Repair musculoskeletal injuries to alleviate pain with regenerative injections.
Prolotherapy, also known as ligament and tendon reconstruction therapy, is a non-surgical form of regenerative medicine that treats both acute and chronic injuries, as well as difficult-to-resolve joint pain. It’s an orthopedic procedure that re-creates the body’s natural healing processes to strengthen joints and weakened areas.
Considered one of the most advanced therapies available today for repairing damaged tissue fibers and joints, prolotherapy utilizes dextrose to increase collagen production and help people heal faster. It helps arthritis, torn ligaments, tendonitis, bulging discs, as well as nerve and joint pain in areas such as the neck, lower back, knee, or shoulder.
How Prolotherapy Works
Traditional approaches for treating pain focus on reducing inflammation and suppressing pain sensations with drugs and / or cortisone injections without addressing underlying causes and therefore not offering long-term relief. Prolotherapy’s unique ability to directly address the cause of the instability leads to permanent stabilization of joints and pain reduction.
Prolotherapy stimulates the body’s natural healing response to create new connective tissue such as tendons and ligaments in the weakened area. Dextrose makes the solution more concentrated than blood, acting as a strong proliferant (irritant solution) and procaine is an anesthetic. Other things may be added such as hyaluronic acid or Vitamin B12 depending on the type of injury.
Most people require 4 – 6 injections administered every 3 – 4 weeks over the course of several months. Dr. Riddle will advise patients based on their individual situation.
Swelling, pain, and stiffness may occur, but should subside within a couple of days. It is important not to use an anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen afterwards since it will counteract the repair work and healing of damaged tissue fibers.
History of Prolotherapy
The theory of prolotherapy was practiced as early as the fifth century B.C. by Hippocrates to treat shoulder joint dislocations. The beginnings of prolotherapy involved hot branding irons to cauterize torn ligaments.
Thankfully modern medicine has improved this process over time to regenerate growth instead of producing scarring to fuse tissues. Hippocrates’ original hypothesis that induced inflammation of injured ligaments will lead to self-repair by healing connective tissues was eventually realized.
Benefits of Prolotherapy
By performing a very directed injection into an injury site, prolotherapy “turns on” the body’s natural healing process and tricks the body into repairing an area. It stimulates blood flow that brings more nutrients and oxygen to the targeted area in order to facilitate the repair and regrowth of connective tissue and other joint stabilizing structures.
Prolotherapy can eliminate the need for invasive surgery in many situations. It can help strengthen previously unstable joints, reduce pain, and improve range of motion.
Non-surgical treatment option for sport-related injuries, musculoskeletal damage, and joint degeneration (4).
Alleviates pain associated with arthritis and injuries, in addition to damage joints from repetitive use (5).
Although prolotherapy is considered to be very safe, a lack of training to correctly perform the injections can lead to negative side effects. Make sure to visit a trained professional who has proper credentials and pertinent experience. Dr. Riddle has been doing prolotherapy for almost 20 years and is a member of an instruction team that certifies doctors in this treatment modality.