PROLOTHERAPY  -  A nonsurgical reconstructive therapy for the treatment of chronic pain

What is Prolotherapy?

Prolotherapy, which was developed over fifty years ago, is a natural nonsurgical method of assisting the body to heal injured tendons and ligaments.  "Prolo" stands for "proliferate".  In this case, Prolotherapy helps your body make new cells, which strengthen lax or torn ligaments.

Historical review shows that Hippocrates treated back pain by lancing hot pins into the vertebrae or dislocated and torn joints.  The principle is the new injury helped heal the old one - get the body to repair itself, an innate ability the body has.  Prolotherapy is based on the same principles Hippocrates used.

Ligaments are the structural "rubber bands" that hold bones to bones in joints.  Ligaments can become weak or injured and may not heal back to their original strength or endurance.  This is largely due because the blood supply to ligaments is limited, and therefore healing is slow and not always complete.  To further complicate this, ligaments may have nerve endings and therefore the person will feel pain at the areas where the ligaments are damaged or stretched.

Tendons are the name given to tissue which connects muscles to bone, and in the same manner tendons may also become injured, and cause pain. The pain is aggravated by activity when tension is placed upon the injured ligament or tendon and usually subsides when they are not under tension.

You might wonder why you still have pain in an injured area or why the area remains weak, even after a healing period of weeks or months.  The answer lies in the fact that both ligaments and tendons endons have very poor circulation, and it is this lack of blood supply which deprives them of the nutrients they require to heal properly.

How can you strengthen tendons and ligaments?  Unfortunately these tissues are not muscle, so they do not respond to exercise as muscles do. Exercise cannot build or strengthen ligaments or tendons, but prolotherapy can help repair the weakened ligaments or tendons of a chronic injury.

Prolotherapy involves the injection of herbs and dextrose into the areas where ligaments are weak and/or damaged.  This causes a "sterile" inflammation in these weak areas which then increases the blood supply.  Over the next few days, cells called "macrophases", - literally big eaters - are attracted into the area by the presence of this solution.  Once they arrive, these macrophages pick up the irritant solution and carry it  away for disposal (they are like the garbage men of the body).

As the macrophages are finishing their job, the body send "fibroblasts", - literally connective tissue builders - to the area.   These biological repairmen lay down new, fibrous cells wherever they detect damage.  The new  cells strengthen the ligament or joint capsule and restore stability.

There are numerous positive factors in prolotherapy.  First, it promotes the body's own natural healing ability.  Second, it restores and optimizes the body's natural functions.  No heavy drugs or surgery is involved.

The treatment is useful for many different types of musculoskeletal pain, including back pain, neck pain, sports injuries, unresolved whiplash injuries, partially torn tendons, ligaments and cartilage, degenerated or herniated discs.

How long will it take to complete a course of treatments?

The response to treatment varies from individual to individual, and depends upon one's healing ability.  Some people may only need a few treatments while others may need 10 or more.  The average number of treatments is 4-6 for an area treated.  Once you begin treatment, your doctor can tell how you are responding and give you a more accurate estimate.

The treatment is relatively inexpensive and very effective.