Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers

CPT 28890: Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Plantar Fascia

CPT code 28890 represents extracorporeal shock wave therapy directed to the sole of the foot to stimulate healing of the plantar fascia, typically performed with ultrasound guidance and under regional or general anesthesia. Nationally, this code captures a minimally invasive, procedure-based approach for refractory plantar fasciitis and is relevant for payer coverage policies, utilization tracking, and clinical pathway design.

Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context, common billing pathways, and the operational settings where the service is delivered. The publication outlines national reimbursement benchmarks where available, common modifiers used in claims, and payer policy themes that affect coverage decisions. Clinical context explains the procedure indication and typical perioperative considerations, while policy context summarizes how major payers and Medicare approach utilization and prior authorization requirements.

This executive summary prepares clinicians, coders, and policy professionals to understand how CPT code 28890 is used in practice, the typical sites of service, and the facets of payer engagement that affect access and billing for extracorporeal shock wave therapy for plantar fasciitis.

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 28890 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 28890 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 28890 describes the administration of high-energy sound waves to the sole of the foot to stimulate healing of the plantar fascia, the thick band of connective tissue that supports the foot arch. Ultrasound guidance is used as a directional aid during the procedure. The description specifies that the procedure is performed with the patient under regional or general anesthesia due to the painful nature of treatment.

Service Type: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for plantar fasciitis

Typical Site of Service: Hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center

Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and service line.

Explore openpayer tools

View all tools

Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers

CPT 28890: Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Plantar Fascia

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 28890 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 28890 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Billing Code Overview

Service Type: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for plantar fasciitis

Typical Site of Service: Hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center

Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and service line.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 46-year-old recreational runner with a 12-month history of chronic plantar fasciitis presents after failure of conservative care including rest, orthotics, physical therapy, night splints, NSAIDs, and corticosteroid injection. Pain is localized to the medial plantar heel and is worse with first steps in the morning and prolonged weight-bearing. Imaging (ultrasound or MRI) confirms thickened plantar fascia without partial tear.

The provider performs high-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy to the sole of the foot (28890) using ultrasound guidance as a directional aid. Because the procedure is painful, the patient receives regional or general anesthesia per preoperative planning. The clinical workflow includes pre-procedure consent and anesthesia evaluation, sterile prep of the plantar surface, ultrasound localization of the targeted plantar fascia segment, delivery of shock waves to the identified focus, post-procedure recovery while anesthesia wears off, discharge instructions for modified weight-bearing and follow-up at 2–6 weeks to assess pain and function, and documentation of device settings and waveform count in the operative note.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`23`	Unusual Anesthesia	Use if a procedure that normally does not require general anesthesia is performed under general anesthesia due to unusual circumstances or extreme patient anxiety or conditions.
`52`	Reduced Services	Use when the service is partially reduced or not completed as originally planned (e.g., aborted treatment session).
`53`	Discontinued Procedure	Use when the procedure is terminated due to medical reasons or complications after initiation.
`62`	Two Surgeons	Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct portions of the operative procedure.
`66`	Surgical Team	Use when a surgical team participates in complex procedures requiring more than one surgeon role.
`76`	Repeat Procedure by Same Physician	Use when the same provider performs a repeat of the procedure later the same day.
`77`	Repeat Procedure by Another Physician	Use when a different physician repeats the procedure later the same day.
`78`	Unplanned Return to OR for Related Procedure During Postoperative Period	Use when the patient returns to the operating room for a related procedure due to complications.
`79`	Unrelated Procedure or Service by Same Physician During Postoperative Period	Use when an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period.
`26`	Professional Component	Use when reporting only the professional component of a service (interpretation or physician component separated from technical).
`TC`	Technical Component	Use when reporting only the technical component (equipment, technician) of the service.
`53`	Discontinued Procedure	Use when procedure is discontinued prior to completion for patient safety (duplicate entry for emphasis on applicability).
`52`	Reduced Services	Use when fewer shock waves or a shortened session is delivered and billing must reflect reduction (duplicate entry for emphasis).

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207P00000X`	Podiatry	Podiatrists commonly perform plantar procedures including shock wave therapy.
`208800000X`	Orthopaedic Surgery	Orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons perform procedural interventions for plantar fasciitis.
`208000000X`	Family Medicine	Family physicians with procedural training in musculoskeletal interventions may coordinate and perform nonoperative therapies.
`207L00000X`	Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation	Physiatrists may perform or direct noninvasive procedural treatments and rehabilitation planning.
`208600000X`	General Surgery	General surgeons with limb/foot specialization may be involved in operative management when indicated.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`M72.2`	Plantar fascial fibromatosis (plantar fasciitis)	Primary diagnosis indicating plantar fascia pathology targeted by shock wave therapy.
`M77.4`	Other enthesopathy of foot and toes	Includes enthesopathies at the plantar fascia insertion that may be treated with shock wave therapy.
`M79.671`	Pain in right foot	Symptom code that may accompany plantar fasciitis; used when specific lateralization is documented.
`M79.672`	Pain in left foot	Symptom code that may accompany plantar fasciitis; used when specific lateralization is documented.
`M54.5`	Low back pain	Included when referral pain or altered gait from plantar fasciitis contributes to back symptoms; relevant for comprehensive assessment.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`20610`	Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection; major joint or bursa (e.g., shoulder, hip, knee)	May be performed prior to or instead of shock wave therapy for diagnostic or therapeutic injection into adjacent bursae or joints.
`20550`	Injection(s); single tendon sheath, or ligament, aponeurosis (e.g., plantar fascia)	Commonly used for corticosteroid injection of the plantar fascia as a prior conservative measure before shock wave therapy.
`76942`	Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement (eg, biopsy, aspiration, injection), imaging supervision and interpretation	Supports the ultrasound guidance used as a directional aid during `28890` when documentation separates the guidance service.
`99024`	Postoperative follow-up visit global, related to postoperative management during global period	Used for routine postoperative follow-up visits to assess recovery after the procedure.
`64450`	Injection(s), anesthetic agent and/or steroid; other peripheral nerve or branch	May be used for regional nerve block anesthesia (e.g., posterior tibial or ankle block) performed as part of anesthesia management for the procedure.

