If you have plantar fasciitis...

[soberups]

You should talk to your foot doctor about the procedure I had done earlier this morning....cryogenic surgery.

My doc made a 1/8" incision in my heel and inserted a probe filled with liquid nitrogen at 70 degrees below zero. Using ultrasound---the same machine that ob/gyns use to look at developing fetuses--he guided the probe to contact the inflamed and irritated nerve. The extreme cold "burns" the sheath around the nerve, relieving the pressure and irritation. In theory, the sheath should regenerate in a healthy manner.

The procedure was done in his office, using nothing but novacaine. It took about 1/2 an hour and hardly hurt at all. I drove home. Because it is so minimally invasive, my doc says I should be back on my feet within 48 hrs or so. I scheduled it for today (Friday) so that I would have a 3-day weekend to recuperate. Once the novacaine wears off I will have to hit the couch and pop a few Vicodin for a day or so. I didnt even need stitches, just a bandage. My sock looks like a used maxi-pad, but other than that there are really no harmful side effects....the worst thing that can happen is that it wont work, although my doc says it had an 80 to 90% success rate at relieving the pain.

When I had full surgery on my other heel last year, I was off work for 8 weeks and wound up with a screw in my Achilles tendon. I like this new method a lot better.

 

[dei8]

Does our insurance cover this?

 

[Mike Hawk]

My sock looks like a used maxi-pad.

Thanks for letting us know

 

[soberups]

Does our insurance cover this?

I don't see why it wouldnt. I'm with Blue Cross/Shield, and my doctor is on their Preferred Provider plan. My insurance paid 100% on the surgery he did last year and it has paid for the orthotics I have been wearing for 12 years now.

 

[dei8]

well I am on cigna, they dont pay for my orthotics, and some other treatments. Which I find hysterical since we are on our feet 90% of the day. I did some research already on this treatment and it looks great. Hopefully my doctor does it, and its covered. Please keep us posted on how it goes, and good luck

 

[But Benefits Are Great!]

It's good to know that our health insurance pays for STDs

 

[trplnkl]

It's good to know that our health insurance pays for STDs

This is not gonna help the constant hounding you've been getting on here.

 

[stealth8]

well I am on cigna, they dont pay for my orthotics, and some other treatments. Which I find hysterical since we are on our feet 90% of the day. I did some research already on this treatment and it looks great. Hopefully my doctor does it, and its covered. Please keep us posted on how it goes, and good luck

dei8,
For your information CIGNA does cover the cost of your ortho inserts. You need to have your doctor submit a letter stating that they are medically necessary. We just went through this and ended up paying $50.00 for the inserts. Give it a try! stealth8

 

[Vocabulary whiz]

Be sure your provider understands difficult terms such as "in lieu of". I went round and round with Aetna and a podiatrist because his incompentent staff did not understand that they needed to write a letter stating that orthotics were necessary "in lieu of" surgery. I though Aetna was the problem until I finally had the doctors staff repeat back exactly what they were told by Aetna (which, coincidently enough was exactly what they told me). You should have seen their indignation when I explained that "in lieu of" was the same as saying "INSTEAD of". Finally they wrote the proper letter and I received my orthotics at 100%.

Orthotics worked for me for about a year or two then I was able to switch back to normal shoe inserts. Try getting real sturdy 6" boots like Redwings and ditch the tennis shoes. Redwings have some nice heat activated inserts that hold up well too. Since the shoes and inserts last up to 2 years, they are actually cheaper over time than the crappy chinese shoes most people wear at work.

Union made!

 

[trplnkl]

Be sure your provider understands difficult terms such as "in lieu of". I went round and round with Aetna and a podiatrist because his incompentent staff did not understand that they needed to write a letter stating that orthotics were necessary "in lieu of" surgery. I though Aetna was the problem until I finally had the doctors staff repeat back exactly what they were told by Aetna (which, coincidently enough was exactly what they told me). You should have seen their indignation when I explained that "in lieu of" was the same as saying "INSTEAD of". Finally they wrote the proper letter and I received my orthotics at 100%.

Orthotics worked for me for about a year or two then I was able to switch back to normal shoe inserts. Try getting real sturdy 6" boots like Redwings and ditch the tennis shoes. Redwings have some nice heat activated inserts that hold up well too. Since the shoes and inserts last up to 2 years, they are actually cheaper over time than the crappy chinese shoes most people wear at work.

Union made!

IMO, if the insurance company couldn't tell that "instead of" and "in Lieu of" were the same thing, THEY were the problem. Just an example of how the insurance companies use every loop hole to get out of paying claims.