What is Prolotherapy and How Does it Work?
March 9, 2011 by Dr. Marc Darrow, M.D.
Filed under Prolotherapy Treatment Information
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The term “Prolotherapy” is short for “proliferation therapy.” Proliferation, of course, means “rapid production.” What Prolotherapy rapidly produces is collagen and cartilage.
Collagen is a naturally occurring protein in the body that is a necessary element for the formation of new connective tissue, the tissues that holds our skeletal infrastructure together. These tissues include, tendons, ligaments, muscle fascia and joint capsular tissue.
Prolotherapy helps make collagen through a series of injections, not of collagen, but of mild chemical or natural (such as dextrose-sugar) irritants, which stimulates the immune system’s healing mechanism to produce collagen naturally. The making of new collagen makes for strengthened and restored joints. Restored and strengthened joints make for permanent pain relief.
Millions of Prolotherapy injections are given each year by hundreds of physicians. Numerous articles have been published, (some are listed below). For his part, Doctor marc Darrow can help Prolotherapy Santa Monica
and Los Angeles, as well as other areas in southern California as well.
Prolotherapy Research
Klein R, Dorman T, Johnson C. Proliferant injections for low back pain: histologic changes of injected ligaments and objective measurements of lumbar spinal mobility before and after treatment. J Neurologic and Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery. 1989;10:123-126.
Ongley M, Klein R, Dorman T, Eek B, Hubert L. A New Approach to the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain. Lancet 1987;2:143-146.
Reeves KD, Hassanein K. Randomized, prospective, placebo-controlled double-blind study on dextrose prolotherapy for osteoarthritic thumb and finger (dip, pip, and trapeziometacarpal) joints: evidence of clinical efficacy. Altern Complement Med 2000 Aug;6(4):311-20.
Reeves KD, Hassanein K. Randomized prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study of dextrose prolotherapy for knee osteoarthritis with or without ACL laxity. Altern Ther Health Med 2000 Mar;6(2):68-74, 77-80.
Schwartz R, et al. Prolotherapy: A literature review and retrospective study. Journal of Neurology, Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery. 1991;12:220-223.
