Medically Reviewed By
Dr. Kailash KothariMD Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, FIAPM (Pain Medicine) · 30+ years experience
- No surgery required for many conditions
- Same-day procedures
- International training & advanced techniques
PROLOTHERAPY - Proliferative Therapy
Proliferative therapy, also know as prolotherapy, is a method of injecting an anesthetic and an irritant (usually containing dextrose and fish oil) into joints, ligaments or tendons that are weakened, torn or pulled.
It is a non-surgical method by which ligaments and tendons are repaired, resulting in strengthening of the weakened connective tissue by using the body’s own healing powers.
Prolotherapy is useful in the treatment of:
- Overuse injuries
- Ligament or tendon dysfunction (sprain, strain, and tendonitis)
- Bursitis
- Arthritis
- Degenerative discs
How does prolotherapy work?
With prolotherapy, an injectate is injected into the lax or torn areas causing a stress inflammation. This inflammation results in the proliferative cells migrating to the weakened area, allowing for growth of new, strengthened tissues, a mechanism by which the body can work toward healing itself.
What is in prolotherapy injections?
Several different types of injections include chemical irritants, osmotic agents, and particulates. All of the solutions used in prolotherapy are a combination of anesthetic and proliferant so that they provide a dual effect.
Most commonly used agents are Osmotic agents, which work by causing cells to lose water, which leads to inflammation and the subsequent stimulation of the healing response. Dextrose 12-25% is the main ingredient in standard prolotherapy solutions.
Does Proliferative therapy work on all areas of the body?
All joints respond to treatment. The treatment has also been successful in cases involving knee joint osteoarthritis, back pain, shoulder joint arthritis, ankle sports injury, unstable joints, heel spurs, tennis elbow, golfer's elbow and other musculoskeletal pain conditions.
How many treatments are required to receive the maximum benefit?
This is an individual matter depending on many factors. In general, we recommend starting with 3-5 sessions of injections performed at three- to four-week intervals. Unlike steroid injections, the benefits of prolotherapy evolve gradually, thus patience is encouraged with the healing process.
Procedure Images
