A therapeutic technique used to decrease or eliminate pain by improving joint stability and function. Prolotherapy promotes the regrowth and strengthening of ligaments and tendons that play a crucial role in stabilizing the joints of the body. Prolotherapy involves the injection of dextrose, a local anaesthetic, and sometimes a fish oil derivative designed to stimulate the body’s own healing mechanisms. When a joint in the body becomes unstable from a car accident, athletic trauma, repetitive strain, postural defect, wear and tear, or any other cause the surrounding muscles and tissues become tight and painful.
If treatments like massage, acupuncture, manipulation, trigger point injections, hydrotherapy, and steroid injections bring limited or temporary relief to your pain symptoms prolotherapy may help. The above techniques are effective at relieving muscle tension, resetting subluxed joints, improving the flow of Qi, or altering the immune system but they are not effective for improving the function and structure of the joints of the body. Prolotherapy stimulates the body’s own immune system to naturally re-grow and strengthen the ligaments and connective tissue that play a crucial role in the integrity of each joint.
To have a reliable body you need the following 3 components: strong bones, strong muscles, and strong ligaments. For most people, the root problem is not with the bones or the muscles, it is actually with the ligaments that hold the joints in place. When the ligaments are treated with prolotherapy the weakened joints become stronger and more stable and thus pain is decreased or eliminated.
A thorough orthopedic exam by a doctor trained in ligament health is required to assess whether or not prolotherapy will be able to reduce your pain and improve your function. It typically takes between 3-6 treatments for optimal ligament improvement but results may vary from person to person.