Sclerosing Injection Treatments

This is an excellent treatment therapy for patients who suffer from neuromas after failure of conservative treatments such as orthotics and/or steroid injections.

Sclerotherapy has been used for treatment of various conditions such as varicose veins for many years. A sclerosing agent, which causes scarring, is injected into the area/site corresponding to the particular condition being treated. This technique was adapted by Dr. Dockery a podiatrist from Seattle over a decade ago to treat Morton's neuromas and other podiatric dermatologic conditions.

A mixture of a local anesthetic with epinephrine and 4% alcohol is injected just behind the neuroma biweekly until complete relief is obtained. This may require seven or more injections. I will typically only do a follow up injection if there has been an incremental decrease in pain from the previous injection. 

The sclerosing agent creates a scarring within the nerve tissue and chemically inactivates it thus preventing it from transmitting pain sensations.

Success with patient satisfaction is approximately 85% . The great advantage of sclerosing therapy for Morton's neuromas is that there are no side effects such as those associated with steroid injections. For obvious reasons it is a preferred treatment to that of surgical excision. Occasionally there is slight bruising and or pain from the injection. When conservative measures such as change in shoe gear, corticosteroid injections and/or sclerosing injections fail, surgical excision is recommended.