Are You an Ideal Candidate for Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair the painful area. For the patient who has localized areas of pain or the person who has had a recent injury from an accident, Prolotherapy is a very effective treatment to strengthen those specific areas and eliminate the pain. Realize, however, that Prolotherapy starts the growth of new healthy, strong tissue. Your body--your own immune system--grows the tissue. For the person who has terrible digestion, chronic fatigue, irritable bladder; and a host of other chronic nutritional, hormonal, allergic problems, these deficiencies and illnesses should be corrected so the body will be able to respond to Prolotherapy.
The ideal Prolotherapy candidate has the following:
1. Pain originating from a ligament or tendon
2. Strong immune system
3. Willingness to improve and receive follow-up visits
4. Healthy diet
5. Positive mental outlook
When Prolotherapy Does Not Work
The most common reasons why a person may not attain improvement with Prolotherapy are the following:
1. Inadequate (depressed) immune system
2. Nutritional deficiencies
3. Hormonal deficiencies
4. Other factors causing the pain that are not being addressed
5. Correct area being treated but repair not yet complete
6. Wrong area being treated
This last fact is often overlooked. A good example of this relates to patients with lower back pain. Typically what is needed for back pain is for the patients to receive Prolotherapy to the lower back at the sacroiliac joints. In a small percentage of the people, the sacroiliac joint remains weakened because the pelvic joint in the front (pubic symphysis) also needs to be treated. The sacroiliac ligaments, in this instance, will only maintain the strength that is attained with Prolotherapy if the pubic symphysis is also treated.
Why am I Sore After Prolotherapy?
A patient is generally sore for a couple of days after Prolotherapy. This is because the injections have to go through some muscles to get to the ligaments and tendons. To help the muscle soreness resolve itself sooner, massage therapy and moist heat applied to the area is recommended. Natural products to encourage soft tissue healing, such as bromelain, MSM, or products such as Prolo Max, are recommended. Gentle manipulation techniques, such as myofascial release, strain-counter-strain, or activator gun treatments, are helpful. Other modalities that improve circulation and assist the healing from Prolotherapy include acupuncture, Rolfing, electrical stimulation, magnets, infrared heat, and ultrasound.
For those who are more sensitive to pain, medications such as Tylenol and Ultram, which are not anti-inflammatory medications, are permissible. Occasionally a muscle relaxant is needed. It is very important to avoid anti- inflammatory medications, as these may decrease the effectiveness of Prolotherapy. Narcotic medications, such as Vicodin, Tylenol with Codeine, and Darvocet should also be avoided because they depress the immune system. Of course, this is not helpful because the immune system is critical for healing after Prolotherapy.
Exercising is permitted as soon as the patient feels ready. Generally, light exercise can begin two days after Prolotherapy. The general rule is if a certain activity or exercise hurts significantly, switch to a different one. A small amount of pain is expected while recovering from an injury, but not significant pain. If the patient receives one Prolotherapy treatment and feels fine, follow-up is still recommended to allow the physician to assess the area for complete healing. If it is still significantly tender, further treatments are needed because the area is still injured. Once the tenderness is gone, the patient is cured.
DISCLAIMER:
Prolotherapy is a medical technique, like all medical techniques, the results achieved by patients may vary greatly. While some will have success, others may not.
Please note: Supplement recommendations by disorders is a general recommendation. It is not our suggestion that these supplements cure or improve these conditions, neither do we make claims that these supplements in anyway are to be used in place of medical advice from a licensed medial professional, nor are they to be used in the place of medications prescribed by a physician.
Nutritional, herbal, mineral supplementation can be beneficial in certain health circumstances but not in every circumstance. Before using any nutritional supplement it is strongly advised that you seek the guidance of a licensed health care professional to help guide you in choosing any supplementation program.
The information in this newsletter is presented as information only and not a self-help guide. Never alter or change your health management or begin any new health plans without first consulting your personal health care provider.
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