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Prolotherapy FAQs
How do I know if Prolotherapy is for me?
If you have tenderness, a feeling of “looseness” to the joint, or any type of unresolved joint pain,
prolotherapy is worth considering. To evaluate whether prolo is appropriate for you, Dr. Keith
Wilkinson will gather the history of your condition, palpate your joint structure and complete the
necessary orthopedic tests. Dr. Wilkinson will then discuss the suitability of Prolotherapy to your
condition.
What is in the Prolotherapy solution?
The solution injected in Prolotherapy is a combination of dextrose (concentrated sugar), procaine,
and often vitamin B12 or glucosamine sulphate. The dextrose acts as a mild irritant to the tissues
to stimulate the healing mechanism. Procaine is a mild anesthetic. Vitamin B12 and/or glucosamine
sulphate are added to the solution to assist in proliferation of the growth factors and cartilaginous
tissue.
How does Prolotherapy work?
The dextrose acts as an irritant to the tissues which sets off a temporary controlled inflammatory
cascade that is localized to the ligaments, tendons, and joint capsule. This cascade stimulates
blood flow, increases growth factors that synthesize precursors to joint collagen, and promotes
remodeling of the soft tissue surrounding the joint structure. See Articles on Prolotherapy for more
information.
Why doesn’t soft tissue healing occur on its own?
Ligament and tendon tissues have a poor blood supply that limit the body’s ability to bring in
nutritive growth factors after injury. Additionally, when one has musculoskeletal or joint pain they
often take anti-inflammatory medications (i.e., NSAIDs, aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.). These medications
are effective in reducing pain, but unfortunately they also inhibit the body’s own healing process.
This leads to soft tissues that never fully heal, remain lax, and therefore compromise joint function.
Does Prolotherapy hurt?
Since prolotherapy is an injection procedure, there is mild pain approximating that felt on a skin
pinch. However, small gauge (diameter) needles are used and the number of injections are kept to
a minimum. When the solution is injected into the joint there is often a sensation of pressure.
However, once patients have undergone successful treatment, they often remark that the pain was
much less than they had anticipated.
What is done during a Prolotherapy appointment?
During the first appointment, Dr. Wilkinson will take a focused history on your condition and
complete the necessary orthopedic testing. If you have reports from previous imaging studies such
as X-Ray or MRI, bring these to the appointment for Dr. Wilkinson to review. From this
assessment, Dr. Wilkinson will discuss the suitability of prolotherapy for you and recommend a
treatment plan. This first visit can be completed in approximately 1 hour. Depending on the time
taken during this initial assessment for questions or a more complex case, your first prolotherapy
treatment can often be completed during this appointment. However, if necessary the first
prolotherapy treatment can be started on your next appointment.
Complete treatment of a joint usually requires 3-5 individual treatments that are approximately 4
weeks apart. However, each patient responds differently and may require slightly more treatments
for complete healing. These subsequent treatments are more focused than the initial visit and can
usually be completed in approximately 30 minutes.
Are there side effects to Prolotherapy?
Since the treatment uses an anesthetic, there is mild numbness in the joint for several hours after
the procedure. Because fluid has been injected into and around the joint space, many patients
report a feeling of fullness to the joint. There can also be some mild bruising around the injection
sites. Because of loss of sensation of joint position from the anesthetic, it advisable to refrain from
rigorous physical activity for 24 hours after the procedure. (This is especially true for procedures
on the foot/ankle and knee.) Additionally, since prolotherapy has initiated a healing process, it is
best to moderate physical activity of that joint for several weeks after the procedure. Even though
these are standard precautions, many patients have no symptoms associated with the treatment
2-3 days after the procedure. If you have concerns, please discuss with Dr. Wilkinson.
Is Prolotherapy safe?
Yes. Prolotherapy was developed in the 1930’s and has been administered safely to hundreds of
thousands of patients by MDs, DOs and NDs. However, since this is an injection procedure,
prolotherapy has the same inherent risks of any medical procedure using needles. These risks are
kept to a minimum by adhering to standard sterility and needling techniques. If you have
concerns, please discuss with Dr. Wilkinson.
How do I schedule an appointment for Prolotherapy?
Call Arthritis Health at 480-609-4200 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Keith Wilkinson. If you
are still not sure about prolotherapy and your condition, ask for a free 15 minute phone
consultation.
