Smileyrose
07-29-2008, 11:40 PM
I had flatfoot reconstruction on 5/30. I have been casted for 8 weeks. I went to the doctor yesterday and he said that my bone is not healing as fast as it should be. They are going to give me one more month and then if it still is not healing at a good rate then they are going to give me a bone stimulator. Has anyone had one of these things. I looked it up and it does not seem fun. Can someone please tell me if they have ever been on one and what it is like.
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Hankster13
07-30-2008, 12:11 AM
I used one for a while for a non-union of a stress fracture of the navicular. It isn't proven for that bone, so i didn't have a lot of faith in it, and in the end had surgery on the foot anyway.
Using it is no big deal. It was a twenty minute thing each day. I just settled down on the couch, hooked up and watched Jepordy. The only thing i didn't like, was the ultrasound gel that had to be cleaned off the machine and off my foot at the end of each session. A couple of paper towels and....done.
Using it is no big deal. It was a twenty minute thing each day. I just settled down on the couch, hooked up and watched Jepordy. The only thing i didn't like, was the ultrasound gel that had to be cleaned off the machine and off my foot at the end of each session. A couple of paper towels and....done.
debbie g
07-30-2008, 03:26 PM
i did have one. it doesnt hurt at all and i think i used it 30 minutes a day. its worth a try as long as you dont have to pay for it out of pocket. i cant even tell you if it worked or not.
beanstock
07-30-2008, 05:23 PM
Hankster -- you had a navicular fracture. I just posted about it in a different thread. I'm worried about nonunion too, since apparently they're hard to heal. Would you reply to my post (called "foot fracture -- just began bearing weight again") and tell me about your experience? Thanks.
smcatharine
07-31-2008, 07:09 AM
Hi! I had flat foot reconcstruction on 4/23 and was 8 weeks in a cast and 2 weeks in a boot with crutches. Right now I'm doing intensive PT 3x a week. These past weeks have been the hardest part of the whole recovery because everything is so tight and sore and the weather doesn't help. The guys at PT say, "You gotta be patient!"
I had to use the EBI bone stimulator for 10 hours everyday. It was a "coil" that I placed over the cast. No big deal. The biggest annoyance was that I would forget it and get up and unhook it or I'd forget to recharge the battery. Everyone used to tease me that it wasn't EBI but FBI and all my actions were being recorded.
So, if this is what you'll be using it's really very easy!
Good luck! My prayers for a good recovery!
Sr. Mary Catharine
I had to use the EBI bone stimulator for 10 hours everyday. It was a "coil" that I placed over the cast. No big deal. The biggest annoyance was that I would forget it and get up and unhook it or I'd forget to recharge the battery. Everyone used to tease me that it wasn't EBI but FBI and all my actions were being recorded.
So, if this is what you'll be using it's really very easy!
Good luck! My prayers for a good recovery!
Sr. Mary Catharine
Smileyrose
07-31-2008, 11:00 AM
Thank you everyone for your responses. It does not seem that bad. When I looked it up online it seemed real annoying and a little scary. I just hope it works because I can't wait until this whole process is over.
catldyfromnpt
07-31-2008, 09:27 PM
I have one of these too.. hardest part is getting that "coil" part to stay on.. but its totally worth it if it really does reduce the healing time by 1/3!! last cast change, my doctor put the coil part inside the cast (in between the layers of cotton) and left just a little bit of the wire out so i could plug it in, and its so much easier. and insurance paid for it. only complaint I have is one of my cats thinks the wire is a toy. lol
andrea121
08-01-2008, 06:52 PM
I have actually had both the EBI stimulater and now i have the ultra sound one. I have had very very bad luck with my bones fusing. I had flat foot reconstruction surgery also. the first one i had done three years ago almost. well after six months my bone started resorbing and i had a non-union. i used the EBI stimulater 10 hours a day for a year and it didnt work, i had the surgery re-done and the same thing happened. this time i am using the ultra sound stimulater. There is not supposed to be much difference between them and they are supposed to be very successful. for some odd reason nothing works to heal my bones. My doctor and i have no idea why this is happening. I am sorry i dont mean to freak you out. I am a very rare case. I am young and healthy and everything should have worked but it didnt. I have experience in bone stimulaters though. and yes everbody is right they are very easey and painless. good luck
catldyfromnpt
08-01-2008, 09:11 PM
I'm really sorry it didn't work for you.. hopefully that won't be the case for me.. I honestly had mixed feelings about the whole thing when I heard about it.. but since insurance covered it and it doesn't hurt, I figured it was worth a try.. I think different things work for different people and hopefully they'll come up with something that will be a success for you.
good luck to you too!
good luck to you too!