In this article, we’ll quickly go over what prolotherapy is and why it is used. We’ll also take a look at what sort of pain it can alleviate and whether it can help you or not. Before we start, it’s important to keep in mind that this article only aims to educate you on prolotherapy so that you’re able to make a well-informed decision.
If you are suffering from pain in the back, knee, shoulder, or any other joint or muscle, schedule a visit to the MyMSK clinic today and let our professionals take care of it.
Coming back to the topic, let’s understand what prolotherapy is and how it works.
What is Prolotherapy & How Does It Work?
Prolotherapy (Proliferative Therapy) is a form of Non-Surgical Ligament & Tendon Reconstruction and Regenerative Joint Injection treatment. It is an orthopaedic injection procedure that stimulates the body’s healing processes in order to strengthen and repair injured and painful joints and connective tissue. If you undergo prolotherapy, you’ll be injected with dextrose for peripheral joints and P2G/dextrose for spinal joints.
These injections act as a sclerosant and cause inflammation in the area they’re injected into. That inflammation kickstarts the healing process and helps the tendons, ligaments, and tendons enthesis (where the tendon inserts onto bone) strengthen and heal. Furthermore, prolotherapy can also strengthen bones around the joint area, and ligaments can also benefit from it. All these factors combined lead to a stronger and strengthened joint, which not only alleviates pain but also helps fight osteoarthritis/instability.
Who Needs Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy can prove beneficial for a wide variety of individuals, especially patients who suffer from Arthritis in their joints and even patients who suffer from hypermobility such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
As we get older, our tendons and ligaments weaken, and the cartilage in our joints thins as well. This can not only cause pain, but it can also lead to arthritis or immobility in extreme cases. Prolotherapy can help strengthen the structures around our joints and therefore the joint itself.
People with back pain can be treated with Prolotherapy. Back pain arising from Degenerative Disc disease, Sciatica, Lumbar Spondylosis, Spondylolisthesis, Multi level disc disease are conditions for which Prolotherapy is beneficial
If you are involved in high intensity work that puts your knees under additional heavy loads (such as courier work, moving large loads, carpentry, joinery, construction), you can get prolotherapy to help alleviate any pain after consulting a doctor.
It’s the same case with sports. Injuries can leave our joints with partial tears or degeneration in the tendons, which can cause problems later on. Prolotherapy is exceptionally effective at increasing the rate of the regeneration process in tendons and Joints. That’s why athletes often go through prolotherapy sessions to boost their recovery from an injury.
Why Is Prolotherapy Used?
It should be pretty clear by now why prolotherapy is used. Prolotherapy is primarily used to alleviate joint pain. Individuals who suffer from arthritic joints can undergo prolotherapy to combat arthritis.
In contrast to steroid injections, prolotherapy targets the structures around the joint and is often given intra-articularly in some joints too.
As the primary function of prolotherapy is to strengthen joints, people with weak joints, especially in the back, can be assisted with prolotherapy.
What Type of Pain or Injuries Can Prolotherapy Treatments Help?
Prolotherapy can be used to combat and treat a wide variety of pains and illnesses; here are a few notable ones;
- Athletic Injuries: Athletic injuries that lead to partially or completely torn ligaments and tendons can be treated with prolotherapy. It doesn’t matter whether the injury is recent or old, prolotherapy can be used to help regenerate torn tendons and ligaments.
- Arthritis Pain: By adding strength to the ligaments surrounding arthritic joints, prolotherapy can help alleviate pain in those joints.
- Sciatica and Pinched Nerves: Prolotherapy excels at rejuvenating the joints and is exceptional at treating sciatica and pinched nerves. This is because it helps both neurogenic pain (dextrose 5% is used for this) in addition to adding strength to the ligaments in the spine which often become in conditions such as Sciatica
- Discogenic Back Pain: Pain from Herniated and Degenerative Discs can also be treated with prolotherapy.
- Whiplash Injuries: Whiplash can often disturb the alignment of the joints. Prolotherapy can be used to aid the realignment process caused by whiplash injuries. These injections are often given into the cervical spine around C3-C7 into the cervical facets and ligaments in the cervical spine
- Tension and Migraine Headaches: Prolotherapy is very effective at alleviating migraine and headaches. However, it’s used to numb tension and migraine headaches in extreme cases only.
- TMJ Syndrome: The affliction often restricts the movement of the jaw and causes immense pain. Prolotherapy can be used to not only alleviate the pain, but it can also help treat the affected joints.
- Weak, Loose, & Unstable Joints: Oftentimes, joints can weaken not due to injuries but because of Genetics/Arthritis or connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Prolotherapy is exceptional at treating weak and unstable joints.
- Muscle Strain: Prolotherapy can help with the recovery of pulled and strained muscles, especially near the joints.
On Which Joints Prolotherapy Is Used?
Prolotherapy can be used on almost any joint as long as it is accessible. Prolotherapy can strengthen the joints and alleviate pain. Moreover, if these joints are arthritic, prolotherapy can aid with that as well. Here is a list of the most common joints that prolotherapy is applied to:
- Knees
- Ankles
- Feet
- Wrists
- Hands
- Low back
- Shoulders
- Neck
- Hips
- Elbows
- Ribs
- Jaw
- Sacroiliac
It should be kept in mind that prolotherapy may be used to treat different illnesses in different joints. Sometimes, prolotherapy may be the best solution for one joint and not be considered to treat the same affliction on another joint.
In this regard, it is useful to consult with a Doctor. Dr Amir Akhtar is a dual certified Doctor and Osteopath. He is the medical director for MyMSK Clinic and available to discuss your treatment options.
Is Prolotherapy Safe?
By now, you must be wondering whether prolotherapy is safe or not. After all, it might seem like prolotherapy is a miracle drug that can cure almost any problem in almost any joint. Well, the answer to this question isn’t that simple.
Generally, prolotherapy is safe. The mixture used is either Dextrose or P2G depending on the structure being injected.
The doctor often fine-tunes the mixture in a way that certain strengths are used in certain conditions. For example in a rotator cuff tear we may use Dextrose 15% whereas in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome the solution is diluted to 5%. For Chronic Back pain where the degeneration (wear and tear) is quite advanced, we may have to choose P2G (a mixture containing Phenol, Dextrose and Glycerol)
Therefore, it is important that the physician is able to use the correct medication and potency depending on the problem.
If you live in Manchester,Burnley or anywhere in the Lancashire region, you can visit MyMSK Clinic for safe prolotherapy sessions under the expert guidance of Dr Amir Akhtar
How Many Prolotherapy Sessions Can You Have?
Prolotherapy sessions are very dependent on your problem and its intensity. Therefore, it’s best to schedule a meeting with a doctor who can examine your condition thoroughly and devise a proper treatment plan. Generally, the following treatment plans are followed:
- Three to six injections at intervals of 4 to 6 weeks
Final Thoughts:
Prolotherapy can be highly beneficial to treat Back and Joint Pain.
Moreover, prolotherapy has a high rate of effectiveness as well. However, in order to ensure its safe application, a qualified physician must be in charge of administering it.
If you do suffer from Back or Joint pain, visit the MyMSK clinic for the best prolotherapy sessions in the Greater Manchester region. We also offer Prolotherapy in East Lancashire at our clinic in Burnley
The treatments are administered by our dual certified Doctor and Osteopath.
