I am holding out hope for something my doctor mentioned---a fairly new procedure. It's not painful, it's done under general anesthesia, and there is virtually no recovery period.
The bad news----we don't think my insurance company will pay for it, and it's very expensive. ($2,500, and I need BOTH feet done.)
It's called extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT). It's been used in Europe for awhile. It's sort of like the same procedure they use to zap kidney stones. Through the use of high intensity ultasound waves, the shockwave therapy can be used to treat heel pain. The high intensity waves cause a mild increase in circulation to the heel, resulting in healing. It's a non-invasive procedure that allows for new blood to come to the region of the plantar fascia damage and help with healing.
The good news is that about 85 percent of patients experience good results (about the same as the surgery), but the doctor was very discouraging. He says many insurance companies still consider it experimental (not enough test results to prove to them that it works), and they won't cover it.
I just got a call from the doctor's office, saying they will be submitting the request soon. It may take a month before they hear back one way or the other.
If the insurance company refuses to pay, we can appeal it---and hope that they will take it to a medical review board for special consideration. I'm going to talk to my back doctor about writing them a letter too.
PLEASE PRAY THAT THIS WILL COME THROUGH FOR ME. I could be up and running (ok, walking) with almost zero recovery.
The therapy was approved by the FDA in 2000. How long does it take before they begin to cover things like this?
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ONE LAST RAY OF HOPE!!!!!!!
