Prolotherapy, also called proliferation therapy, is probably the oldest tool in the regenerative medicine toolkit. It is an injection-based treatment used in chronic musculoskeletal conditions, which include injury and damage to muscle, tendons, ligaments, joints.
Prolotherapy is a procedure where solution is injected into the soft tissue of an injured joint. The solution is a natural irritant. The injected irritant sparks the body’s innate healing process by increasing inflammation.
The increased inflammation sends a signal to the body’s inflammatory-fighting centers to send increased volume of healing cells, platelets and specialized proteins, to the area. These cells stimulate repair and growth.
Examples of the “irritant” include sugar (dextrose or glucose) alone or in combination with glycerin and phenol or sodium morrhuate (a purified derivative of cod liver oil).
During prolotherapy treatments, the injection is typically accompanied by a local anesthetic (lidocaine, procaine, or marcaine).
Prolotherapy involves a series of injections, with an average 4 to 10. The number of injections depends on the condition of the joint damage. The series of injections may span 3 to 6 months in intervals of 2 to 3 weeks.
Prolotherapy is typically used for joints and ligaments, and may be used in the back in an attempt to help tighten the supporting structures of the spine. However, it has been used in the treatment of acute ligament injuries, where the ligament has not ruptured but has suffered mechanical injury, typically seen in the ankle and the knee.
Who is best served by prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is most effective on strained ligaments and joint laxity, as the general consensus is that it may help tighten up surrounding tissues and supporting structures that cause joint laxity.
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Many Shoulder and Rotator Cuff injuries are good candidates for regenerative interventional orthopedic procedures. Before considering shoulder arthroscopy or shoulder replacement, consider an evaluation of your condition with a regenerative treatment specialist.
- Rotator Cuff Tears and Tendinitis
- Shoulder Instability
- SLAP Tear / Labral Tears
- Shoulder Arthritis
- Other Degenerative Conditions & Overuse Injuries
Many spine injuries and degenerative conditions are good candidates for regenerative treatments and there are a number of studies showing promising results in treating a wide range of spine problems. Spine surgery should be a last resort for anyone, due to the cascade of negative effects it can have on the areas surrounding the surgery. And epidural steroid injections are problematic due to their long-term negative impact on bone density.
- Herniated, Bulging, Protruding Discs
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- SI Joint Syndrome
- Sciatica
- Pinched Nerves and General Back Pain
- And more
Knees are the target of many common sports injuries. Sadly, they are also the target of a number of surgeries that research has frequently shown to be ineffective or minimally effective. Knee arthritis can also be a common cause for aging athletes to abandon the sports and activities they love. Regenerative procedures can be used to treat a wide range of knee injuries and conditions. They can even be used to reduce pain and delay knee replacement for more severe arthritis.
- Knee Meniscus Tears
- Knee ACL Tears
- Knee Instability
- Knee Osteoarthritis
- Other Knee Ligaments / Tendons & Overuse Injuries
- And more
Many spine injuries and degenerative conditions are good candidates for regenerative treatments and there are a number of studies showing promising results in treating a wide range of spine problems. Spine surgery should be a last resort for anyone, due to the cascade of negative effects it can have on the areas surrounding the surgery. And epidural steroid injections are problematic due to their long-term negative impact on bone density.
- Herniated, Bulging, Protruding Discs
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- SI Joint Syndrome
- Sciatica
- Pinched Nerves and General Back Pain
- And more
- Hand and Wrist Arthritis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Trigger Finger
- Thumb Arthritis (Basal Joint, CMC, Gamer’s Thumb, Texting Thumb)
- Other conditions that cause pain
Most injuries of the elbow’s tendons and ligaments, as well as arthritis, can be treated non-surgically with regenerative procedures.
- Golfer’s elbow & Tennis elbow
- Arthritis
- Ulnar collateral ligament wear (common in baseball pitchers)
- And more
Hip injuries and degenerative conditions become more common with age. Do to the nature of the joint, it’s not quite as easy to injure as a knee, but it can take a beating and pain often develops over time. Whether a hip condition is acute or degenerative, regenerative procedures can help reduce pain and may help heal injured tissue, without the complications of invasive surgical hip procedures.
- Labral Tear
- Hip Arthritis
- Hip Bursitis
- Hip Sprain, Tendonitis or Inflammation
- Hip Instability
- Ankle Arthritis
- Plantar fasciitis
- Ligament sprains or tears
- Other conditions that cause pain
