Treatment for arthritis of the Subtalar joint in the ankle

@windyt sorry that you are in this predicament of the vast middle - too much money to qualify for any assistance but too little to pay for what you really need. I didn’t realize that cobra had time limits. Before my son and daughter had jobs that supplied insurance they both had Fortis. There were different plans. I advised them to get the one that basically paid for everything after a large yearly deductible. I figured a person can come up with a couple of thousand more easily than many thousands if they ever ended up in a hospital. My daughter did end up in a hospital for one night about 12 years ago and the hospital bill was $14,000.
JK

@lioness Yes - I definitely do better with working and will probably end up working as long as I am allowed to. I am a college professor teaching online classes, so at least I don't have to stand up and walk very far.

@jk Yes - cobra only allows you stay on it for 2-3 years, after that you are on your own. I work as a college professor teaching online classes, but as an adjunct professor I don't get any benefits and only get classes based on student enrollment so my income varies with the time of year and how many students enroll, but my medical bills and those I am paying off for my late husband's care don't decrease. My ankle surgery (outpatient) in Jan 2018 was almost $30,000 so I am very grateful that the health sharing ministry helped me with that, but wish I could have just had a cast without surgery... Now I am waiting to see what kind of nerve damage I have and what may or may not be able to be done for that. Am getting the feeling that I will not be walking normally again and will always need some assistance, but am hoping to improve enough for a cane and not the crutches and walker I am using now. Having to attend my daughter's wedding with a walker and wheelchair was not pleasant... but better than her Dad not being there at all since he died when she was 21.

@gallagher17 I have gone for a second opinion and am awaiting scheduling at Mayo for a nerve conduction study to see what and how much is damaged. The second doctor says that depending on the findings the damage may or may not be something that can eventually recover, and that she may have to refer me to a neurologist or neurosurgeon. I am hoping to someday not need the walker and crutches that I am still using and to be able to walk normally again or with a cane. So... hopefully I will be getting more information soon.

@wendyt That's what I was thinking your on your feet that does make a difference then Take care then hope your ankle gets better for you

@gallagher17
Got the results of my nerve conduction study and they are not at all what I expected. Thought they would find nerve damage in the ankle or foot but the results show those as normal and the injury being to my spine. So my chiropractor recommends a spinal MRI to see what the injury is. Regardless of what it shows, if it needs any type of surgery or complicated treatment it won't be happening until I am on medicare. Good news is that when she carefully adjusted my back with an activator, the numbness and pain in the foot/toes improved for a few days and I was able to put more weight on it. She also mentioned a decompression therapy that I may be a candidate for depending on the MRI results. So now it looks like my treatment is going a different direction.

@wendyt Welcome to our connect group We are caring helpful people . I'm 76 and have gone to a chiropractor all my life for a sacreal back problem. I've gotten great relief as you from nerve problems Sounds like your in good hands

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with stem cell therapy and the subtalar joint... I was involved in a motorcycle accident 35 years ago and suffered a comminuted (crushed) fracture of my foot... The Subtalar, Calcanius and Cubiods... I was advised to fuse them at the time of my accident.. but didn't... I work as a cinematographer and am on my feet 14 to 16 hours a day and on uneven terrain... over the years my foot has gotten worse and the pain has become unbearable in the last 3 or 4 years... I have tried orthotics.. special footwear.. braces.. taping.. anti-inflammatory pills... cortisone shots... numerous foot specialists.. at the moment the consensus is to fuse my subtalar joint... I live in a mountainous area with steep slopes and am very active.. Besides being on my feet all day at work I work a lot at my place in the mountains...Cutting wood.. tending to fruit trees.. etc.. etc.. I love to hike.. (used to) I am concerned about fusing the subtalar joint and will it limit my movement? Will I be able to walk 20,000 steps a day? without pain? on steep slopes? will I be able to run? I am able to still use my foot but I am in extreme pain.. almost unbearable... every day... I came across this article on stem cell procedure... (attached and a pdf) any thoughts? the article is almost 10 years old.. any feed back would be much appreciated..

Is it true that only the ankle joint can be replaced, but that is not an option with the subtaylar joint? Are there any other options than fusion such as stem cell therapy?

Hi, I had internal fixation and reduction of both my heels (calcaneus) ten years ago (I was 31 at the time of the accident) after a fall from height. Although I recovered well I had ongoing mild to moderate pain in my subtalar joint and had cortisone injections biannually. I decided last Christmas that I'd take the advice of my foot and ankle consultant and have the previous fixation hardware removed and fuse both my subtalar joints. Left side fusion was completed in March and right in September. I have to say that after only 10 weeks of my left foot subtalar fusion I knew I'd made the correct choice. Mild aching of the heel itself, but none of the debilitating inflammation and pain just under the outer ankle. I'm 7 weeks in on my right side and already managing to walk a mile a day in an aircast boot and attend short indoor cycling classes. I'd be happy to further share my experiences with you if you think it will help?