Sclerosant Injections
Sclerosant injections, also termed ‘prolotherapy’ are used with the aim of reducing pain fibres in joints and soft tissue injuries. They are advocated by some in a wide spectrum of conditions.
Dr Speed utilizes sclerosant injects specifically in some tendon lesions, where painful new blood vessels form within the tendon. These blood vessels are accompanied by nerve fibres that transmit pain in some patients this is the principle problem within the tendon.
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New Blood Vessels in an |
Scleorsant therapy may be used alone or on combination with other treatments for tendon injuries.
What will the procedure involve?
The injections are ultrasound guided. The skin over your injury will be cleaned. Then local anaesthetic may be injected with a fine needle into the area of your injury, in order to make the site numb.
Further anaesthetic mixed with the sclerosant will be injected, targeting the small blood vessels within the tendon. Afterwards, a plaster will be placed on the skin where the injection has been performed.
You will be given advice about rest and appropriate exercise to perform after the injection.
What are the possible side effects?
As with any procedure there can be side effects. There may be some discomfort associated with having an injection. Due to the injection there may be a small risk of infection, but this is minimal and no greater than for any injection. Sterile precautions are taken throughout the procedure to prevent infection. The injection may also cause a temporary flare of pain.
Please be sure to ask the doctor beforehand if you have any questions about the injection, and also to inform the doctor if any concerns arise after the procedure.