FS6 Compression Foot Sleeve featured in Hickory Living Magazine
HICKORY LIVING MAGAZINE April 2013 Issue
Foot pain and plantar fasciitis can be debilitating to a person’s daily activities. David Higgins, President, and CEO of ING Source, Inc., has been providing foot care solutions for over 20 years. His latest product, the FS6 Compression Foot Sleeve, is now sold online, in catalogs like FootSmart and Sky Mall, in sports shops, specialty shoe stores, and by podiatrists in the US, England, Canada, Australia, Europe, Taiwan, and New Zealand. In Hickory, you can purchase the FS6 Compression Foot Sleeves at “Foot One” on Springs Road and at Hickory Family Pharmacy. After serving as President of Thorlo, of Statesville, in the early 1990s, Higgins’s claim to fame is being recognized as the original creator of the first diabetic socks.
In 2008, Higgins decided to take his ideas to market through his own company, ING Source, Inc., of Hickory. Since then, he has launched DermaSox, a specialized sock that moisturizes the skin, and OrthoSleeve, a specialized line of compression products designed to provide medical assistance for veinous and orthopedic problems. The FS6 Compression Foot Sleeve, the first of the OrthoSleeve line, is a patent pending compression foot sleeve targeted to treat plantar fasciitis, heel pain, and arch weakness. “Most of the products in the plantar fasciitis market are heavy and bulky,” Higgins said. “People will buy them and start to use them, and then later discontinue them, so they don’t get the full benefit. Our product is easy to slip on, and uses the technology of compression to achieve the same objective.” Not only does FS6 treat foot pain issues, but it can also be used as a preventative measure. “We have a significant following of runners who use the FS6,” Higgins said. “It also works well for people who are older and begin to develop different orthopedic conditions. It really crosses all age demographics.”
The FS6 product has been registered with the FDA in the US, and with the MHRA in Europe as a medical device. The many positive user reviews on websites like amazon.com demonstrate this product’s exceptional success. “Maybe the best part of our success is staying right here in Hickory, working with my wife, sons and even grandsons in the business,” Higgins said. “It is a family success!”
The FS6 uses compression zones to lift the plantar fascia (under-foot support structure) and move excess fluids and blood out of the foot and heel to reduce swelling and pain. It keeps the plantar fascia gently stretched while increasing blood flow to damaged tissue in the foot and heel, resulting in less pain and inflammation. Six zones of compression are built into each sleeve to provide the correct amount of support at each position along the foot and heel. The compression zones go from gradual to moderate to firm in a coordinated effort to promote better circulation in and out of the damaged tissues. Users have reported almost immediate relief.