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By Miriam Raftery June 27, 2009 (La Mesa)—“We’re changing many people’s lives. Our customers are getting off of canes, back on their feet, and back to work,” Linda Telge, a registered nurse and owner of Z-Coil Pain Relief Footwear in La Mesa, told me at the store’s five year anniversary party hosted by the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce this week.
Janet Shelton, a grocery store employee, diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, suffered severe pain before discovering Z-coil shoes, which are billed as `shock absorbers for your feet.’ “My boyfriend works in Washington D.C. and he told me that a lot of people there wear Z-Coils, so I looked on the Internet and found this store,” she said. “The second I put them on, I felt better. Z-Coils allow me to work, to not go out on disability.”
Built with a coil in place of a standard heel, the shoes are designed to protect the body from damaging effects of impact and equalize pressure distribution with forefront cushioning, a flex line rocker bottom and heel pad as well. They can be adjusted by trained representatives to adjust to individual feet.
Telge’s own former boyfriend was able to return to work just six weeks after surgery for a ruptured tendon, thanks to wearing Z-Coils, she said. The shoes are also helpful for patients with mild stenosis and degenerative disk disease, and are now recommended by some orthopedic surgeons and podiatrists, she said. The manufacturer’s brochure states that the shoes can prevent plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, fractures of metatarsal bones and Achilles tendon tears caused by poor support and lack of cushioning. Wearers attest that the shoes can ease pain in the knees, joints, and back pain; the latter is experienced by 80% of people at some point in their lives.
If those claims seem exaggerated, this reporter can attest personally to experiencing a dramatic relief from Z-coil shoes. I have permanent nerve damage in my neck, upper back and shoulder from a car accident years ago, which left me with chronic pain and crepitus (bone rubbing against bone where the muscle has atrophied). Linda Telge had a booth next to me and kindly offered me a pair of Z-Coils to wear. I was amazed at the relief and felt pain-free for the first time in recent memory. Needless to say, they never left my feet and I went home a happy Z-Coil convert. Representatives from
Assemblyman Joel Anderson and State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth were on hand to present Telge with honors for her Z-Coil store, which also carries Croc sandals, Terrasole shoes and orthotic inserts. Since opening, Telge has sold over 3,000 pairs of Z-Coils, which do have one limitation. “They are not considered slip-free,” said Shelton, who had to get special permission from her doctor to wear the shoes at her job.
Fortunately, that problem will soon be solved: Z-Coil is coming out with a slip-free model slated to hit the market by next year. No doubt workers and Z-Coil customers across America will be jumping with joy at the news!
The La Mesa store is located at 8803 La Mesa Boulevard in La Mesa and can be reached at (619)460-3338. For more information, visit www.zcoil.com. You can also clip our discount coupon for Z-Coils in our Meals, Deals and Steals Coupon section at http://eastcountymagazine.org/?q=meals_deals_and_steals.
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