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Learn More
about Therapies and Treatments for Back & Joint Pain
On this site you can find comprehensive descriptions
about many of the natural therapies and traditional treatments
available in the US. Reading about these is the first learning
phase for you, then contacting a practitioner will guide you
toward the healing experience.
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December 22nd, 2006
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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