|
Injecting Relief Prolotherapy Can Effectively Reduce Chronic Pain
ADVANCE MAGAZINE
By Marc Darrow, MD, JD, QME
The idea of
introducing an irritant to an injured joint certainly isn't new. In
ancient Greece, Hippocrates used heated metal probes to treat dislocated
and painful
shoulders
of javelin throwers. He believed this technique created tough scar
tissue that tightened the shoulder capsule and kept the joint in place.
George S. Hackett, MD, continued to build on Hippocrates' theories in
1939. While working with car accident survivors, he realized that
patients experienced pain when
ligaments
and tendons were injured. He believed that repairing connective
tissues could resolve most of the pain. Dr. Hackett introduced an
irritating compound to activate the body's natural mechanisms and prompt
production of new
collagen
tissues—a proliferation process that became known as
Prolotherapy.
Also known as proliferation therapy, prolotherapy is a pain management
technique that can treat degenerative or chronic injury to ligaments,
tendons, muscle fascia and joint capsular tissue. It also can be
effective for areas that are painful, but not tender to the touch, such
as the inside of a joint.
Through
injections,
prolotherapy allows rapid production of collagen and
cartilage.1 Collagen, a
naturally occurring protein in the body, is a crucial element to the
formation of new connective tissue. And healthy connective tissue
creates a solid foundation to hold the skeletal infrastructure together.
Healing Mechanisms
Prolotherapy helps produce collagen by injecting mild chemical or
natural irritants, such as dextrose—sugar. The injections stimulate the
immune system's healing mechanism to create collagen naturally. This
strengthens and restores joints, which provides permanent pain relief.
Consider a condition such as chronic pain, in which injured, loose or
stretched out ligaments often cause
ligament
laxity. Laxity produces pain and discomfort,
especially during movements. This occurs because the connection of
ligaments and tendons to bone may be inflamed, and a joint may be moving
beyond its normal range of motion.
The body, therefore, must create collagen to heal injured tendons and
ligaments. But it doesn't provide ligaments and tendons with a proper
blood supply, which means lower collagen production and a poor chance
for complete healing.
The same holds true in cases of degenerative disease and aging. In
particular, collagen may dry out and lose its stretching ability. This
process is more severe in some people, and researchers don't know why.
Theories behind this deficiency include poor genetic makeup, blood type
with specific dietary requirements, viral or bacterial load,
pathological conditions, body acidity or food allergies.
In healthy ligaments or tendons, collagen fibers are flexible and
elastic. But injuries can stretch fibers beyond their designed lengths,
and repetitive motion frays or tears them. When tissues are stretched
beyond their normal limits,
inflammation occurs. A patient
experiences inflammation, the immune system's response to injury, when
the body tries to heal damage. However, a weakened immune system or
severe injury also can restrict the ability of ligaments and tendons to
heal correctly. Since connective tissue around joints and cartilage has
such poor blood circulation, injuries to connective tissue are often
irreparable.
The key to prolotherapy is stimulating collagen development and growing
new ligament and tendon tissue. By growing stronger ligaments and
tendons, you can repair the injury, and reverse the degenerative cycle
of arthritis and wear-and-tear disorders.
Article Segments 1
2 3
|
