Prolotherapy to Heal Joint Injuries and Relieve Pain

Prolotherapy is a method of stimulating regrowth and healing of torn ligaments and cartilage. People who have sports injuries, osteoarthritis, bursitis, tendinitis, and even hip and joint pain can be helped by this technique. The way it works is fairly simple. The painful area is injected with a proliferant – usually a solution of dextrose, phenol, glycerin or similar substance, along with a pain reliever so that the patient does not feel pain. The injection irritates the tendon and increases the flow of blood to it. It might seem odd to irritate something in order to make it feel better, but tendons and ligaments have poor circulation, and high numbers of excited nerves. The injection encourages blood flow to that area, which nourishes the damaged tissues and helps promote the healing process for the tendon or ligament. As it heals and grows stronger, the person feels less pain and the joint is more responsive and able to do its job.

Benefits of Prolotherapy-

• Relieves pain in almost any joint including neck and back
• Works with the body’s natural defenses to encourage tissue growth
• Ligaments and tendons that are treated grow stronger over time

The modern model of prolotherapy was developed in the 1950s by Drs. George Hackett and Gustav Hemwall. It wasn’t a new idea, however. The concept of irritating something to make it get better goes back to medical practices of ancient Greece.
Although the process doesn’t work in every case, some patients report relief from their pain after only one session. For most, however, it takes four to six treatments to stimulate healthy growth in the affected area. The treatments are usually spaced out at two to four week intervals.

Surgeon General C. Everett Koop advocates prolotherapy. Prolotherapy can be used to relieve pain in almost any joint, including neck and back pain. It has even been shown to be affective in cases of fibromyalgia. Unlike cortisone shots, which can eventually weaken a joint, prolotherapy works with the body’s natural defenses to encourage tissue growth. In the long run, ligaments and tendons that are treated using this method thicken and grow stronger. That added strength takes the strain off other parts of the body, which can lead to an overall improvement in general health.

Doctors who advocate prolotherapy note that it is a non-surgical method of treating injuries and joint pain that can become debilitating over time. By using prolotherapy, torn ligaments and tendons are encouraged to use the body’s natural healing processes to heal. They thicken and grow stronger over time, which is a desirable outcome. One such doctor is Dr. Peter A. Fields, sometimes called the athletic doc because he has been competing in triathlons for twenty-five years. He holds a license as a medical doctor and as a chiropractor – the only doctor in the state of California to hold both licenses. He recommends the technique because prolotherapy helps heal the damaged joint and tendon tissue. When it heals, it stops hurting. He notes in an instructional video that when the source of the problem is healed, functionality is restored and the patient is no longer in pain. And that is why he recommends prolotherapy.