Over the past few months Footco has received a number of phone messages that were garbled and the return numbers were not clear enough to return the calls. In several other cases callers have left numbers that are not in service.

*Footco does not have a caller ID feature.

Please help to solve this problem by slowly repeating your phone number twice when you call. If you don’t receive a return call within a day, please assume that the number you left was not clear enough to return the call.

Thanks

Footco has moved from the Southport location to 2650 W. Montrose, Suite 105.

The new location is more convenient with regard to transportation. Street parking on Montrose in front of the building is free. There is also free parking in the rear of the building, in addition  to a handicap ramp. The Montrose bus stops just down the block. The e-mail address and phone number will remain the same. Clinic hours are on Mondays only from 11am-6pm.

Limited clinic hours have resumed. Appointments are limited to one day per week. Appointments are spaced with at least 20 minutes between patients to allow for sanitizing/cleaning between appts.
*Only one patient at a time will be in the clinic. The exception to this rule is when a caretaker, spouse or parent of the patient is present.
All are required to wear masks while in the office.
Hand sanitizer is readily accessible.

Continuing education credits may again be available after distancing protocol is relaxed AT YOUR FACILITY! *As of this date (2021), it is not clear when this will be.

SAVE BIG by booking a presentation AT YOUR LOCATION!

Current states served are Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Northern California, Oregon. Contact us to book a presentation in your state.

To discuss arranging an on-site presentation of “Orthotic Design in Theory and Practice” (6 CE credits), contact Tim at 312-409-2175 or e-mail: tporcelli@earthlink.net

Some of the current designs of athletic shoes are offering a “heel offset” feature to appeal to “pronators”. What this means is that the heel is positioned into inversion. Although it is a logical feature to offer, the degree of positioning can be rather large.  An 8mm offset can translate to 10 degrees or more of heel inversion.  From an orthotic perspective, 8mm is generally an extreme degree of positioning.  With that said, it is important to consult with your health care professional prior to purchasing a shoe with an “offset” heel.  If you are wearing orthoses, it is usually best to wear a neutral athletic shoe to maintain the accuracy of the orthoses’ position.

In response to the increasing interest in balance within the elderly population, “Orthotic Design in Theory and Practice” now includes an in-depth discussion of orthotic alignment as it relates to balance and gait.

“Geriatric Balance and Lower Extremity Orthoses” will be offered as a separate course later in 2018.

Contact us for more info at 312-409-2175 or tporcelli@earthlink.net

The 2017 course dates are now posted.

Click on the “Continuing Education” tab to go to course dates, info and registration.

We get frequent questions about the various “new” shoe designs that are heavily marketed online. In response to these questions;

There are a few companies that are marketing shoes with spring loaded heels.
The premise of the shoe design logic is that it absorbs shock at the heel. While shock absorption is often a good thing at heel strike, it is not that good immediately following heel strike. The springs that are embedded in the shoe’s heel can have the effect of irritating the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel when the heel drops lower than usual as the springs compress. The moment of time between when the heel compresses and the weight transfers to the front of the foot is the critical potential problem time.
The function of the shoe may cause a sudden loading of the mid-foot resulting from this temporary negative heel height. If this happens, it can cause moderate to severe injuries of the heel cord and the ligaments that run along the bottom of the foot.

For patients who have tight calves or a tendency to experience arch pain or other foot pain, we advise consulting an orthotist or pedorthist prior to purchasing this type of shoe.

Due to the demand for local continuing education credit opportunities, Footco is now offering a fourth year of live courses in your state.

The  2018 Lower Extremity Biomechanics Education Seminars have begun!

“Orthotic Design in Theory and Practice”

*This course has officially been approved by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (ABC) for (6) Category 1 Scientific CMEs.

This is now a traveling course. To arrange a presentation at your facility, contact Tim at 312-409-2175 or tporcelli@earthlink.net

Over the past few years there has been a trend for running shoe companies to make their shoes with lower heels, and a lower “heel pitch”. The “heel pitch” is the angle from the heel to the ball of the foot. It is determined by the thickness of the material under the heel as compared to the thickness of the material under the ball of the foot. Prior to this trend, the heel was elevated about a half inch in most running shoes.

Recent designs have reduced the standard 1/2″ heel pitch to zero. This may have been influenced by the fad to run in “barefoot”-styled shoes.

For much of the population this isn’t necessarily a problem. However, for people who have chronic Achilles Tendon tightness or tendonitis, lower heels can be problematic. The lower heel pitch may put stress on the Achilles tendon, resulting in heel and/or arch discomfort.

If you experience new symptoms of heel and/or arch discomfort immediately after changing to new shoes, it may be related to the lower heel height.