Prolotherapy is method of strengthening tendons and ligaments that are otherwise chronically weak and painful. It involves a series of injections that stimulate a natural healing response in the problematic area. In other words, prolotherapy grants a tendon or ligament a second opportunity to repair itself. Prolotherapy provides a long-term solution to musculoskeletal pain that may be a worthwhile alternative to pharmaceutical pain management or invasive surgery. Consult with a qualified health care professional for appropriate diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan.
How it Works
When a tendon or ligament is injured, the body naturally initiates a healing response to repair the structure. However, the blood supply to tendons and ligaments is inherently limited, and therefore the healing is often incomplete. The result is on-going pain, especially with physical activity. Prolotherapy involves injecting a proliferant solution into problematic area to stimulate local low-grade inflammation----a natural healing response---which results in the deposition of collagen in the painful area. The new collagen strengthens the tendon or ligament.
What it Treats
Prolotherapy may be helpful in alleviating chronic joint pain, particularly of the low back, neck, elbow, knee, ankle or shoulder. Prolotherapy is also helpful in tennis and golfer's elbow, tendonititis and tendonosis, osteoarthritis, plantar fasciosis, disc disease and strains or sprains that have not fully healed. Note that prolotherapy stimulates the immune system, and therefore, it may not be helpful for individuals with compromised immunity, nutritional deficiencies or hormonal imbalances.
Procedure
Prolotherapy involves a series of injections directly into the painful and weak tendon or ligament. The injected solution is typically dextrose, which initiates the healing response, and an anesthetic, which diminishes pain. The level of pain that patients experience with injections varies, depending on the individual and the location of injection, from very little to more significant. For the latter category, various techniques may be used to make the procedure tolerable. The total number of treatments varies with the individual patient. On average, a patient requires four to six treatments, approximately a month apart. Patients may experience some soreness for a few days following an injection.
Prolotherapists
Prolotherapy may be performed by physicians who receive specific training in administering the treatment. Doctors who specialize in prolotherapy may include medical doctors, osteopaths, orthopedists, podiatrists, and naturopaths. There is no formal regulation on who performs prolotherapy, therefore when seeking a prolotherapist, it's best to ensure they've received hands-on training, rather than simply having read a book or article.
Risks
Prolotherapy is generally low-risk. Typical risks are local bruising and soreness. Rare and more serious risks include infection, headache, nerve injury, allergy and organ puncture. There is also a risk that the technique won't work, perhaps due to poor practitioner technique, or due to an individual's compromised immunity. In addition to low immunity, factors that may interfere with efficacy include smoking, stress, medications, lack of sleep and poor nutrition.
