Prolotherapy

Treatment for Patients with Chronic Joint and Muscle Pain

Prolotherapy (proliferative therapy) is a treatment for patients with chronic joint and muscle pain; it is offered as an alternative to over-the-counter pain relievers (NSAIDs), corticosteroids and, in some cases, surgery. Prolotherapy is based on the premise that the injection of a mild irritant, usually dextrose, into a joint, ligament or tendon triggers a localized inflammatory response, thereby stimulating an increase in blood supply to damaged tissue. With this increased blood flow comes an increased supply of immune cells and collagen to assist in repairing the damage, and stimulating the formation of new, healthy connective tissue.

  • In order to prepare platelet-rich plasma, blood is withdrawn from the patient. The blood is then processed in a centrifuge to separate the red blood cells from the plasma. The plasma, which contains both white blood cells and platelets, is then further concentrated until the finished product contains approximately eight times as many platelets as normal blood.

  • PRP therapy has advantages over many other treatment methods. The preparation of platelet-rich plasma is a rapid process, resulting in plasma that is available for treatment usage within the hour. It is easily administered during the same session during which blood has been withdrawn and continues to assist healing after application.

    In addition, PRP is compatible with other treatment options, such as physical therapy, and does not produce the scarring surgery does. PRP therapy is always autologous, that is, prepared with the patient’s own blood, and therefore does not carry the risks of transfusion.

  • The only negative side effects of PRP therapy are side effects common to any type of injection, such as pain, soreness, damage to a blood vessel, allergic reaction, or infection. In most cases, precautions such as careful sterilization of the equipment and the injection site, and precision in the administration of the injection, prevent such complications.