients in particular, delays could become a serious issue, as children sometimes outgrew their prescriptions before the orthotics were even delivered. Costs were also steadily increasing, making it difficult to keep treatments affordable.
At one point, Helen invested in an expensive 3D printer from another supplier. Unfortunately, the accompanying software required additional slicing software to function—meaning two different systems and extra training. The process was complicated and inefficient, and after the printer warranty expired, training sessions were quoted at £300 per session.
"The LutraCAD software is incomparable really—it's like the difference between night and day. Someone at the top has clearly taken care to listen to the needs of podiatrists and invest time in developing the software."
Helen Mikellides – Walkwell Clinic Ltd
Discovering LutraCAD
After sharing her frustrations with colleagues at the clinic, an osteopath searched online and discovered LutraCAD in 2023. At the time, the insole design options were still relatively basic, but they were sufficient to get started. One of the key factors that reassured Helen was that training was included free of charge, which made the decision to try the software much easier.
The Transformation
Switching to LutraCAD brought a significant change to the clinic's workflow. Instead of relying on external laboratories and complex software chains, Helen could now design insoles directly using a system developed specifically for clinicians. The result was a far more manageable and clinician-focused design process.
The LutraCAD platform offers an intuitive digital workflow for creating custom orthotic products, allowing practitioners to streamline design and production without the overhead of multiple tools or lengthy lab communications.
Orthotics by Walkwell Clinic Ltd
Training and Support
Another key aspect of Helen's experience with LutraCAD has been the training and support provided by the team. While the software can feel challenging at first without guidance, the training sessions help users quickly understand the workflow.
"The training is very good. Jordy is an excellent trainer."
Helen Mikellides – Walkwell Clinic Ltd
As LutraCAD has grown and gained more customers, training sessions may sometimes require a short wait, but Helen notes that support is generally provided within a few days.
Results & Key Benefits
Walkwell Clinic Ltd reports the following benefits since switching to LutraCAD:
- Faster Turnarounds: Moving from eight-week lab cycles to in-house design dramatically reduces waiting times for patients.
- Better Access for Younger Patients: Children no longer risk outgrowing their prescription before receiving their orthotics.
- Clinician-Focused Workflow: The software was clearly built with practitioners in mind, making it intuitive and purpose-built for orthotic design.
- Cost-Effective Training: Free training included with LutraCAD, compared to £300/session with the previous provider.
- Growth Potential: With greater control over production, the clinic is considering expanding orthotic services to local colleagues.
Future Opportunities
With the ability to design orthotics in-house, Helen sees strong potential for further development. She is considering expanding production capabilities and potentially producing orthotics for local colleagues as well. To fully realize these opportunities, she may invest in an upgraded 3D printer to support larger production volumes.
Conclusion
For Walkwell Clinic Ltd, LutraCAD has helped transition from a slow, lab-dependent process to a more flexible digital workflow. By combining in-house design with accessible training and clinician-focused software, the clinic now has greater control over orthotic production and the ability to adapt more quickly to patient needs. For Helen Mikellides, the move to LutraCAD represents not just a software change, but a step toward a more efficient and independent way of delivering orthotic care.
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At LutraCAD, we are not only specialized in insole, shoe last, and midsole design, but we also have expertise in any scanning and production technique. If you need assistance with any projects related to these areas, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
