The injections lead to inflammation in the area, and the body reacts by increasing the blood supply and sending more nutrients to the area, resulting in tissue repair.
The injection produces an inflammation, which increases blood flow, swelling, and pain. The body then launches a course of repair and healing.
What preparations may be given before prolotherapy treatment?
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Abraham, Irwin. "Prolotherapy for Chronic Headache." Headache (April 1997): 256. Jennings, Suzanne. "The Prolotherapy Option." Forbes 152, no. 13 (December 1993): 248.
The term prolotherapy is derived from the word prolo, short for proliferation, as the therapy is intended to proliferate tissue growth in the damaged area.
There are many websites that give more information about prolotherapy. See the Related Links for a list of some of these websites.
According to the Alternative Medicine Network, studies show prolotherapy relieves 92% of those treated; however, the therapy is relatively untested.
In prolotherapy, a doctor injects a sugar water or salt water-based solution into the damaged ligament or tendon at the point where it attaches to the bone.
Prolotherapy using injections was derived from a treatment developed by H.I. Biegeleisen called sclerotherapy, used to treat varicose veins .
Prolotherapy
The benefit of prolotherapy is that it is a non-surgical procedure that can be administered in a clinic, saving patients from undergoing anesthesia and surgery followed by a long recovery period.
Prolotherapy: The Natural Solution for Pain. Mark T. Wheaton's Orthopedic Practice Page. http://www.wheatons.com/Prolotherapy_CommonQuestions.htm. (June 2000).