Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy is also known as nonsurgical ligament reconstruction, and is a treatment for chronic pain.

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

First, it is important to understand what the word prolotherapy itself means. "Prolo" is short for proliferation, because the treatment causes the proliferation (growth, formation) of new ligament tissue in areas where it has become weak.

Prolotherapy uses a dextrose (sugar water) solution, which is injected into the ligament or tendon where it attaches to the bone. This causes a localized inflammation in these weak areas which then increases the blood supply and flow of nutrients and stimulates the tissue to repair itself.

Historical review shows that a version of this technique was first used by Hippocrates on soldiers with dislocated, torn shoulder joints. He would stick a hot poker into the joint, and it would then miraculously heal normally. Of course, we don’t use hot pokers today, but the principle is similar—get the body to repair itself, an innate ability that the body has.

Here is a list of conditions that can possibly be treated with prolotherapy:

• Arthritis
• Back pain
• Barre-Lieou syndrome
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Cluster headache
• Deep aching
• Degenerative arthritis
• Degenerative disk disease
• Disc herniation
• Fibromyalgia
• Hip Degeneration
• Knee injuries
• Low back pain
• Migraine headache
• Multiple sclerosis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Osteoporosis (compression fractures)
• Polio
• Sacroiliac sprain
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Slipped spine
• Spinal defects
• Tennis elbow
• Tension headache
• Whiplash