The Physician and Sports medicine, “Are Your Patients Asking About Prolotherapy?” the article starts: “Prolotherapy, considered an alternative therapy, is quietly establishing itself in mainstream medicine because of its almost irresistible draw for both physicians and patients: nonsurgical treatment for musculoskeletal conditions.”
Prolotherapy – Background and History
Prolotherapy is based on the premise that chronic musculoskeletal pain is due to inadequate repair of fibrous connective tissue, resulting in ligament and tendon weakness or relaxation (laxity), also known as connective tissue insufficiency. When the connective tissue is weak, there is insufficient tensile strength or tightness.
Load-bearing then stimulates pain mechanoreceptors. As long as connective tissue remains functionally insufficient, these pain mechanoreceptors continue to fire with use. If laxity or tensile strength deficit is not corrected sufficiently to stop pain mechanoreceptor stimulation, chronic sprain or strain results.
This is the problem that prolotherapy addresses:
stimulating growth factors to resume or initiate a connective tissue repair sequence, repairing and strengthening lax ligaments and/or tendons, and ultimately reducing or eliminating pain.
Historically, the use of prolotherapy dates back to Hippocrates who treated dislocated shoulders of soldiers on the battlefields.
What’s in Prolotherapy
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.
Prolotherapy is useful for many different types of musculoskeletal pain, including arthritis, back pain, neck pain, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, unresolved whiplash injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic tendonitis, partially torn tendons, ligaments and cartilage, degenerated or herniated discs, TMJ and sciatica.
Prolotherapy is a method of injection treatment designed to stimulate healing. This treatment is used for
musculoskeletal pain which has gone on longer than 8 weeks such as low back and neck pain, chronic sprains and/or strains, whiplash injuries, tennis and golfer’s elbow, knee, ankle, shoulder or other joint pain, chronic tendonitis/tendonosis, and musculoskeletal pain related to osteoarthritis.
Prolotherapy works by raising growth factor levels or effectiveness to promote tissue repair or growth.2 It can be used years after the initial pain or problem began, as long as the patient is healthy. Because prolotherapy works to repair weak and painful joint areas, it is a long term solution rather than a palliative measure such as drugs, and should be considered prior to the use of long term drugs or surgery in appropriate patients.
In the April 2005 issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter, the authors wrote: “In the case of chronic ligament or tendon pain that hasn’t responded to more conservative treatments such as prescribed exercise and physical therapy, prolotherapy may be helpful.” Prolotherapy has been used in the U.S. for musculoskeletal pain since the 1930’s, is endorsed by former U.S. Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, and has even made its way into the professional sports world.5 In a 2000 issue of PROLOTHERAPY.
Typical Treatment Course
Treatment intervals are spaced according to how that individual heals. On average, the treatment interval is usually 3 to 4 weeks between treatments. In some people it is shorter, in others it is longer. The average number of treatments for any given area is usually between 4 and 6 total treatments, each treatment involving multiple injections to a particular area.
Improvement is sometimes noticed after the initial treatment, however it is more often noticed by the second or third treatment. Some individuals require more than 6 treatments, and, in some cases, less
treatments are needed. Individuals with hypermobility often take longer.
Price for Treatment
$175 per joint & $100 for 2nd area during same visit
or
$450 for a 3 session package & $300 for 2nd area
During the same visit.
References: www.prolotherapy.com
