Hannaford Podiatry

Dr. H. is a good podiatrist. He helped me with my foot problem fitting new devices for my feet but dealing with the lack of communication between Dr. H and his assistant, his wife, is a nightmare. He told me I could come back as needed to fix minor problems with the device. When I did, I was told by his wife that’s not how they worked — I needed an appointment and by the way I need to charge for that.
I ordered the orthodic and made it clear I needed it before leaving for overseas. He told me no problem. He never told his wife what I needed and I left on my trip without the orthodic.
Along with the fact he works VERY limited hours and his wife is so difficult to deal with, I’ll be going elsewhere in the future.

I have gone to see Dr. Hannaford twice over the last two years. If you are a runner, there is nowhere else you should go. He knows running and will get you going as soon as possible. He spends a good amount of time with you and his thoroughness shows when he goes so far as to video tape you running in order to analyze your movement.
My most recent issue was in my calf, not in my foot, but he did a great job, so don’t just think of him for foot issues. Its all related!

I met Dr. Hannaford while doing a running retreat with Jeff Galloway. Dr. Hannaford was one of the speakers. At the time, I has having a good deal of posterior tibial tendon pain. Dr. Hannaford measured my foot, made me custom orthotics, and recommended a different running shoe, based on videotaping me running and determining I was pronating on the foot that was hurting. He spent a lot of time with everyone at the retreat who wanted a running analysis, and there was no extra charge for it. Yes, I still had to pay for the orthotics. I went to see him once after I got the orthotics, for an adjustment, and had absolutely no problem getting a rapid appointment. Unfortunately, my local running store told me that the orthotics were over-​correcting my pronation and I needed to wear neutral running shoes with them, not the shoes Dr. Hannaford had recommended. Like an idiot, I listened to them and my problem got steadily worse. I went to see an orthopedic surgeon, who did an MRI and then read me the riot act about doing too much, telling me I should not run with such a bad tendon and that I was in danger of ripping it and never even being able to walk right again. He gave me almost no hope for ever recovering. I was pretty upset and called Dr. Hannaford for his opinion. I brought my MRI report into him and he told me he had seen worse ones from professional athletes who had gone completely back to full activity. He also told me that I needed to be over-​corrected and should be in motion control shoes. He fitted me with a brace for extra support and told me to do what I could as long as I did not have pain, and that the problem would get better, but I needed to be patient. OK, fast-​forward two months — I rarely have pain anymore and I never completely stopped running. I did slow down mileage and time between runs, but now I am beginning to build back up and feel great again. I have not worn the brace for over a month. I AM wearing the orthotics and motion control shoes. In fact, I have bought everyday shoes that work with the orthotics, so I am wearing them most of the time now, not just when I run. I have flat feet, and it seems that as long as my arch is supported, my tendon will not be overstretched. I owe the continuation of my running to Dr. Hannaford. He was extremely positive and supportive with me. His wife has always been very nice as well, on the phone and in person at the office. He is the same age as me and understands that I am not ready to stop, something a much younger orthopedic surgeon did not seem to comprehend. I hope to be doing another marathon again before too long. I have NEVER had an issue getting an appointment, even though his office hours are limited, and he is not rushed when I am there. I am willing to drive over an hour to see him because there is no one closer who seems to understand my issue and wants to work to help me improve, not slow down.

Not the easiest guy to get into (and not necessarily the best demeanor) but he does know running and is very experienced with orthotics. Go to him with others can’t fix it and you’re in a hurry to get back in the action, not when you want a chat about training and injury prevention.

Reviewing a Doctor is so different from reviewing a product on Amazon. I am a senior and have had the same BASIC condition for 30 years. Through trial and error I finally found Dr. Hannaford many years ago. My recent experience proves my point. I screwed up my condition in the gym and had a bad flare up. Dr. Hanaford was out of town for a week and I wanted immediate care. Researched to find another prominent Podiatrist and presented him with my problem and relevant questions. I disagreed with his prognosis, Rx and answers to my questions. And no relief. Researched highly rated Podiatrist #2. His prognosis, Rx and answers to my questions diametrically different from #1. And no relief. Waited till Dr. Hannafords return and finally hobbled into his office. Different prognosis, Rx and answers to my questions. I virtually danced out of his office. I did not want or need the recent expensive experience to prove it. Let my expense and experience be of benefit to you.

