Pain treatment with Neural Prolotherapy
Regeneration of Joint & Muscles with Prolotherapy
What is Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is an injection of any substance that promotes growth of normal cells, and tissues in the body.
There are several types of prolotherapy depending on your individual needs:
“Growth factor stimulation prolotherapy”: Injection of something that causes the body to produce growth factors. Non inflammatory (10% or less) dextrose is an example of this. Two double blind studies have now shown that a simple 10% dextrose injection is effective in arthritis. (1,2)
Humans cells exposed to as little as 0.3% dextrose produce growth factors such as :
- platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF),
- transforming growth factor-beta (TGFB),
- epidermal growth factor (EGF),
- basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF),
- and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF)
“Inflammatory prolotherapy”: Injection of something that causes activation of the inflammatory cascade to produce growth factors. These solutions often include dextrose for a growth factor stimulation effect, but the inflammatory signals that result cause a more vigorous growth response.
Examples of solutions in current use are 12.5%-25% dextrose, injection with multiple bone contacts which itself will stimulate growth factor release. Inflammatory prolotherapy will likely be the most cost effective form of prolotherapy for stimulation of the natural wound healing cascade.
Since the primary pathology in chronic sprain/strain is best described as connective tissue insufficiency, connective tissue laxity and/or weakness (the term connective tissue insufficiency has been utilized), it will be imperative to correct the primary pathology.
Neural Prolotherapy
Similar to the prolotherapy, neural prolotherapy is a dextrose-water injection just under the skin to reduce inflammation and stimulate healing in damaged nerves that serve the surrounding skin, muscles and in some cases, joint. Neural prolotherapy differs from prolotherapy in that a different concentration of dextrose is used in the injection, though both therapies are meant to alleviate pain and restore function to specific areas of the body.
Neural prolotherapy is useful in treating nerve pain post-injury as well as post-surgically.
If you are suffering from pain or limited mobility, have undergone surgery or had an injury, please click here to make an appointment and learn more about how neural prolotherapy, prolotherapy or other treatments could help you. You may also be interested to read more about trigger point injections, active release techniques, and how to improve your strength and flexibility.
Neural Therapy
Most popular and most effective is Neural injections. This is Simple combo of Procaine ( a short term anaesthetic) and Cyclic AMP (Nutrition for the muscle) and Methylcobalamine (vitamin B 12).
When chronic pain is the issue, it could be that scar tissue is joining adhesive structures causing less blood flow, friction of tissues, and increased overall neural stimulation. During the repair of an injury collagen can be less elastic and more adhesive to the normal body function and limit Range of Motion. Injections in this area can stop the pain cycle, break up scar tissue and allow blood flow to the area for optimal healing.
This can especially work well when nerves are damaged during an injury or surgery, scar tissue forms which can cause constant pain signals to fire from the damaged neuron when the scar is irritated.
Neural therapy is administered into painful musculature, scar tissue, acupuncture points, muscle trigger points, nerve points, glands or an autonomic ganglion. The injection numbs the area and then it normalizes the membrane potential of surrounding neurons causing neurons to revert to their pre-injury state. The numbing effects last 4-6 hours to re-set the neurological stimulation. After that the body’s healing mechanism will kick in and stop the increase pain signally from muscle guarding.
As shown to the right the pain triggering the muscle guarding can be further causing restricted range of motion. Our greatest success is decreasing the pain signalling and creating a normal healthy recovery.
Dr. Marnie is experienced in these techniques and has seen success long term with this technique.
Book an appointment to find out more.
REFERENCES:
1. Reeves, K.D., and K. Hassanein. Randomized prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study of dextrose prolotherapy for knee osteoarthritis with or without ACL laxity. Alt Ther Hlth Med, 2000; 6(2): 37- 46
2. Reeves, K.D. and K. Hassanein. Randomized prospective placebo controlled double blind study of dextrose prolotherapy for osteoarthritic thumbs and finger (DIP, PIP and Trapeziometacarpal) joints: Evidence of clinical efficacy. Jnl Alt Compl Med, 2000; 6(4): 311-320
3. Ongley, M.J., et al. A new approach to the treatment of chronic low back pain. Lancet, 1987; 2: 143 – 146.
4. Klein, R.G., et al. A randomized, double blind trial of dextrose-glycerine-phenol injections for chronic low back pain. Journal of Spinal Disorders, 1993; 6: 23- 33.
5. Dechow, E., et al. A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial of sclerosing injections in patients with chronic low back pain. Rheumatology, 1999; 38:1255- 9.
6. Reeves, K.D., Prolotherapy: Basic science, clinical studies, and technique. In Lennard TA (Ed). Pain procedures in clinical practice (2nd Ed.). Philadelphia; Hanley and Belfus; 2000:172-190.
7. www.getprolo.com