Prolotherapy

What Is Prolotherapy?

Prolotherapy is a form of regenerative therapy that uses injections around joints to strengthen ligaments and tendons after injury or overuse.

How Does Prolotherapy Work?

Prolotherapy injections contain a combination of 50 percent dextrose (sugar water) and one percent lidocaine (a short-acting, local painkiller).

The injection solution is a mild irritant that creates a temporary, acute inflammatory response in the injured area. This brings in white blood cells and growth factors, which then stimulate a healing response.

How Should You Prepare for Prolotherapy?

Before a prolotherapy treatment, it is very important to stop taking all anti-inflammatory drugs (prescription or over-the-counter) for at least seven days. Drugs to avoid during this time include naproxen (Aleve), ibuprofen (Advil), aspirin, and steroids (Prednisone). If you take celecoxib (Celebrex), discontinue it for seven days before prolotherapy.

What Can You Expect from Prolotherapy?

Prolotherapy treatment is usually fairly painless. Some patients experience increased pain or soreness in the area for 24 to 48 hours after the injection, followed by improvement. You may use acetaminophen and an ice pack to manage discomfort. You should avoid fish oil and all anti-inflammatory medications (prescription or over-the-counter) for two weeks after a prolotherapy treatment.

What Conditions Can Prolotherapy Treat?

Prolotherapy can be very helpful for treating joint problems from arthritis, sports injuries, and more.

Conditions that prolotherapy can help include:

Elbow problems: Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)
Foot and ankle problems: Chronic ankle weakness, recurrent sprains, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs
Knee problems: Patello-femoral syndrome (PFS), iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS), chondromalacia, chronic sprains/strains, osteoarthritis
Lower back problems: Lower back pain from osteoarthritis, disc herniation, facet atrophy, sacroiliac joint instability
Neck and head problems: Whiplash, osteoarthritis, disc/facet issues, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain
Shoulder problems: Rotator cuff injuries, impingement syndrome, recurrent dislocations

How Many Prolotherapy Treatments Will You Need?

The number of treatments you may need depends on your situation and your needs. In general, most patients experience significant improvement after one to five treatments, with at least three weeks between treatments.

AIM for Wellbeing's Prolotherapy Providers

We have expert prolotherapy providers at AIM for Wellbeing. Dr. Steve Amoils, MD, and Dr. Liz Woolfard, MD, administer prolotherapy treatments.

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Call the office to check availability and to schedule an appointment. To book this service, you must be a patient with AIM for Wellbeing. To become patient, schedule a discovery call.

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