A few months after I started running I had to stop due to excruciating heel pain. I went to two orthopedic surgeons who referred me to physical therapists, and got no relief. I gave up running thinking it wasn’t in the cards for me. A runner friend suggested Dr. Hannaford so I went. He videotaped my stride and made orthotics. Three weeks later I was back running with no pain. Dr. Hannaford has kept me running 25+ races a year for the past 20 years. He is all knowledge-​based-​on experience and no ego. The fact that he does not take insurance is a testimonial to his expertise; why would he waste his valuable time filling out forms and asking bureaucrats what to do. The results of his care has made him the most sought after podiatrist for many of the worlds elite distance runners, so yes, he is a busy man, but if you want to keep mobile, he’s worth the wait.

I have been to see this doctor several times and after x-​rays and taping and special shoes and special exercises I still have pain in my foot from plantar faciitis. Why is it that these foot doctors act as if you are supposed to go thru all this pain without pain medication? I mean I ask for some prescription meds and it’s like i asked for the keys to his house! Listen this doctor is not worth the long wait it takes to be seen, Usually a month or two. And it’s all rush rush rush when you get in there. I see why Elvis did what he did. He was tired of waiting for a doctor to prescribe some pills so he paid to get them when he wanted them. Too bad I’m not Elvis. Because I sure did need some pain pills prescribed from Dr. Hannaford. This guy does not care about anyone but himself and his wife is the same way. All they do is work 2 days a week and take 3 months off to go sailing around the world. Save your money go see another doctor. One that will listen to you if you have pain issues.

I first visited Dr H in 2003 when I got talked into running ultras by a friend. I was having ITB issues and arch pain, and several running friends recommended Dave. He did a gait analysis and set me up with a pair of custom orthotics, which I used for 6 years and 1000s of trail miles. All adjustments were free and never required an appointment.
I didn’t realize how good Dave was until I tried to get another pair of custom orthotics made in Burbank. After $ 400 in copays I ended up with something unusable for running. The podiatrist clearly didn’t understand (or didn’t bother to listen to) what I needed even though I brought my old pair in as an example. Furthermore, he required me to make an appointment for every adjustment.
I decided to cut my losses and return to Hannaford Podiatry. I knew I was in good hands when they still had my old charts and foot scans. He also did a quick gait analysis to make sure my trail shoes were right. I’m looking forward to receiving my new foot beds and am confident that this time it will be right.

I went to Dr. Hannaford after a couple of people told me he’s the best for runners. First off, he doesn’t take insurance. But I decided my foot pain was worth taking a chance on the exhorbitant fee.
I agree with the other review that it’s hard to get an appointment and days/​times that he actually works are very limited.
When he sees me, he talks pretty fast, seems a little rushed. He leaves the room without saying what he’s doing or if he’s coming back in. I assume he’s coming back in, so I hold off on another question and wait for him. Then Debby comes in the room and says I’m done or wraps it up. He could work on his communication skills.
He did help my plantar fasciitis to a certain extent, more than other doctors, with the custom orthotics. But I have a long-​lasting case of this, and it seemed he thought that making the orthotics would be all it would take. My foot still hurts. Only a chiropractor is helping me quite a lot, and she suggested how he should modify the orthotics. I asked him to modify them and he quickly slapped some material on the bottom. Funny she knew more than him about it, and definitely cared a whole lot more than he did. I don’t think these orthotics will last long, they don’t seem to be constructed to last.
I wouldn’t waste my $ 500+ again on him. I’d go to someone who’s covered by insurance, and supplement with seeing the chiropractor.

This Doctor is REMARKABLE! He spends the time to video tape your running stride and he analyzes the recording with you moments later during the appointment. He takes the time to explain what he is aiming to correct and how he will go about doing it. It may be hard to get an appointment but that is because he is so amazingly great that everyone wants a chance to experience his work. He also runs ultra-​marathons with his wife (who is also one of the nicest people I know and who works in the office as well) so I commend him for his ability to balance his professional life with his passions.
An overall GREAT choice of podiatrists!