Related Codes

CPT-28899-FOOT-TOE-UNLISTED-PROCEDURE

CPT 28899: Unlisted Procedure, Foot or Toe

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Explore openpayer tools

View all tools

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`23`	Unusual Anesthesia	Use if a procedure that normally does not require general anesthesia is performed under general anesthesia due to unusual circumstances or extreme patient anxiety or conditions.
`52`	Reduced Services	Use when the service is partially reduced or not completed as originally planned (e.g., aborted treatment session).
`53`	Discontinued Procedure	Use when the procedure is terminated due to medical reasons or complications after initiation.
`62`	Two Surgeons	Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct portions of the operative procedure.
`66`	Surgical Team	Use when a surgical team participates in complex procedures requiring more than one surgeon role.
`76`	Repeat Procedure by Same Physician	Use when the same provider performs a repeat of the procedure later the same day.
`77`	Repeat Procedure by Another Physician	Use when a different physician repeats the procedure later the same day.
`78`	Unplanned Return to OR for Related Procedure During Postoperative Period	Use when the patient returns to the operating room for a related procedure due to complications.
`79`	Unrelated Procedure or Service by Same Physician During Postoperative Period	Use when an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period.
`26`	Professional Component	Use when reporting only the professional component of a service (interpretation or physician component separated from technical).
`TC`	Technical Component	Use when reporting only the technical component (equipment, technician) of the service.
`53`	Discontinued Procedure	Use when procedure is discontinued prior to completion for patient safety (duplicate entry for emphasis on applicability).
`52`	Reduced Services	Use when fewer shock waves or a shortened session is delivered and billing must reflect reduction (duplicate entry for emphasis).

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207P00000X`	Podiatry	Podiatrists commonly perform plantar procedures including shock wave therapy.
`208800000X`	Orthopaedic Surgery	Orthopedic foot and ankle surgeons perform procedural interventions for plantar fasciitis.
`208000000X`	Family Medicine	Family physicians with procedural training in musculoskeletal interventions may coordinate and perform nonoperative therapies.
`207L00000X`	Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation	Physiatrists may perform or direct noninvasive procedural treatments and rehabilitation planning.
`208600000X`	General Surgery	General surgeons with limb/foot specialization may be involved in operative management when indicated.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`M72.2`	Plantar fascial fibromatosis (plantar fasciitis)	Primary diagnosis indicating plantar fascia pathology targeted by shock wave therapy.
`M77.4`	Other enthesopathy of foot and toes	Includes enthesopathies at the plantar fascia insertion that may be treated with shock wave therapy.
`M79.671`	Pain in right foot	Symptom code that may accompany plantar fasciitis; used when specific lateralization is documented.
`M79.672`	Pain in left foot	Symptom code that may accompany plantar fasciitis; used when specific lateralization is documented.
`M54.5`	Low back pain	Included when referral pain or altered gait from plantar fasciitis contributes to back symptoms; relevant for comprehensive assessment.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`20610`	Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection; major joint or bursa (e.g., shoulder, hip, knee)	May be performed prior to or instead of shock wave therapy for diagnostic or therapeutic injection into adjacent bursae or joints.
`20550`	Injection(s); single tendon sheath, or ligament, aponeurosis (e.g., plantar fascia)	Commonly used for corticosteroid injection of the plantar fascia as a prior conservative measure before shock wave therapy.
`76942`	Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement (eg, biopsy, aspiration, injection), imaging supervision and interpretation	Supports the ultrasound guidance used as a directional aid during `28890` when documentation separates the guidance service.
`99024`	Postoperative follow-up visit global, related to postoperative management during global period	Used for routine postoperative follow-up visits to assess recovery after the procedure.
`64450`	Injection(s), anesthetic agent and/or steroid; other peripheral nerve or branch	May be used for regional nerve block anesthesia (e.g., posterior tibial or ankle block) performed as part of anesthesia management for the procedure.

Related Codes

CPT-28899-FOOT-TOE-UNLISTED-PROCEDURE

CPT 28899: Unlisted Procedure, Foot or Toe

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.