Prolotherapy – Your Solution for Pain

Are you tired of being in pain? Get help with Prolotherapy, and get pain-free and strong again.
Dr. Lederman offers a free 15-minute initial consultation to those interested in finding out if Prolotherapy can help get rid of their pain.

What is Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is a scientifically-proven and highly effective way to resolve musculoskeletal pain. Treatments involve injecting a dextrose solution in the region of the injured tendons or ligaments, for the purpose of strengthening weakened connective tissue and alleviating the cause of the discomfort. Substitute formulas may be used for diabetics, or corn-intolerant patients.

How Does it Work?
Prolotherapy works by exactly the same process that the human body naturally uses to stimulate tissue healing, a process called inflammation. The injected solution causes a localized inflammation, increasing blood supply and flow of nutrients. This stimulates a healing cascade resulting in the production of new connective tissue called collagen. Collagen is the material of which ligaments and tendons are composed. The new collagen restores the injured connective tissue. This provides the patient with a resolution of their pain, and a return to full range of motion, functionality, and strength. Prolotherapy is often used as an alternative to invasive scopes and surgical procedures, has limited down-time versus surgery, and is often much more cost-effective.

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic endorse the use of Prolotherapy. They report that "unlike corticosteroid injections — which may provide temporary relief — Prolotherapy involves improving the injected tissue by stimulating tissue growth.” (ref.: Mayo Clinic (2005). "Alternative treatments: Dealing with chronic pain". Mayo Clinic Health Letter 23 (4).)

Important to the success of treatments is the knowledge of the caregiver in understanding how to administer Prolotherapy and in their ability to conduct an overall health assessment of the patient.
Dr. Lederman has administered hundreds of Prolotherapy treatments, with tremendous positive outcomes for his patients.

How often will I need treatments?
Usually several sessions are required, each administered a few weeks apart. Dr. Lederman will advise on a specific treatment plan after an initial consultation and assessment of your overall health and specific source of pain. Prolotherapy works the best when the body is otherwise in good general health. Dr. Lederman can help identify other conditions, such as a vitamin deficiency, which may decrease the body’s ability to quickly heal. If other conditions are present, a treatment plan to alleviate them can be prepared to support the effectiveness of Prolotherapy treatments.

Will prolotherapy help me?
The treatment is useful for many different types of musculoskeletal pain, including arthritis, back pain, neck pain, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, unresolved whiplash injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic tendonitis, partially torn tendons, ligaments and cartilage, degenerated or herniated discs, TMJ (jaw pain), sciatica and migraines cause by neck ligament injury.

Sometimes a patient feels pain in one area of the body which is caused by an injury in another. This is called referred pain. Dr. Lederman can help pinpoint the actual source of the pain during an initial consultation and determine if Prolotherapy will be helpful.

Is prolotherapy painful?
Some patients may find receiving the injection mild to moderately painful, and there may be localized tenderness around the injection site for a few days afterwards. Mild bruising may also occur at the injection site. The tenderness indicates the therapy is working as the injected solution is causing localized inflammation, which is how the body heals naturally. Prolotherapy injections enhance this healing process.

Does prolotherapy do the same thing as steroid or corticosteroid injections?
No. Corticosteroid injections are often used for temporary relief of painful symptoms, masking the body's message of pain to protect an injury. The steroid effects will wear off and then the patient will have to deal with the pain again. This is like taking a pill every day for a headache instead of curing the cause of the headache. Without treating the cause of the pain, the pain returns. Prolotherapy stimulates the body’s natural healing process to strengthen the injured ligaments and tendons, thus achieving permanent relief of pain.

Articles
Vancouver’s The Georgia Straight:  http://www.straight.com/article-153736/therapy-takes-a-jab-stubborn-sports-pains

Article in The New York Times:  NYTimes Prolo