Prolotherapy and Treatment Guidelines Melbourne - Mannigham Foot Clinic
Prolotherapy and Treatment Guidelines Melbourne - Mannigham Foot Clinic
Mannigham Foot Clinic prolotherapy injection therapy works to treat torn ligament, tendons and muscles that cause back pain.
Our qualified podiatrists at Manningham Foot Clinic provide this treatment for feet, ankles, and knees to alleviate musculoskeletal pain and strengthen the weakened tissue. Each treatment prolongs the effects, and our goal is to design a treatment plan that targets your specific pain and provides long-term relief.
What is Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is a nonsurgical regenerative injection technique that introduces small amounts of an irritant solution to the site of painful and degenerated tendon insertions (entheses), joints, ligaments, and in adjacent joint spaces during several treatment sessions to promote growth of normal cells and tissues.
Irritant solutions most often contain dextrose (d-glucose), a natural form of glucose normally found in the body, but may also contain combinations of polidocanol, manganese, zinc, pumice, ozone, glycerin, or phenol. In severe cases, autologous cellular solutions may also be needed, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), bone marrow, or adipose tissue. For the patient, the goal of Prolotherapy in chronic musculoskeletal pain and instability is the stimulation of body’s natural healing and regenerative processes in the joint that will facilitate the repair and regrowth of connective tissue, ligaments, tendons for tensile strength, and cartilage and other joint stabilizing structures such as labral tissue.
Prolotherapy works by the same process that the human body naturally uses to stimulate the body’s healing system, a process called inflammation. The technique involves the injection of a proliferant (a mild irritant solution) that causes an inflammatory response which “turns on” the healing process. The growth of new ligament and tendon tissue is then stimulated. The ligaments and tendons produced after Prolotherapy appear much the same as normal tissues, except that they are thicker, stronger, and contain fibers of varying thickness, testifying to the new and ongoing creation of tissue. This is documented in the research below
Should I Get Prolotherapy?
If you experience pain from a musculoskeletal disorder or persistent pain, we recommend prolotherapy to ease discomfort and achieve long-term relief. At Manningham Foot Clinic, we focus on the following parts of the body:
- Knees
- Ankles
- Feet
What Is Prolotherapy? Prolotherapy is a therapy used to treat joint and muscle pain. It is sometimes called regenerative injection therapy or proliferation therapy. Prolotherapy involves injecting a sugar or saline substance into your sore joint or muscle, where it acts as an irritant.
How Do Prolotherapy Injections Work?
Experts aren’t clear how or if prolotherapy works, but there are several theories about the way it acts in the body. Possible actions could be that: The injection changes the fluid pressure and causes local cells in the area to burst, which triggers the healing process.
- The injection attracts immune cells and inflammation chemicals to the area.
- The injection causes scarring where the collagen is broken down.
- The injection causes irritation to cells in a confined area by drying them out.
- This process is said to cause inflammation and stimulate your body to heal, and people say it eases pain.
Prolotherapy has been studied and some studies conclude that it may help with conditions such as tendon injuries, finger and knee osteoarthritis, and ligament problems that cause low back pain. In another study, people with knee osteoarthritis who received prolotherapy experienced greater pain relief, swelling, and movement than those who did not. Patients with low back pain who received prolotherapy experienced significantly less pain and disability.
However, many prolotherapy studies are small and do not show long-term pain relief or changes in joint or muscle condition. Better quality studies are required, with more patients being treated or examined over a longer period of time. Needles are known to cause placebo effects in procedures, so the
Prolotherapy Side Effects
Prolotherapy seems to be a safe treatment based on the limited research. None of the clinical trials for prolotherapy and low back pain show any serious side effects. Mild effects may include:
- Minor pain at the injection
- Bleeding
- Occasional numbness
- Full feeling in the joint
While there are no reports, it may be possible to have a side effect like:
- Allergic reaction
- Infection at the injection site
- Nerve damage
- Lightheadedness
Most doctors are opposed to it and have no formal training in it from medical school. It is also not a regulated practise that requires special certification, but the practitioner must be highly trained to perform prolotherapy properly. It is critical that you receive prolotherapy from someone who has received proper injection training.
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