Ultrasound Guided Prolotherapy

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Effective pain treatment without surgery?

Prolotherapy is an injection treatment for pain and joint repair that can permanently repair a joint/muscle injuries.

Common conditions addressed include:

Rotator cuff injuries,

Knee ligament injuries

Ankle ligament injuries

Hip Pain/Injuries

Lower back pain

Sacroiliac instability

Carpal Tunnel Pain

Tendonitis, arthiritis,

Prolotherapy channels the body’s own healing response to inflammation by injecting a safe, non-toxic solution (dextrose, PRP, or PRF ) into an area of pain or tissue damage, triggering a localized immune system response to rebuild ligaments, tendons and cartilage.  In other words, prolotherapy rebuilds joints from within without scarring or adhesions.

Prolotherapy is a researched and clinically proven way to harness the incredible regenerative capabilities or your own body, cascading the natural repair of musculoskeletal injuries.

Articles:

The UW Prolotherapy Education and Research Lab

Prolotherapy in Primary Care Practice

Demonstrating the effectiveness of Platelet Rich Plasma and Prolotherapy treatments in knee osteoarthritis

Effect of Dextrose Prolotherapy, Platelet Rich Plasma and Autologous Conditioned Serum on Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Effect of platelet-rich plasma injections for chronic nonspecific low back pain

How does it work?

When an injury occurs, the body’s immune system reacts by sending a surge of blood to the injury or wound (inflammation).  This surge of blood carries chemicals designed to heal and repair, namely dextrose (sugar d-glucose).  Interruption of the natural inflammation process can prevent the body’s natural healing ability, leaving you with chronic pain and degenerative damage to tissues, joints, and spine.  In the case of chronic pain, tissue is damaged more extensively and for a more prolonged period of time than the body can repair on its own. Prolotherapy essentially reboots the body’s natural method for healing injury by introducing the very same chemical, dextrose, to the site of the injury, triggering the body to launch a healing response. 

For (many) patients, a series of prolotherapy treatments successfully rebuilds strong and healthy ligaments and permanently eliminates pain.

In additional to the safe and simple base solution of dextrose and saline, a safe anesthetic (procaine) is used to reduce and relieve pain from the injection and the subsequent healing process.  Prolotherapy is administered without the use of anti-inflammatory medications or steroids, as these substances inhibit the healing process.

Prolotherapy is a safe, cost-effective, and predominately successful approach to acute injury, chronic pain, tissue/ligament damage, and degenerating joints.

Do all cases of chronic pain or degenerative arthritis require prolotherapy?

No. In all cases of chronic pain and degenerative arthritis, the underlying cause is joint instability. But the reason for joint instability can vary.Patients are first treated using structuralmanipulation therapy to stabilize joints.If this approach does not result in joint stabilization, then prolotherapy may be recommended.

How many treatments of prolotherapy are necessary?

PRP/PRF prolo therpay- 1 session every 4-8 weeks.

Dextrose/ozone- 1 session every 2 weeks.

Typical number of Prolotherapy sessions for joint

Knee - PRP or PRF- 2-3 sessions/ 4-5 sessions dextrose/ozone
Shoulder - PRP or PRF- 2-3 sessions/ 4-5 sessions dextrose/ozone
Ankle - PRP or PRF- 2-3 sessions/ 4-5 sessions dextrose/ozone
Wrist -PRP or PRF- 2 sessions /. 4 sessions dextrose/ozone
Sacroiliac joint - PRP or PRF- 2-3 sessions/ 5-7 session dextrose/ozone

Pricing:

Dextrose/ozone- $400/joint. , $200 additional joint same day

PRF/PRP Prolo- $1400/joint, $400 additional joint same day

Benefits of Ultrasound-Guided Injections

Ultrasound machines allow us to see structures such as tendons, ligaments, muscle and joints in real time for a precise injection delivery. This allows us to safely inject structures in the body that are otherwise difficult to examine and find. It also allows us to avoid important structures such as blood vessels and nerves that may be in the path of the injection needle. It allows our providers to see and avoid potential complications in real-time during the procedure. We use ultrasound-guided injections to ensure our care is optimized for your specific needs.

Using ultrasound also eliminates the risk of radiation. While flouroscopy, a type of real-time X-ray, also allows for visualization during the process, it involves repeated exposure to radiation.  Our physicians are using ultrasound to guide pain-relieving hip and shoulder injections instead of fluoroscopy guidance. 

Patients experience pain relief and increased function after ultrasound-guided injections. This allows you to return to normal activities sooner. Injections can also be used for pain relief to assist with physical therapy so you can heal and strengthen your injured body part.

prolotherapy

Prolo Therapy, also known as Proliferative Therapy or Non-Surgical Ligament and Tendon Reconstruction and Regenerative Joint Injection, can help you speed up the healing process for a wide range of pains, from injuries, post-surgery care to chronic pain. It’s done by directed injection to the site to cause mild inflammatory response that consequently encourages the growth of new, normal ligament or tendon fibers. It is one of the most effective yet natural way of healing & managing pain.

Traditional Prolo Therapy solution formulas include ingredients such as dextrose.

PRP/PRF injection therapy

PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma), or a better-grade PRF (Platelet Rich Fibrin), Injection Therapy works well for many types of muscular and joint pains. For a better result, we take the nutrients and growth factors straight from your blood and inject it into the area of concern to help the body speed up the healing process in just a few treatments. The effects of PRP/PRF is better than regular Prolotherapy as the nutrients and growth factors come from your own body and can be absorbed much easier with greater impact.

History of Prolotherapy

Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine, developed the theory for prolotherapy 25 centuries ago.    Javelin throwers were separating their shoulders and Hippocrates discovered that the stimulation of the rotator cuff with a metal probe could trigger a healing response.

Dr. Hackett, in the 1930’s, discovered that patients with motor accidents had pain due torn tendons and ligaments.  Dr. Hackett developed a proliferant injection therapy that is referred to as prolotherapy today.

Is Prolo therapy a permanent solution for pain?

Yes.

For patients who are looking into Prolotherapy, please understand that this is a specialty procedure with technique and experience being a key component. What we present on our website is based on our experience and research and does not apply to all practitioners or injection therapies.

In July 2016, doctors at Caring Medical published findings on the effectiveness of Prolotherapy treatments in the medical journal: Clinical Insights: Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders, here are the summary highlights:

Our doctors reviewed 32 studies on dextrose prolotherapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain. The following conclusions are made:

  • Prolotherapy is supported in the treatment of tendinopathies in patients who fail conservative therapies;

  • Prolotherapy is supported in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis

  • Prolotherapy is supported in the treatment of finger joint osteoarthritis in patients who do not respond to conservative therapies;

  • Prolotherapy is supported in the treatment of back pain and

  • Prolotherapy is supported in the treatment of pelvic pain in patients who fail to respond to conservative therapies.

“Overall, Prolotherapy has been demonstrated to be efficacious and should be considered as a treatment for pain and dysfunction associated with chronic musculoskeletal conditions, particularly tendinopathies and osteoarthritis.” - Hauser RA, Lackner JB, Steilen-Matias D, Harris DK. A Systematic Review of Dextrose Prolotherapy for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain. Clinical Medicine Insights Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders. [Google Scholar]