What is prolotherapy?

Prolotherapy, also called proliferation therapy, is an injection-based treatment used in treating muscle and joint pain.  The treatment involves repeated injections of an irritant solution into part of a joint — the joint’s interior, for example, or a supporting tendon or ligament. The irritant solution typically contains natural substances like dextrose, saline, and sarapin, in addition to a numbing agent such as lidocaine.  Prolotherapy is thought to create inflammation and trigger growth in the connective tissue of the joint, eventually leading to reduced pain.  Prolotherapy also acts as a lubricant in the joint.

Studies of Prolotherapy in people with low back pain have had mixed results. A combination of Prolotherapy and spinal manipulation or back exercises seems to be more effective than Prolotherapy alone.  The American Pain Society recommends against Prolotherapy for treating low back pain, but other authorities are suspending judgment until larger, more-thorough studies have been done.

Because Prolotherapy treatment uses inflammation to stimulate tissue growth, it is not recommended for patients who suffer from chronic conditions like Crohn’s disease or chronic fatigue. In general, Prolotherapy is considered safe for most people.  However, only small studies have been conducted about its overall effectiveness.  As of 2016, evidence to support the use of Prolotherapy in acute pain, myofascial pain or as first-line therapy, could not be determined.  Consequently, some major medical insurance policies view Prolotherapy as an investigational or experimental therapy with an inconclusive evidence base.

To significantly increase the effectiveness of Prolotherapy treatments, we recommend combining it with Ariel Med’s Bioactive Regenerative Fluid.  Because the proven hallmark of our Regenerative Fluid is healing and regeneration of tissue, the effects of Prolotherapy can be greatly enhanced by combining the two treatments.

Prolotherapy is a procedure and, therefore, not subject to FDA regulation.  The agents used in the reviewed studies, such as dextrose and lidocaine, are approved for injection by the FDA but are not specifically approved for Prolotherapy joint and ligamentous injections, making such use off-label.