Prolotherapy

This is defined as an injection treatment that clinicians use to treat musculoskeletal pain and sports injuries. Prolotherapy injections are given in order to stimulate the body to repair painful, injured areas. Prolotherapy works through the process of inflammation. Contrary to popular belief, inflammation is actually a good thing. Inflammation is the process by which the body heals. Traditional treatments such as NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) medications, cortisone shots, and ice actually stop the healing process. Prolotherapy injections are given at the point(s) where the ligaments and tendons attach to the bone(s) also known as the fibro osseous junction. A “proliferant” solution is injected into the injured area, stimulating the body to send healing cells to the injection sites. When the cells arrive to the injured area, they cause a localized inflammatory reaction and the patient will see swelling in the injected area. With this come healing immune cells that allow the body to lay down new tissue growing thicker, stronger ligaments and tendons. Prolotherapy is used in the field of musculoskeletal or orthopedic medicine to treat musculoskeletal conditions where the origin of the painful condition is related to an underlying instability or looseness of the ligaments and tendons, or where a deficiency in cartilage exists.

Prolotherapy has been successfully used to treat a wide array of conditions including but not limited to the following:

• Knee Pain: arthritis, meniscus tears, chondromalacia patella, runner’s knee, ACL/MCL tears
• Back Pain: post-surgery pain, alternative to laminectomy, degenerative disc disease, arthritis
• Neck Pain: headaches, disc problems, cervical instability, osteoarthritis, pinched nerves
• Shoulder Pain: labral tears, impingement syndrome, frozen shoulder, osteoarthritis, bursitis
• Hip Pain: degenerative joint disease, labral tears, osteoarthritis, post hip fracture pain, bursitis
• Ankle & Foot Pain: strains or sprains,  plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, Achilles tendonosis or tendonitis
• Wrist Pain: overuse injuries, sports injuries, strains, sprains, tendonitis, bursitis
• Elbow Pain: tennis or golfer’s elbow, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, strains and sprains