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Prolotherapy Might Be For You...

Saturday, 13 August 2016 23:10

ED. Prolotherapy may not work for everyone, but one of the MTN Guys is still running today because of it.

By Susan Lacke (triathlon.competitor.com)

Athletes are turning to injections of plasma and sugar to heal injuries.

For Jennie Hansen, prolotherapy was a Hail Mary. While sidelined with a severe high hamstring injury, the professional triathlete had endured chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage and injections of anti-inflammatory medications. Nothing was working...

“I was at the point where I was willing to try anything,” said Hansen. In this case, “anything” included a series of injections known as prolotherapy. Though the ultrasound-guided injections were quite uncomfortable (“one of the most, if not the most, acutely painful experiences I’ve ever had,” says Hansen), the injury began to heal. At two weeks, Hansen was riding a bike once more; at six weeks, elliptical workouts were tolerable. At 10 weeks post-treatment, Hansen began a gradual return to running.

“I do feel that the prolotherapy did help me get over the hump,” says Hansen.

What is Prolotherapy?
“In its simplest form, prolotherapy is the injection of a natural substance to stimulate the growth of weakened, torn or damaged soft tissue such as ligaments, tendons, meniscus and labrum,” says Peter Fields, MD, DC.

The substances injected in prolotherapy vary based on the type and severity of injury. Dextrose prolotherapy is the injection of dextrose, or sugar, in mild-to-moderate soft tissue injuries, such as weakened ligaments and tendons. PRP, or platelet-rich plasma prolotherapy, is the injection of concentrated blood products into a severely torn ligament, tendon, or meniscus. For joint injuries involving a degeneration of cartilage (“bone-on-bone” injuries), some doctors utilize stem cell prolotherapy, where stem cells are harvested from the body and injected back in.

Not all soft-tissue injuries are candidates for prolotherapy treatment. Dr. Fields estimates approximately 5 percent of injuries—a complete rupture of a ligament or tendon, for example, or extremely degraded joints— would not benefit from injections. A very thorough history and physical, along with a review of MRIs and X-rays, can help a doctor determine a patient’s eligibility for prolotherapy.  READ MORE