Conditions Responsive to prolotherapy:

Read more about the use of Prolotherapy for Musculoskeletal Pain

A Proven Treatment Alternative for Painful Conditions

Prolotherapy (aka Regenerative Injection Therapy or RIT), also known as ligament reconstructive therapy or sclerotherapy, is a recognized nonsurgical procedure that stimulates the body's natural healing processes to strengthen joints weakened by trauma or arthritis. Joints weakened when ligaments and tendons are stretched, torn, or fragmented, become hypermobile and painful. Traditional approaches with anti-inflammatory drugs and surgery often fail to stabilize the joint and relieve pain permanently.

Video: What is Prolotherapy?

Prolotherapy is a natural non-drug, non-surgical treatment has the unique ability to directly address the cause of your pain by repairing the weakened joints, resulting in strengthening and stabilization of the joint. When the prolotherapy solution is precisely injected into the site of pain or injury, prolotherapy creates a mild, controlled inflammation which stimulates the body to lay down new tendon or ligament fibers, resulting in a strengthening of the weakened structure. When the joint becomes strong, pain can be relieved.

Joints are where two bones come together to provide movement. Joints are held together and stabilized by ligaments and tendons. Ligaments are composed of semi-elastic tissue which connect one bone to another bone in a joint. Tendons are the located at the end of a muscle and connect the muscle to the joint. When the muscle contracts, the joint moves. Cartilage is found between the joints and provide a protective surface and cushion to the bone and the joint. It is the goal of prolotherapy to rebuild and strengthen the joint by treating the ligaments, tendons and cartilage.

Video: Prolotherapy Neck

What is used in the Prolotherapy Solution?

Dr. Arnold uses the Hackett-Hemwell solution, as taught by the the Hacket-Hemwell Foundation and the American association of Orthopedic Medicine. The solution is a mixture of lidocaine (numbing agent), dextrose (sugar solution) and a small amount of B12. Dependent upon the area treated other solutions may also be used such as sarapin (analgesic), Marcaine (numbing agent) and sodium chloride (salt water).

Can Prolotherapy Repair Cartilage?

Prolotherapy has a proven track record in the treatment of damaged articular cartilage associated with osteoarthritis. Studies have demonstrated the ability of Prolotherapy to regenerate and repair damaged cartilage, reduce pain and improved functioning.
Read more about Prolotherapy and Cartilage Repair.

Is Prolotherapy the same as Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs?

Definitely not. Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs are commonly used to treat osteoarthritis. They have a large number of negative side effects and a negative side effect on the cartilage between the joints and cause an acceleration of deterioration of articular cartilage and increased osteoarthritis.
Read more about Osteoarthritis and Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.

Is Prolotherapy Safe?

Prolotherapy has been practiced for over 60 years and is an extremely safe procedure when performed by a trained prolotherapy doctor. It is important to ask the qualifications of the when choosing a doctor when choosing a prolotherapist. Based on his training and experience, Dr. Arnold is Certified in Prolotherapy by the American Association of Orthopedic Medicine.

Video: Prolotherapy Testimonial

Can Prolotherapy Cure all Pain?

Of course not. No single treatment is capable of treating all pain conditions and prolotherapy is not an overnight cure. Prolotherapy results can be enhanced when combined with exercise, proper nutrition, restricting activities and balancing hormone.

How many treatments are needed?

The number of treatments required depends upon the severity of the condition and the area treated. The average person usually requires 4-6 treatments, with some needing more and some needing less treatments. Treatments are normally given at 2-4 weeks apart on a decreasing basis. More than one painful area can be treated during an office visit and many patients report partial or complete relief of their pain after one or two treatments.

ULTRASOUND

Dr. Fred Arnold utilizes ultrasound for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. On a case by case basis, our office utilizes a state of the art ultrasound machine to evaluate both deep and superficial joint structures. Advantages of ultrasound injections include:

• Exact visual identification of the structure to be injected with immediate assessment of the structures to be injected.
• Guided injections to the specific area(s) to be treated.
• Comparison views of anatomical structures are readily available.
• No radiation exposure.
• Structures such as tendons can be visualized moving in �real-time� to evaluate their functionality and proper range of motion.

The medical literature shows that ultrasound guided injections provide improved accuracy and has resulted in a significant reduction in pain and improved clinical outcomes. ¹

Video: Specific ultrasound guided injection to the hip joint

Ultrasound injections can be used with the different types of regenerative joint injections utilized at Scottsdale Pain Rehabilitation and Wellness: Prolotherapy, Prolozone and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Amniotic Tissue, Alpha 2-macroglobulin, Bone Marrow Stem Cells (BMAC), Exosomes... Palpation is always performed before any ultrasound guided injections.

1. Sibbet WL, Peisajovich A, Michael AA et al. Does sonographic needle guidance affect the clinical outcome of intraarticular injections. 2009. J of Rheum 36:9.

PROLO-PRP IV

The Prolo-PRP IV is a specialized intravenous mixture of vitamins, minerals and amino acids to maximize the effects of regenerative medicine injections such as Prolotherapy performed at Scottsdale Pain Rehabilitation and Wellness. This specialized IV promotes the healing and regeneration of damaged and weakened tissues such as ligament, tendon and cartilage. With intravenous nutrition, the nutrients are delivered directly into the blood stream rather than being absorbed by the intestines. The time to complete the Prolo-PRP IV is 2 hours.

Prolotherapy can provide the relief that is not found with other forms of pain management such as acupuncture, chiropractic, physical therapy and pharmaceutical (drugs). Prolotherapy should always be considered with chronic pain conditions that involves tendons, cartilage, and ligaments. Prolotherapy should always be considered when surgery is recommended. Prolotherapy is also an effective treatment for sports injuries and should be considered as a treatment for Sports Medicine.

If you are continuing to suffer with a pain that limits your ability to do the things you want to do, we recommend you call our office for more information or schedule a consultation with Dr. Arnold.

Click here for Prolotherapy FAQs