Dr. Hannaford «guarantees» unlimited visits to tinker with orthotics for the first year, but the problem is that you can’t actually get in for an appointment to be seen, even if you have foot pain, once you pay the one-​time $ 500+ fee. He only sees patients a few days a week, except for weeks they’re not open at all, and the demand is high for the limited slots. I called to ask for a follow up appointment and was told, «I don’t have an appointment until next month.» I said that I really needed to be seen, since I was in quite a bit of pain with each step, and was told, «I’ll call you back.» Nope, no call back, nada, ever. So, with pretty acute foot pain, I found a new sports med. podiatrist. And yup, I found out that Dr. Hannaford’s orthotics were poorly designed for my foot problems and constructed from material that will likely erode in a few years rather than the 5 he’d estimated — in fact, the erosion is already obvious. So scratch the work of Dr. Hannaford. Gone is my $ 500+ dollars. I had to start all over again. The good news is that I now have well-​fitting orthotics and a fabulous and responsive podiatrist who monitors my foot at intervals to see if the orthotic needs adjustment — all included in the price of the orthotic. She also takes the time to cast your foot in plaster before she makes the device, unlike Hannaford who simply has you stand on a machine that takes a scan of your foot. Of course, he can see far more patients, so as a business model, his office is ahead of the curve.“
I’d recommend Dr. Remy Ardizzone — 415−927−1900

Dr. Hannaford has helped me through a few marathons. His custom orthotics are excellent, just be sure to go in and get «tune-​ups» on ‘em because they can only take so much pounding!
A visit to the office, which is run by his super-​nice wife, is so inspirational. Together, they have done just about every endurance sport you can imagine, and have the trophies, plaques and photos to prove it.
My only beef is the limited hours, it makes it hard to get up there from SF w/​out taking a huge chunk of time off of work… but it’s totally worth it.

If you are a serious runner, Dr. Hannaford is the podiatrist you want to visit. After developing heel pain last March, I saw a podiatrist located near Union Square. He took X-​rays, told me I had developed a heel spur, and told me RICE was the answer. Not satisfied, I scoured running blogs for someone recommended by other runners and everything pointed to Hannaford. Like Michael’s experience, he was very personable and understood the gravity of needing to be able to run. After reviewing video tape of my running, he made inexpensive ($ 90) custom inserts by using off the shelf orthotics with his modifications. He also had me wear a boot at night to keep the achiles streched. Total cost of inserts, boot, and office visit was about $ 350 (less than price of custom molded orthotics). After a short layoff from running to fully recover, I subsequently ran a dozen, pain free, marathon distance races over the rest of the year.

A very approachable, professional and knowledgeable doctor — with no ego to speak of. I highly recommend Dr. Hannaford.

Dr. Hannaford is amazing, and I would highly recommend him to anyone needing a podiatrist– whether you are an athlete or not. I had been training for a marathon for five months, and was just getting into my higher mileage when suddenly my foot was in so much pain I couldnt walk. I visited Dr. Hannaford, and was so happy to find that as an endurance athlete himself, he is all about doing whatever it takes to get his patients healthy fast so they can achieve their athletic goal. He videotaped me running, played it in slow-​mo and was able to identify my exact issue. After he fixed me up, I was able to run with no problem, and finished my marathon last week. I was in zero pain. He is so knowledgeable, its definitely worth the extra money to go to him.

Walk into Dr. Hanaford’s office and you feel like you’re walking into a running trophy cabinet. His office is decorated with his awards from 100mile runs, letters from Olympians he’s worked with, and notes from the common runner who has benefited from his incredible treatments. I went to Dr. Hanaford as my training doctor during my first marathon a year ago. He spent an hour with me videotaping my run, watching and analyzing it frame by frame with me, and coming up with a plan to work towards race success. He doesn’t take insurance, but his rates are very reasonable… especially considering his attentive care and the amazing support of his office staff. I’m convinced I would not have finished my first marathon without his help!