Painless Injections by Dr. Jacob B. Goldstein, DPM — Foot Pain Center of Kansas City (2024)

FAQs

What do podiatrists use to numb toes? ›

Many doctors use a freezing solution called Ethyl Chloride to “numb” the skin before an injection.

Steroid injections are commonly used in the field of podiatry to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation in the foot and ankle. Steroid injections, also known as corticosteroid injections, are a form of treatment that involves injecting a corticosteroid medication directly into the affected area.

When a numbing agent is used, many people think they should not feel anything. When the injection is placed, you will feel the needle stick and minor pain for a few seconds. Then, the area should feel numb and you will continue to notice pressure and touch but not pain.

Regular exercise, such as walking three times a week, can lower neuropathy pain, improve muscle strength and help control blood sugar levels. Gentle routines such as yoga and tai chi also might help. If you have painful neuropathy in your feet, you may want to try pool-based exercise such as swimming. Quit smoking.

Cortisone is an extremely strong anti-inflammatory. Therefore, your Podiatrist might recommend a cortisone injection to treat pain in your heel. These can be very effective for foot pain. In difficult cases which do not respond to Cortisone Injections, Stem Cell, PRP or Amniotic Injections may be of benefit.

Common problems that podiatrists treat include bunions, heel pain, ingrown toenails, and athlete's foot. Treatment methods used by podiatrists can vary depending on the specific condition but often include things like orthotic devices, braces, or surgery.

When used by a board-certified podiatrist as part of your foot or ankle pain treatment, steroid injections are quite safe.

Non-surgical treatments such as steroid injections, offloading the forefoot with padding or orthotics, and alcohol injections to neuromas are also available to address neuropathies and other causes of toe numbness without immediate surgical intervention.

If toe numbness is a symptom of an underlying illness, you will likely need to treat this condition to alleviate the numbness. Your podiatrist can offer additional guidance to manage this sensation.

Unless specified, most treatments can done without numbing the foot. For pain-sensitive clients, a numbing cream can be applied for an extra charge. We do also use local anaesthetic injections which require a pre-assessment.

How painful is a local anesthesia injection in the toe? ›

The injection may cause a mild burning sensation that lasts around 60 seconds. However, it's important to note that this discomfort is usually well-tolerated by most individuals. The purpose of the local anesthetic is to ensure that the surgical procedure itself is painless.