Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy, also referred to as ligament reconstruction therapy or sclerotherapy, is a non-surgical treatment procedure that stimulates the natural healing process by promoting the growth of new tissue to restore the impaired structure. It involves injecting small amounts of irritant (sclerosant) solution at the problem region to trigger a mild inflammatory response that creates a controlled injury that initiates the body’s natural healing process to create new tissue.
Prolotherapy is usually indicated for treating joint dislocation, temporal mandibular joint dysfunction, pain in the knee and shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome, spider veins, abnormal veins and spinal disc disorders.
There are three types of prolotherapy:
- Growth factor injection prolotherapy: Injection of a growth factor to start the growth of cells
- Growth factor stimulation prolotherapy: Injection of a growth factor stimulator
- Inflammatory prolotherapy: Injection of a sclerosant substance that initiates the inflammatory process to form growth factors
Prolotherapy involves a series of injections administered every 1 to 3 weeks as suggested by your doctor. Repeated injections allow the gradual build-up of tissue. As with any medication, prolotherapy may also involve certain side effects such as swelling and stiffness at the injecting site and pain.