Farmer Returns to Work after Prolotherapy
While we treat many sports injuries at Caring Medical, we also treat people whose pain takes a more serious toll on their lives. For instance many people have to discontinue work due to their pain and as a result add a lot of stress to their lives.
Traditional Treatments for Pain: Jack was one such patient. As a livestock farmer he had experienced weakness and soreness in his knee for over 10 years. After one hard workday of kneeling for extended periods of time his knee became painful and swollen and was constantly popping in and out of joint. He continued to work but was severely hindered in the amount of work he could accomplish. He first visited his chiropractor who was able to put his knee back into place. Jack noticed an increase in range of motion, but the pain remained. He then visited an orthopedist that ordered an MRI and suggested that Jack have part of his meniscus removed.
Prolotherapy as a treatment for pain: Wanting to be cautious about surgery, Jack went looking for a second opinion and came across Caring Medical. He made an appointment to meet with our Prolotherapy physician, Dr. Ross Hauser, and was eager to see if Prolotherapy was a good treatment option for him. At his first visit Dr. Hauser examined Jack’s knee and noticed some grinding, indicative of joint instability. Therefore he diagnosed the pain as joint instability and a meniscus tear. He recommended Prolotherapy using platelet rich plasma (PRP) to speed the healing process. Jack was glad to know he had an alternative option to surgery and was ready to get started right away. Dr. Hauser treated Jack’s knee with 30 injections of a standard Prolotherapy solution along with the PRP injections. He then instructed Jack to wear a knee brace while working to prevent excessive movement or strain in the joint due to the physical nature of his job.
Follow-up visit: Jack returned three weeks later for a second treatment. He reported an increase in knee strength and was happy with the improvement. He reported that the grinding in his knee had gone away but returned a few days before his second treatment. Dr. Hauser performed the same PRP treatment as before and instructed Jack to follow the same instructions.
Final treatment: Three weeks later Jack returned for his third and final treatment. He reported a large decrease in discomfort and a complete cessation of popping and clicking. He was very happy with the results and asked Dr. Hauser to examine his neck, another area of pain and stiffness, to see if Prolotherapy could help with that. Dr. Hauser diagnosed Jack with osteoarthritis of the neck and informed him that Prolotherapy is a great option for arthritis. Therefore Jack had both his knees and neck treated that day.
Pain relief: A few months later we called to check on Jack and his pain. He reported great results and was back to work full time. He is working on building the strength he had lost from the decrease in work, but overall he was extremely happy with the results and grateful to be able to work again and so thankful to have found an alternative to meniscus surgery.
Chronic pain can seriously interfere with many aspects of life. Don’t let pain add stress to your life; give us a call to see if Prolotherapy is right for you.