Prolotherapy is the answer for joint repair. Musculoskeletal conditions wreak havoc in the lives of many people, and the problem tends to increase as people age. However, our bodies have excellent regenerative capabilities. Physicians like Peter A. Fields, MD, DC, a Prolotherapy specialist in the Palm Springs, CA area, treat joint pain with regenerative medicine techniques that utilize therapies to stimulate the body to repair the ligaments.
Prolotherapy, which is short for proliferative therapy, is just one form of regenerative therapy and is an injection technique using naturally based solutions for healing. It is a cost-effective treatment option for various musculoskeletal conditions and arthritis.
The key to restoring joint integrity for the long term is stimulating the area to heal. Prolotherapy works with, rather than interferes with, the body’s healing process. When musculoskeletal injuries occur, Prolotherapy can stimulate the normal reparative mechanisms of the body, laying down new collagen, strengthening the tendons and ligaments, repairing the meniscus of the knee and hip labrum, and boosting cartilage growth.
Since it addresses the underlying cause, which is often joint instability, Prolotherapy can decrease the chance of developing long-term arthritis. The treatment offers hope to those trying to avoid joint replacement. While surgery is necessary for a small percentage of patients, specifically for full-thickness tears, non-surgical regenerative therapies should be a first-line, conservative treatment tried before surgery.
Regenerative options are effective even after surgery in cases where a patient still complains of unresolved pain. Residual pain is common if the surgery does not correct the actual cause of pain. For those who have failed surgery or have an advanced condition, Stem Cell Therapy may be the treatment of choice. This utilizes the patient’s own cells by concentrating and injecting them directly into the damaged tissue to accelerate repair. These regenerative treatments, Regenerative Orthopedics, offer promising alternatives to joint replacement and the opportunity for healing, as well as the return to function and athletics, for those suffering from chronic joint pain.
Prolotherapy is not a newly discovered treatment. It’s been around a while, and research has shown its effectiveness for quite a long time. Evidence supports its use for various types of musculoskeletal pain, including the spine, pelvis, and peripheral joints.
In the 1950s, George Hackett, MD found that Prolotherapy stabilized unstable joints by strengthening the ligaments and tendons in joints throughout the body (1-4). As the years progressed, other researchers also showed the effectiveness of Prolotherapy. Hauser did studies showing the effectiveness of Prolotherapy in treating various joints (5,6). Research by Reeves demonstrated its use in treating sprains, strains, and other musculoskeletal disorders (7,8). Additionally, Jensen demonstrated its usefulness in treating knee ligaments (9,10).
Treatment involves injecting a small amount of solution into multiple ligament and tendon insertions (enthesis) and into the adjacent joint spaces to induce healing of the injured structures.
Prolotherapy stimulates weakened structures such as ligaments and tendons to strengthen, tighten and heal through the induced proliferation of cells.
The typical type of Prolotherapy uses dextrose in the solution. Dextrose Prolotherapy stimulates the proliferation of cells and tissue. Dextrose is an ideal solution because it is water soluble and a normal component of blood chemistry so that it can be injected safely into multiple areas and in large quantities. The result is the deposition of new collagen into injured structures, such as ligaments and tendons. It causes an increase in growth factors pertinent to the repair, health, and growth of tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues.
Prolotherapy is effective in inducing healing over a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions, reducing pain, and increasing function. Dextrose Prolotherapy is the answer for joint repair from ligament and tendon injuries, unstable joints, and degenerated spines and joints.
At OrthoRegen®, we have offered Prolotherapy and other Regenerative Orthopedic treatments for many years and have a lot of experience in sports medicine and the treatment of musculoskeletal pain and injury. Give us a call. We’d be happy to help!
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