How do I know if Prolotherapy is for me?
If you have tenderness, a feeling of “looseness” to the joint, or any type of unresolved joint pain,
prolotherapy is worth considering. To evaluate whether prolo is appropriate for you, Dr. Keith
Wilkinson will gather the history of your condition, palpate your joint structure and complete the
necessary orthopedic tests. Dr. Wilkinson will then discuss the suitability of Prolotherapy to your
condition.
What is in the Prolotherapy solution?
The solution injected in Prolotherapy is a combination of dextrose (concentrated sugar), procaine,
and often vitamin B12 or glucosamine sulphate. The dextrose acts as a mild irritant to the tissues
to stimulate the healing mechanism. Procaine is a mild anesthetic. Vitamin B12 and/or glucosamine
sulphate are added to the solution to assist in proliferation of the growth factors and cartilaginous
tissue.
How does Prolotherapy work?
The dextrose acts as an irritant to the tissues which sets off a temporary controlled inflammatory
cascade that is localized to the ligaments, tendons, and joint capsule. This cascade stimulates
blood flow, increases growth factors that synthesize precursors to joint collagen, and promotes
remodeling of the soft tissue surrounding the joint structure. See Articles on Prolotherapy for more
information.
Why doesn’t soft tissue healing occur on its own?
Ligament and tendon tissues have a poor blood supply that limit the body’s ability to bring in
nutritive growth factors after injury. Additionally, when one has musculoskeletal or joint pain they
often take anti-inflammatory medications (i.e., NSAIDs, aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.). These medications
are effective in reducing pain, but unfortunately they also inhibit the body’s own healing process.
This leads to soft tissues that never fully heal, remain lax, and therefore compromise joint function.
Does Prolotherapy hurt?
Since prolotherapy is an injection procedure, there is mild pain approximating that felt on a skin
pinch. However, small gauge (diameter) needles are used and the number of injections are kept to
a minimum. When the solution is injected into the joint there is often a sensation of pressure.
However, once patients have undergone successful treatment, they often remark that the pain was
much less than they had anticipated.
What is done during a Prolotherapy appointment?
During the first appointment, Dr. Wilkinson will take a focused history on your condition and
complete the necessary orthopedic testing. If you have reports from previous imaging studies such
as X-Ray or MRI, bring these to the appointment for Dr. Wilkinson to review. From this
assessment, Dr. Wilkinson will discuss the suitability of prolotherapy for you and recommend a
treatment plan. This first visit can be completed in approximately 1 hour. Depending on the time
taken during this initial assessment for questions or a more complex case, your first prolotherapy
treatment can often be completed during this appointment. However, if necessary the first
prolotherapy treatment can be started on your next appointment.
Complete treatment of a joint usually requires 3-5 individual treatments that are approximately 4
weeks apart. However, each patient responds differently and may require slightly more treatments
for complete healing. These subsequent treatments are more focused than the initial visit and can
usually be completed in approximately 30 minutes.
Are there side effects to Prolotherapy?
Since the treatment uses an anesthetic, there is mild numbness in the joint for several hours after
the procedure. Because fluid has been injected into and around the joint space, many patients
report a feeling of fullness to the joint. There can also be some mild bruising around the injection
sites. Because of loss of sensation of joint position from the anesthetic, it advisable to refrain from
rigorous physical activity for 24 hours after the procedure. (This is especially true for procedures
on the foot/ankle and knee.) Additionally, since prolotherapy has initiated a healing process, it is
best to moderate physical activity of that joint for several weeks after the procedure. Even though
these are standard precautions, many patients have no symptoms associated with the treatment
2-3 days after the procedure. If you have concerns, please discuss with Dr. Wilkinson.
Is Prolotherapy safe?
Yes. Prolotherapy was developed in the 1930’s and has been administered safely to hundreds of
thousands of patients by MDs, DOs and NDs. However, since this is an injection procedure,
prolotherapy has the same inherent risks of any medical procedure using needles. These risks are
kept to a minimum by adhering to standard sterility and needling techniques. If you have
concerns, please discuss with Dr. Wilkinson.
How do I schedule an appointment for Prolotherapy?
Call Arthritis Health at 480-609-4200 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Keith Wilkinson. If you
are still not sure about prolotherapy and your condition, ask for a free 15 minute phone
consultation.
