Heel Displacement?

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I went to my PCP to get a referral for an orthopedic specialist because I have intense pain in both legs stretching from the Achilles area up the side of my calf. The pain usually starts about 5 minutes after I'm walking anywhere (doesn't matter if it's a leisurely grocery store stroll, or I'm exercising). The onset is more quick if I'm walking an incline, and as the pain persists, I start to lose the mobility of the foot flexing as I walk, and the muscles stiffen up and hurt to the point where I have to get off my feet to relieve the pain. It sort of feels like a mix between tearing and burning.

I described this to the ortho specialist, who did his thing, xrays, ultrasounds, all of that. Diagnosis - heel displacement, which he said needs surgery where they saw off both heel bones and pin them back at a different angle. The fun part is that my insurance won't cover it, but they do cover a portion of the cost of some orthopedic shoe inserts, which I've been using for about 6 months, with very little improvement.

The practice moved way out of my area, so I'll have to go see someone else anyway to continue any sort of follow-up treatment. Just curious if others have had anything like this before? Also, if you're insurance savvy, any suggestions around how can I work with my insurance company more effectively?

Replies

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    The only thing I know about heel bones is that they almost never heal properly and you're not going to be weight bearing on them for months. It's a long long slow healing process. My ex broke hers in a car accident and it's was years and lots of frustration, but eventually she was actually able to run.
  • GrooveMerchant
    GrooveMerchant Posts: 44 Member
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    Ugh. Stupid feet. I'm struggling with my heels, too.. pain every damn day. I need to lose weight to help them feel better, yet working out makes them hurt.. it's a terrible cycle. So sick of my feet hurting.
    Hope yours improve, and fast.
  • _NicLovin_
    _NicLovin_ Posts: 121 Member
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    Ugh. Stupid feet. I'm struggling with my heels, too.. pain every damn day. I need to lose weight to help them feel better, yet working out makes them hurt.. it's a terrible cycle. So sick of my feet hurting.
    Hope yours improve, and fast.

    It is making it so hard to work out the way I want to, or even go for a date-night stroll on the beach with my guy! I have to stick to low-impact stuff. So sorry you're dealing with similar stuff! I feel you!