Prolotherapy

What is Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy injections are based on the principle of stimulating a "Proliferative" response in injured tissues. The agents injected during prolotherapy are generally mild irritants to the tissue. The most common form of prolotherapy is Hypertonic Dextrose (concentrated glucose).

Who is Prolotherapy Suitable for?

Prolotherapy is used to assist with areas of the body that have poor blood supply and slow healing, such as labral and meniscal tissue. The injections can also be used to assist with ligamentous healing. Patients with multi-directional instability or hypermobility may benefit from this approach, as surgical intervention can be sub-optimal in such patients due to stretching out of any repaired tissue that occurs.

First line treatment should always involve strengthening and neuromuscular stability exercise with a knowledgable physio.

Common Regions that Prolotherapy may be Applied to Include:

• Degenerative and Horizontal Meniscal tears of the knee
• Degenerative and undisplaced Labral tears of the hip and shoulder
• Ligament injuries with poor healing and immature scar tissue-
• Syndesmosis and other ankle ligament injuries
• Elbow valgus instability (thrower's elbow)
• Medial collateral ligament MCL injuries of the knee
• Sacro-iliac Joint SIJ Incompetence

PRP injections can be used instead of Dextrose to gain a proliferative effect, and early studies suggest it is  superior for the SIJ in patients who fail physiotherapy.