I think the work situation is highly variable with many needing to reduce, accommodate or just plain quit. I am glad you were able to reduce your schedule.

If your doctor wants you to have imaging and feels it will really add to the picture try to pursue it. You must do whatever you can to help yourself. Call around about imaging costs. You can even google price comparisons. I put in for MRI ankle Austin and found a website that posts fairly recent prices. you would be amazed the price differences, 1200-7000 for MRI. insane! Ask vendors if they can take just the negotiated rate for your insurance. If you live in a state where Balance Billing is illegal then as long as you are in-network they cannot bill you for the remainder past the contract rate if deductible is met. Ie: we charge 7 k but your insurance only paid us 2k so you owe us 5. You'd be surprised how often billing companies try to get away with this.

Some offices can and will write off co-pays. You just have to ask and let them know your financial situation. Also if medical expenses are a high enough percentage of income then you can write them off your taxes. They have to be pretty high though.

Not everyone is a fan of acupuncture but I have found it helpful. Finding a therapist who deals with illness and chronic pain is good. I found mine through the Psychology Today website list of practitioners. She used some alternative approaches such as EMDR and hypnosis which circumvent the conscious mind and get to a different level. For me it was a great adjunct to talking about it.