Your Advil may be causing your arthritis
Prolotherapy, not RICE or NSAIDs, for Ligament Sprains
Sprains are usually caused by twisting injuries. For example, an ankle may be twisted or rotated during rapid pivoting in sports such as soccer and basketball, or by stepping off of a curb or step. Sometimes a moderate or severe sprain causes problems even after the ligament has healed. Most people look for a quick fix to a ligament sprain, but common treatments such as RICE and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause more harm than good. Let’s take a look at conventional medicine versus natural medicine treatments for ligament sprains.
Traditional approach to treating sprains
RICE: Ligament injuries or sprains are typically treated with Rest (or immobilization), Ice, Compression and Elevation (RICE), presumably to help the injured ligaments heal. Nothing could be further from the truth. These efforts result in reduced immune cell production necessary to remove the debris from the injured site. This produces formation of weakened ligament and tendon tissues – in addition to the ligament that was already injured! This is the quickest way to cause a dramatic decline in ligament function and strength. Also, with this approach, nothing is done to repair the damaged ligament and, thus, alleviate the chronic pain that people with a severe sprain experience.
NSAIDs: Another standard practice of traditional sports medicine or orthopedics is to prescribe anti-inflammatory medications after an acute injury, but this should definitely be avoided during this time. In the long run, these treatments do more damage than good. Anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to produce short-term pain benefit, but result in long-term loss of function and even more chronic pain by actually inhibiting the healing process of soft tissues, leading to further degeneration, arthritis, and eventual need for joint replacement surgery. Long-term use of these drugs can lead to other sources of chronic pain, allergies and leaky gut syndrome. Our Prolotherapy doctor, Ross Hauser and our staff have written a number of articles on the detrimental effects of using NSAIDs on healing that have been published in the Journal of Prolotherapy. Click here to read. We think you’ll be shocked when you read about the extent of the problem! Just ponder this – by the year 2030 an estimated 67 million 925% of the adult population) adults aged 18 years and over will have doctor-diagnosed arthritis (2/3 of which will be women.) The question remains as to why there is this alarming increase in osteoarthritis to the point that between 1997 and 2005, the number of knee surgeries climbed by 69%! Could it be related to alarming increase in the use of NSAIDs?
Caring Medical’s alternative approach to treating sprains
MEAT: A better approach for treating acute ligament injuries and sprains is through Movement, Exercise, Analgesics and Treatment, or MEAT. While immobility is detrimental to soft tissue healing, movement is beneficial, as it improves blood flow to the area, removing debris and initiating the healing process. If movement to the joint is painful, the isometric exercises – contracting muscles without moving the affected joint – are recommended. Dr. Hauser, being a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, as well as an avid athlete, provides our patients with detailed exercise regimes in conjunction with the Prolotherapy treatments so that the patients can maximize their healing through THE RIGHT movements!
Prolotherapy for sprains: When healing time is a factor or complete healing of a severe sprain is not possible through the methods described above, ligament repair is stimulated with Prolotherapy. The safest and most effective natural medicine treatment for repairing ligament damage is Prolotherapy. In simple terms, Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair painful areas. It does so by inducing a mild inflammatory reaction in the weakened ligaments. Since the body heals by inflammation, Prolotherapy stimulates healing.
Ligament sprain success story: To read about a female athlete who has benefited from Prolotherapy and been relieved from chronic ankle sprains, click here.
If you are interested in more information about Prolotherapy or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ross Hauser so that you can avoid further degeneration and actually start healing your injury, please contact Caring Medical at 708-848-7789 or online using our contact form.
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