A to Z of Therapies
Prolotherapy
December 22nd, 2008
Prolotherapy is a technique that repairs connective tissue weakness, or welds the ligaments and tendons to the bone, to resolve chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Prolotherapy works by exactly the same process that the human body naturally uses to stimulate the body's healing system, a process called inflammation. The technique involves the injection of a proliferant (a mild irritant solution) that causes an inflammatory response which "turns on" the healing process. The growth of new ligament and tendon tissue is then stimulated. The ligaments and tendons produced after Prolotherapy appear much the same as normal tissues, except that they are thicker, stronger, and contain fibres of varying thickness, testifying to the new and ongoing creation of tissue.
Unlike muscles, ligaments and tendons that weaken from trauma, overuse, underuse, functional hormone imbalances and nutritional deficiencies cannot be strengthened with exercise.
Ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and bones have poor healing abilities due to the lack of blood supply to these tissues. This is why injuries to these areas are so unstable. In order to compensate, the body forms bony, arthritic spurs. This causes increased friction, increased pain and weakness, and a loss in joint mobility.
Prolotherapy means
The word Prolotherapy itself means "Prolo" (short for proliferation), because the treatment causes the proliferation (growth or formation) of new ligament or tendon tissue in areas where it has become weak.
Prolotherapy has the potential of being 100% effective at eliminating chronic pain due to ligament and tendon weakness, but depends upon the technique of the individual Prolotherapist. The most important aspect is injecting enough of the solution into the injured and weakened area. If this is done, the likelihood of success is excellent.
What conditions benefit from Prolotherapy?
The treatment is useful for many different types of musculoskeletal pain, including arthritis, back pain, neck pain, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, whiplash injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic tendonitis, partially torn tendons, ligaments and cartilage, degenerated or herniated discs and sciatica.
Response to Treatment
Response varies from individual to individual, and depends upon one's healing ability. Some people may only need a few treatments while others may need 10 or more. The average number of treatments is 4-6 for an area treated. The best thing to do is get an evaluation by a trained physician to see if you are an appropriate candidate. Once you begin treatment, your doctor can tell better how you are responding and give you an accurate estimate.
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