Chronic Pain? Prolotherapy May Help

Do you suffer from chronic pain? Maybe you have chronic pain in your neck, your back or your joints. If you're like me, you've taken over-the-counter medications like aspirin, had chiropractic treatments, tried cortisone shots or even have a prescription for a narcotic painkiller. These options can help, but often provide only temporary relief for chronic pain. Consider asking your doctor about proliferative therapy, known as prolotherapy.

Prolotherapy is a method for treating chronic pain from ligament and tendon weakness or injury. A doctor injects a dextrose solution into the injured area, stimulating the body's natural healing mechanisms to create healthy, strong tissues. Essentially, the injection causes a mild, controlled injury that results in inflammation. This response then encourages growth of new ligament and tendon fibers, strengthening the weakened area.

Prolotherapy can help with chronic back pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, whiplash, sciatica, headaches associated with neck problems, and disk problems. It is also effective for TMJ (temporal mandibular joint dysfunction), carpal tunnel syndrome, and even vascular issues such as varicose veins and spider veins.

Some patients improve with one treatment, but most need several sessions to fully strengthen the injured area and reduce or eliminate chronic pain. In fact, one study reported 85% to 95% of patients with lower back pain experienced relief with prolotherapy. Around 10% have a poor response to prolotherapy. It is considered to be a safe procedure, but should be administered by a specially trained physician with experience in this branch of orthopedic medicine.

Here are some basic guidelines for considering prolotherapy for your chronic pain.

1. A joint that is better with rest and worse with exercise. Rest usually helps the body heal itself, but because of decreased blood supply in ligaments, rest alone is not sufficient. Unlike muscle fiber, exercise will not heal injured ligaments or tendons.