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What is Prolotherapy and How Does it Work?
 Marc
Darrow, M.D.
The term "Prolotherapy" is short for "proliferation therapy." Proliferation, of
course, means "rapid production."
What Prolotherapy rapidly produces is
collagen and
cartilage.
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in the body that is a necessary
element for the formation of new
connective tissue—the tissues that holds our
skeletal infrastructure together. These tissues include, tendons,
ligaments,
muscle fascia and joint capsular tissue.
Prolotherapy helps make collagen through a series of injections, not of
collagen, but of mild chemical or natural (such as
dextrose-sugar) irritants,
which stimulates the immune system's healing mechanism to produce collagen
naturally. The making of new collagen makes for strengthened and restored
joints. Restored and strengthened joints make for permanent pain relief.
The Basis of a Prolotherapy Treatment:The Prolotherapy Doctor's Examination
A Prolotherapy physician will physically examine the patient, being careful to
gently press on the suspect area causing pain. When the physician's touch
elicits an intense pain spot, known as a
trigger points or tender point, this is the
spot where Prolotherapy is given.
One test you can do at home to determine if you are a candidate for Prolotherapy
is to gently press on the area causing pain.
If you can find and put your finger on an exact spot where the pain is coming
from, you have found the trigger or tender point, the junction of bone and
connective tissue that is injured or weakened.
Prolotherapy is also effective for areas of the body that are painful but not
tender to the touch, like the inside of a joint.
The Injections
Unlike the cosmetic use of collagen that requires injecting bovine collagen into
the skin to rejuvenate and restore a more youthful appearance, Prolotherapy
stimulates your body to produce its own collagen. Rejuvenating and rebuilding
your body's infrastructure and allowing you a more youthful and pain-free vigor.
The ingredients used in Prolotherapy consist of a variety of tested, refined and
researched compounds that have been successful in helping alleviate chronic
pain.
Ingredients
Some
Prolotherapist use mild chemical irritants, such as phenol, guaiacol or
tannic acid, to trigger the healing process. These substances attach themselves
to the walls of the cells wherever they are injected and cause the irritation
that stimulates the body's reactive healing process. Others prefer to use
chemotactic agents, primarily
sodium morrhuate, a fatty acid derived from cod
liver oil.
Some Prolotherapists use the dramatic sounding "osmotic shock agents," which are
actually simple compounds like dextrose and glycerine. These ingredients are the
most commonly used in the arsenal of Prolotherapy and are extremely safe and
water-soluble. They are easily excreted from the body after having their initial
desired effect. They work by causing cells to lose water, leading to cellular
dehydration and then
Inflammation with its subsequent stimulation of the healing
response.
Besides these general differences in the injections, the specific combinations
of chemicals and substances used are as varied as the "schools" of Prolotherapy
using them.
Some practitioners add co-factors, such as the antioxidant mineral manganese, or
a combination of
glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate which is believed
to aid in the repair of arthritic joints. Some have preference for other
co-factors believed to increase the efficacy of the compounds they are used
with.
Although the above methods of Prolotherapy work in different ways—motivating the
body to heal itself through a variety of natural responses—the end result is the
same: To cure pain by building new tissue and stabilizing the joints.
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Prolotherapy is a medical
technique. As with any medical technique, results will vary among
individuals.
Prolotherapy may not work for you and as with all medical
procedures there are risks involved. These risks should be discussed with a qualified
health care professional prior to any treatment.
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