Facing Joint Surgery? Consider Prolotherapy To Harness Your Body's Natural Healing Power First

By David C. Wang, DO

Kaplan Center for Integrated Medicine

More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles

Facing Joint Surgery? Consider Prolotherapy To Harness Your Body's Natural Healing Power First

If you or a loved one suffers from joint pain or injury, and your doctor is talking about surgery because other treatments have not worked well, there is a novel non-surgical healing technique you might want to consider. It is called prolotherapy.

How Does “Prolo” Work?

Prolotherapy (short for “proliferative therapy”) is designed to stimulate and maximize the power of your body's healing response. This minimally-invasive injection technique delivers natural solutions into painful and injured joints, ligaments, and tendons to encourage the regeneration and restoration of normal, healthy tissue. Prolotherapy incites a temporary inflammatory healing response which helps the injured tissue to release specific growth factors to activate tissue-healing cells.

Prolotherapy has helped patients postpone, and even eliminate, the need for surgery. A series of 3-6 prolotherapy treatments may be spaced several weeks apart for an optimal result.

Two Healing Options

Although there are several different types of prolotherapy solutions, the two most common options are (1) dextrose, a natural plant-based sugar and (2) a component of your body's own blood called platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

Prolotherapy with dextrose has been in use since the 1930s as a safe treatment for every major joint area of the body from head to toe. Another exciting healing option utilizes the platelets in your own blood-known as platelet-rich plasma-and is an advanced method for healing ligament or tendon dysfunction, meniscal tears, and/or arthritic cartilage degeneration.

Scientific research on dextrose prolotherapy and platelet-rich plasma has increased substantially over the last several years, and dozens of studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in treating a myriad of painful problems.

Minimal Downtime

Post-procedure recuperation can be swift–especially if an experienced medical provider performs the technique very gently with the smallest, thinnest needles possible.

Following prolotherapy, patients can continue with gentle activity, but should take it relatively easy for about two to three days. As the patients heal, they are able to perform their everyday activities with significantly less pain, more mobility, and greater endurance.

Prolotherapy Can Help Many Painful Conditions

Prolotherapy can be successful in healing many conditions, such as neck pain and whiplash injuries, mid-back and rib pain, low back pain, sacroiliac dysfunction (which often causes “sciatica” and pain radiating down the legs), rotator cuff injuries, shoulder and hip labral tears, tennis and golfer's elbow (epicondylosis), wrist sprains and tendinitis, hand and foot arthritis, hip arthritis, groin strains, ankle sprains, Achilles tendon injuries, and plantar fasciitis.

Tips For Choosing a Prolotherapy Provider

When it comes to a sophisticated procedure such as prolotherapy, choosing a qualified practitioner can become tricky. An ideal provider has advanced training and a track record of performing many procedures in multiple areas of the body, but most importantly takes time to perform a very thorough examination to determine exactly which body structures are causing the problem. Seek a provider who comprehensively addresses health issues such as diet, sleep, hormone balance, and mental/emotional well-being, and understands that treating the “whole person” is essential for optimizing your body's healing ability.