Dr. Ernest Normington, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Lewisburg, said he has actually done the procedure once or twice in the past, but says it is pretty rare in this area.

“It’s usually not Botox,” he said. “Botox is a medication that weakens muscles. It’s a filling material that is used to correct things like wrinkles and lines. ... The filling material is injected into the balls of the feet to give extra padding.”

The injections plump up the balls of the feet where pain often occurs.

Normington said he personally doesn’t think the procedure is very successful. It is, however, expensive, costing about $500 per injection.

“When you present that to a patient, they usually look for new shoes,” he said laughing. “When a woman is presented with the cost and the fact that it’s hard to guarantee they will still be able to wear a certain shoe, they usually opt not to do it.”

Cush does not perform the procedure at the Danville hospital, noting the high price and adding that most insurance companies, as far as he is aware, do not cover it.

He also does not recommend the injections.

“All women, to some degree, are a slave to fashion, from a business aspect and a casual aspect,” Cush said. “High heel shoes are appetizing for females to wear and when they do, they carry themselves in a different manner.

“Some say they like them for the height, others like them for fun. Either way, they’ll spend a lot of time and effort acquiring them.”