Prolotherapy

What Is Prolotherapy?

Prolotherapy, or non-surgical ligament reconstruction, is used to treat chronic pain by stimulating the body to heal itself. Today, this technique is one of the leading, minimally invasive therapies for various types of musculoskeletal pain.

Prolotherapy is effective for treating pain associated with:

• Whiplash
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Herniated discs
• Chronic strain of the neck and back, knees, ankles, wrists, elbows and shoulders
• Degenerative disk disease of the neck, thoracic spine or lumbar spine
• Partially torn tendons
• Instability of the neck and back
• Bursitis and tendonitis of the neck, back, hips, knees, ankles, elbows, shoulders, wrists, thumbs, fingers, toes
• Especially beneficial for tennis elbow, rotator cuff strain, knee ligament strains, recurrent ankle sprains and plantar fasciitis.
• Other chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia as well as Failed Neck and Back Surgeries

Prolotherapy is also beneficial for areas that repeatedly "go out" and require repeated chiropractic adjustments. Prolotherapy works well when combined with spinal manipulative adjustments to maintain alignment.

How Does Prolotherapy Work?

When tendons and ligaments are weak, they are also unstable. This instability often leads to pain in the joints of the spine as well as the arms and legs. As the pain increases, the muscles near the joint try to stabilize the joint by acting like ligaments. This can causes painful muscle spasms and wear out the joint.

Prolotherapy triggers an increase in collagen -- the building blocks of ligaments and tendons.

Prolotherapy actually promotes the growth of new tissue in weakened tendons and ligaments, thus making them stronger.

Only licensed physicians are allowed to use prolotherapy. During a treatment session, the doctor injects irritating solutions such as dextrose, or sugar water, into the weakened ligament, tendon, or fascia (the sheaths of connective tissue that cover muscles and tendons). The dextrose causes a "injury" to the tissues -- not a severe injury but just enough of an insult to trigger a healing response in the body. White blood cells called macrophages clean up the debris of the injured tissue. The macrophages send messages to another type of cell -- fibrocytes -- to come to the insured tissue and lay down new collagen.

During the healing process, the blood supply to the injured area increases, bringing with it nutrients that help repair the weakened tissues. As the collagen matures over a period of weeks to months, it shortens and gets stronger, thereby pulling the structures together and normalizing their movement. The end result is decreased pain and increased mobility.

How Long Does It Take to Work?

Prolotherapy usually requires 4 to 6 treatments at 2 to 3 week intervals to achieve optimum results. Some individuals may require 10 or more treatments, depending on their rate of healing. Each treatment is supposed produce a few days of soreness. The slight pain in the affected area shows that the dextrose solution is strong enough to trigger the proper healing response. Physicians trained in prolotherapy can gauge the appropriate strength of the dextrose solution that each patient needs for the quickest and most efficient healing.