My insurance denied paying for a cortisone shot for a torn meniscus

[Bobstandard]

12. Say no to cortisone!

Cortisone reduces inflammation but inhibits healing. The knee is the joint responding best to regenerative treatments using stuff like Plasma Rich Platlets (PRP) and human growth hormone (hGH). Surgeons even perform meniscus transplants with great results.

Beware of surgical interventions that treat a torn meniscus by cutting away part of the torn meniscus. Years ago my torn meniscus was treated by a series of cortisone treatments followed by the surgery I just mentioned. Eventually the meniscus disappeared entirely and arthritis resulted. That was finally fixed by a partial knee replacement that was extremely successful. The surgery was done by a guy who told me he didn’t think he’d be doing he surgery for cases like mine because these new treatments were advancing so rapidly.

The problem with my unasked for advice is the cost. My surgery wasn’t covered by insurance so I decided to sell a bunch of stock out of my meager retirement portfolio. I figured a few more decades of pain free mobility was worth it.

Good luck!