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Prolotherapy
● Prolotherapy
● How Does Prolotherapy Work?
● How Prolotherapy Helps?
● Indications and Contraindications
● Introduction to Prolotherapy
● Why Get Prolotherapy?
● What is Prolotherapy?
● How Does Prolotherapy Work?
● Are You A Prolotherapy Candidate?
● Tendon, Ligament, Reconstruction
● How Safe Is Prolotherapy?
● Finding a Prolotherapy doctor
● When Prolotherapy May Not Work
● 20 Questions About Prolotherapy
● The History of Prolotherapy
● Curing Chronic Pain
● Sclerotherapy?
● Turning to Prolotherapy
● Prolotherapy and Chronic Pain
● The Proof Prolotherapy is Working?
● Prolotherapy: Creating Collagen
● How To Support Treatment

 

The Journal of Prolotherapy

Table of Contents of all issues of The Journal of Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy vs.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
and Spinal Drug Delivery and
Spinal Cord Stimulation
for Back Pain
Ross Hauser, M.D.

Many people only become aware of Prolotherapy after they have undergone a surgical procedure for back pain. Although the pain may not be as severe as it was before the surgery, most people continue to experience significant back pain after surgery. Why? Because the back surgery involved removing supporting structures, such as a lamina, facet, or disc, thus weakening surrounding segments.

Spinal cord stimulation is usually reserved as a last-chance effort at controlling back pain. Specifically it is used for people what have pain after surgery, complex regional pain syndrome (also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy), or severe nerve pain and numbness.

The procedure involves implanting a small pulse generator into the stomach and running coated wires to the spine to deliver electrical impulses to the spinal cord.

These electrical impulses block pain signals traveling to the brain. Of course, there are risks to implanting a foreign device in the body. Some of these risks include infection, scar tissue around the stimulator, headaches, breakage of electrical wire, and pain beyond the reach of the impulses.

Spinal Drug Delivery for Back Pain
Similar to a spinal cord stimulator, spinal drug delivery (or intrathecal drug delivery) involves implanting a small pump in the stomach and running a catheter to the spine to deliver pain medication. It is used for people with chronic back pain who need large doses of narcotics to deal with the pain, specifically for people with failed surgery or complex regional pain syndrome.

Compared to oral medication, this “pain pump” requires a smaller dose of narcotics because medication goes directly to the area of pain.

This therapy is also for people with pain after surgery or complex regional pain syndrome.

Prolotherapy to Prevent Later-Phase Back Pain Therapies Spinal cord stimulators and spinal drug delivery should be avoided at all cost – the risks and maintenance associated with these implants do not offer the quality of life a pain patient is seeking. Prolotherapy offers hope! Even after a failed surgery or in the event of complex regional pain syndrome

We have seen severe cases of back pain healed with Prolotherapy, even after surgery, spinal cord stimulators and pain pump implants.

"Can I get Prolotherapy if I have a spinal cord stimulator?"
This is a question I get asked once or twice a year. When modern medicine fails to help someone's pain, despite high doses of narcotics, the final assault on their bodies is to implant a spinal cord stimulator. The spinal cord stimulator gives a small electric current to the person's spinal cord so the impulses of pain and injury are not felt as much. Typically the people are still on narcotics despite their spinal cords getting continually zapped.

Since Prolotherapy gets at the root cause of pain, it would be a good treatment for those on narcotics and those with spinal cord stimulators. The only thing I ask of patients is that they bring their X-rays showing exactly where the spinal cord stimulator is placed. As long as I can see where the stimulator electrodes are located (typically at the level of the upper lumbar vertebrae) then I can safely do Prolotherapy at the areas below this. Generally the pain is coming from the sacroiliac ligaments, iliolumbar ligaments and the levels of L4 and L5 which are generally two segments below where the spinal cord stimulator electrodes are located. In my experience, Prolotherapy injections to the above areas can be safely done without hitting the spinal cord stimulator or the electrodes.

For the person on a spinal cord stimulator to get completely healthy though, I also recommend a comprehensive natural medicine evaluation. Typically because of the severity of the chronic pain and multiple surgeries, disability, ….the person is in a state of hormone depletion. An aggressive course of anabolic natural hormones, eating right for his or her Diet Type, nutritional supplements, and, of course, Comprehensive Prolotherapy the person can be weaned off of narcotics and their spinal cord stimulator.

If you have chronic back pain, are taking pain medication, or have had a failed back surgery, please contact us for a Comprehensive Prolotherapy consultation.