Introduction
Prolotherapy is a method of treatment for chronic pain that occurs as a result of looseness in the supporting ligaments and tendons around joints of the body. This is not a new treatment method. The reference textbook was published by Dr. Hackett of Canton, Ohio in 1956. My personal training was obtained by another patriarch of Prolotherapy, Dr. Gus Hemwall, a contemporary and friend of Dr. Hackett. I have been doing Prolotherapy since 1990.
In actuality, Prolotherapy is the only true treatment for damaged ligaments and tendons. When a ligament is loose, generally as a result of injury, the muscle contracts to make up for the lack of support that comes from the damaged ligaments. This contraction is really a muscle spasm and causes pain.
Overview
Prolotherapy consists of an injection series that initiates the healing process resulting in the stabilization of the joint. This of course markedly reduces or eliminates chronic pain. Generally, the need for Prolotherapy comes as a result of the lack of proper healing of a joint after injury. Either the patient does not allow an adequate time for the ligaments to heal after injury, which may take up to 6-8 weeks, or following an injury, an anti-inflammatory medication like Aleve or Motrin was used. Inflammation is part of the natural healing process and when anti-inflammatory medications are used following a musculoskeletal injury, this healing process is diminished or eliminated. Thus, we are left with loose ligaments, instability, and pain.