Prolotherapy is helpful for what conditions?
The treatment is successful for most types of musculoskeletal pain, including degenerative joint conditions, arthritis, back pain, neck pain, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, yoga overstretching injuries, dislocations, unresolved whiplash injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic tendonitis, partially torn tendons, ligaments and cartilage, degenerated or herniated discs, TMJ, sciatica.
Prolotherapy also treats most pain conditions:
Hip pain, Knee pain, Ankle pain and foot pain, Wrist pain, Elbow pain, Shoulder pain, Headaches, TMJ (jaw) pain, Post Injury/Trauma Pain, Fibromyalgia, Myofascial conditions, Sports Injuries, Loose Joints, Tendonitis, Post fracture treatment, Rib Pain and more. In fact any joint, ligament or muscle tendon in the body that is experiencing pain can be treated with prolotherapy.
What is prolotherapy?
First, it is important to understand what the word prolotherapy itself means. "Prolo" is short for proliferation, because the treatment causes the proliferation (growth, formation) of new ligament tissue in areas where it has become weak.
Ligaments are the structural "rubber bands" that hold bones to bones in joints. Ligaments can become weak, overstretched or injured and may not heal back to their original strength, length or endurance. This is largely because the blood supply to ligaments is limited, and therefore healing is slow and not always complete. To further complicate this, ligaments also have many nerve endings and therefore the person will feel pain at the areas where the ligaments are damaged or loose.
Tendons are the name given to tissue which connects muscles to bones, and in the same manner tendons may also become injured, and cause pain.
Prolotherapy uses a dextrose (sugar water) solution, which is injected into the ligament or tendon where it attaches to the bone. This causes a localized inflammation in these weak areas which then increases the blood supply and flow of nutrients and stimulates the tissue to repair itself.
Historical review shows that a version of this technique was first used by Hippocrates on soldiers with dislocated, torn shoulder joints. He would stick a hot poker into the joint, and it would then miraculously heal normally. Of course, we don’t use hot pokers today, but the principle is similar—get the body to repair itself, an innate ability that the body has.
How long will it take to complete a course of treatments?
The response to treatment varies from individual to individual, and depends upon one's healing ability and degree and chronicity of injury. Most people may only need a few treatments while others may need 10 or more depending on the degree and chronicity of injury. The average number of treatments is 3-6 for an area treated. The best thing to do is get an evaluation to see if you are an appropriate candidate. Once you begin treatment, you will understand how you are responding. To book an appointment for your evaluation contact the clinic directly.
Are you a candidate for Prolotherapy?
Any joint in the body can be treated successfully with prolotherapy. A simple "self diagnosis" for back pain would be to consider if you have the "theatre, cocktail party syndrome". Your back, leg, neck or other pain is worse when standing still, like at a cocktail party. When you go to sit down, there is some relief but if you sit for too long, like being at the theatre, the pain returns. When you wake up in the morning the pain is worse, and only relieved with movement. There may only be relief as long as you are active, returning once you rest. This is because when you are at rest, the muscles relax and it is the ligaments that are supporting the structure. If the ligaments are lax, then you are more susceptible to pain. Also passive stretching of ligaments or firm pressure on ligament sites may also be indications for prolotherapy. Of course, only a physician trained in prolotherapy can determine whether your condition would benefit from it or another method of treatment.
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