Our muscles attach to bone with fibrous tissue called tendons or ligaments, which also holds our joints together. Because they act as support tissue, they have minimal blood supply, which is why they look white. When injured this minimal blood supply results in either slow healing or scarring.
The body’s first step in any healing process is to increase the blood flow to the affected area, bringing in O² and nutritional healing factors. The better the blood flow, the quicker and more complete the healing and repair process. This is called inflammation.
Prolotherapy is an old technique to increase blood flow to injured joints, tendons and ligaments. It involves injecting a sugar type solution into the injury site, which promotes a controlled and beneficial inflammation. The result is decreased pain, increased mobility and strengthening of the injured tissue. Two to six treatments are usually needed, depending on the degree of injury. In certain cases ozone, an activated form of oxygen is used because it produces a better response. This is called prolozone.
The most recent prolotherapy is called Platelet Rich Plasma which uses the patient’s own blood platelets effecting a more rapid and complete healing. This treatment was highlighted on the front page of the New York Times when a key player on the Pittsburgh Steelers considered "out for the season" received PRP and starred in the Superbowl four weeks later.
Because prolotherapy strengthens and repairs injured tissue, it often makes surgery unnecessary. Cortisone shots, on the other hand, provide very temporary relief of pain and swelling, but used repeatedly will actually weaken the underlying tissue. Oral anti-inflammatory drugs – Advil, Motrin are associated with intestinal upset and GI bleeding. There are no side effects with any form of prolotherapy.
For more information and a free consultation, please call us at (914) 241-7030.
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