Prolotherapy

(A Non – Surgical Solution to Chronic Pain)

Prolotherapy also called “proliferative therapy” is beneficial for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. It’s a non-surgical alternative treatment that assists the body in healing weakened joints, ligaments, and tendons. A trained physician uses natural substances to inject damaged areas.

Dr. Kent Pomeroy, one of the leading prolotherapists in the country states “Prolotherapy is a therapeutic treatment for pain and joint instability, simply the application of the basic science of healing and repair. It is cost effective, safe, and works when nothing else does. It is just common sense good medicine.”

The problem with musculoskeletal injuries that do not heal completely is that they may lead to referred pain and/or joint instability. Joint instability causes the cartilage to wear out or break down more rapidly with the development of spurs and arthritic changes. If the injury is to the joints of the spine the discs may be injured more easily, with nerve involvement from the spurs or from disc herniation.

Natural substances used in prolotherapy may include a concentrated sugar solution, anesthetics, and a water soluble form of cod liver oil extract, called sodium morruhuate. These substances are injected into the joint, the attachment point of the tendon or ligament on the bone. The healing process is started and the tendon or ligament cells multiply as if they have been sprained.  Each new fiber weaves itself across the bridge of the existing tendon or ligament and patches the hole or weak spot in the structure. The result is a larger, thicker tendon or ligament, elimination of the pain and better joint stability.

The former Surgeon General of the U.S., C. Everett Koop, benefited from prolotherapy for his low back pain and used it to treat the parents of his pediatric patients.  He later had a severe neck problem that was helped with prolotherapy treatments. Dr. Koop was treated by Dr. G. A. Hemwall, who was one of the founders of modern day Prolotherapy. 

Dr. George S. Hackett did much of the original work with prolotherapy research and patient treatment and coined the word “prolotherapy”, meaning “proliferative therapy”.  Dr. Hemwall was trained by Dr. Hackett.  Dr. Hackett wrote and published many papers on prolotherapy and on pain referral patterns from the neck and back.