What is prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is a regenerative injection therapy that allows full healing of damaged ligamentous and tendon structures that can be causing your pain. It involves direct injection of small amounts of solution into the affected area.
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Could your pain be due to damaged ligaments or tendons?
After initial trauma or repetitive injury to a joint the supportive structures (tendons and ligaments) can suffer from micro-tears. These tears cause ligaments to become loose and decrease in ability to support the joint and muscles in the surrounding area. This can cause variations of pain as a result of nerve fibers being stretched as well as the surrounding musculature to have to work overtime.
This dysfunction can be seen as many variations of pain patterns including:
Stiffness
Tightness
Burning
Stinging
Achy, painful muscles or joints
Many injuries that do not resolve with conservative treatment within a period of 6-8 weeks often involve ligamentous injury that is not easily healed. Many patients opt for prolotherapy treatment because they have chronic pain and stiffness. The goal of prolotherapy is to permanently eliminate or significantly improve pain.
What conditions can it effectively treat?
Can treat a wide assortment of conditions from minor to severe, and acute to chronic
- Achilles tendonitis
- Ankle sprain/strains
- Arthritis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Golfers Elbow
- Headache
- Hip pain
- Knee injuries
- Low Back Pain
- Plantar fasciitis
- SI Joint pain and laxity
- Sciatica
- Shoulder pain and instability
- TMJ Syndrome
- Whiplash
What does prolotherapy involve?
Prolotherapy involves an injection of a simple sugar (dextrose) and anesthetic at the sites of pain or dysfunction. This usually occurs at the attachment site of ligaments and tendons. This promotes healing to decrease pain and restore overall function. This process can occur in a single or multiple treatments needed.
How does it work?
Prolotherapy works by causing a local inflammatory response that triggers the body to heal the area that has been injected. By causing inflammation it signals the body to recruit growth factors and initiate new connective tissue repair. Research studies show increase collagen deposition and enhanced strengthening of tendon/ligaments.
How many treatments will I need?
The number of treatments largely depends on the nature of the injury and how long the joint or ligament has been affected. Typically patients will see a large improvement in symptoms within 4-6 treatments although it is common to need less or more treatments. Each case is individual.
What to expect after treatment?
- After treatment it is very typical to feel initial relief of pain. Within 48 hours the tissue injected will experience "stiffness" or a bruised feeling. This occurs as a result of inflammatory process in which the joint is healing.
- After treatment it is recommended to decrease activity that puts strain on the tissue/joint for 5-7 days.