The number of people becoming addicted to their pain medications is growing. People are in need of alternative pain management options, and the River Source provides those options. Prolotherapy is one of the holistic pain management that options we provide at the River Source medical clinic on certain days during the week.
What is Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy (aka Regenerative Injection Therapy – RIT), also known as ligament reconstructive therapy or sclerotherapy, is a recognized orthopedic 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. Prolotherapy has the unique ability to directly address the cause of instability and repair the weakened sites, resulting in permanent stabilization of the joint. When specialized substances are 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 will be relieved.
Prolotherapy is an extremely safe procedure that has been practiced for over 50 years. The number of treatments required depends upon the severity of the condition and the area treated. The average person usually requires 4-6 treatments given at 2 week intervals. 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.
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.
What conditions are responsive to prolotherapy?
Many of the conditions that respond well to prolotherapy include the following:
TMJ Pain
Shoulder Pain
Rotator Cuff
Elbow Pain
Tennis Elbows
Wrist Pain
Hand Arthritis
Knee Pain
ACL Strain
Headaches
Neck Pain
Upper back pain
Low back pain
Sacroiliac pain
Sciatica
Ankle Sprains
Foot Pain
Arch & heel pain
Other Pain Management Services that may be used with Prolotherapy include the following:
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been practiced for at least 2,500 years. Sterile needles are placed at specific areas of the body associated with energy channels or meridians to improve energy balance, restore proper body functioning and reduce pain.
Neural therapy
Neural therapy is an injection therapy that focuses on the relief of chronic pain and long-term illness. These symptoms can be stopped by injecting local anesthetics into scars, acupuncture points, and points along peripheral nerves.
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger point injection (TPI) is used to treat painful areas of muscle that can trap or irritate surrounding nerves and cause referred pain. TPI is used to alleviate myofascial pain syndrome (chronic pain involving tissue that surrounds muscle).
Cold Laser
Cold laser emits visible coherent light that is applied to the affected area. The energy from specific frequencies results in increased microcirculation and enhanced tissue regeneration. The overall effects are decreased pain and inflammation, and increased range of motion.
Common questions about prolotherapy:
Why haven’t I heard of prolotherapy?
Answer: Chronic pain is not well understood and prolotherapy is not taught in most medical schools. Unless a doctors has taken the extra training required to be an effective prolotherapy doctor they may not be aware of the beneficial effects of prolotherapy. Furthermore, one procedure may take up to an hour and many clinics cannot afford to take this amount of time for one patient. Also, many doctors and patients want a “quick fix” as provided with medications . Lastly, most insurance companies consider it “investigational” and “alternative”, and usually is not covered.
What side effects can I expect?
Answer: Side effects of prolotherapy injections may include temporary soreness, stiffness and occasional bruising at the injection site. Non-inflammatory, over the counter pain medication such as Tylenol may be taken or prescription non-inflammatory medication can be provided, as needed.
Does prolotherapy hurt?
Answer: Dependent upon each patient and their individual condition, the amount of discomfort varies. Normally females and more tolerant to prolotherapy injections than me.
Can prolotherapy cure all pain?
Answer: Of course not. No single treatment is capable of treating all pain conditions and prolotherapy is not an overnight cure. Prolotherapy results are enhanced when combined with muscle therapy, physical therapy and specific supplements.
Is it the same as cortisone injections?
Answer: NO, NO NO. Cortisone is a steroid and stops the inflammatory process and prevents tissue healing. Cortisone is not part of the prolotherapy injection.
What solutions are used?
Answer: A typical prolotherapy solution consists of Lidocaine (an anesthetic), 50% dextrose (a sugar solution), and methycobalamine (B12). Sodium morrhuate may be added to increase the prolotherapy effects.
Is it safe?
Answer: Yes, prolotherapy is very safe when performed by a trained prolotherapy doctor. Sterile procedures are always practiced and each patient’s condition is unique and individualized.
How many treatments are needed?
Answer: The number of treatments will depend on the severity of the problem. The average person usually 4-6 treatments that are given every 2-4 weeks
How much does it cost?
There is no additional cost for Prolotherapy / Pain Management services to the client while they are a client of River Source. Should the client need additional pain management services once they complete their residential treatment program at River Source, treatment costs will be incurred at that time.
Why do you offer it?
Historically, pain disorders and addictive disorders have been treated separately. Pain centers may do a good job treating chronic pain clients, but often fail to address addiction. Traditional addiction programs can be effective in treating addictive disease but usually do not understand the subtleties of, nor provide appropriate treatment for clients with chronic pain and/or chronic pain syndrome. By combining pain management services to its treatment for addictive disorders, River Source continues to provide an individualized, comprehensive and holistic approach to each clients condition.
Prolotherapy/Pain Management Treatment Schedule
Hours & Days:
Tuesday ~ Thursday 9:00am – 12:00am
For more information about the drug and alcohol rehabilitation Florida River Source centers, please call: 1-877-983-9274
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