Prolotherapy: Alternative Joint Pain Treatment for Relief of Chronic Pain

A little-known alternative treatment for joint pain, called Prolotherapy, is bringing relief to people who suffer from the chronic pain of arthritis, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, neck pain and a host of other ailments that cause chronic joint pain. Prolotherapy is a natural therapy designed to help the body heal itself in areas where joint pain is caused from ligament or tendon tissue damage.

Prolotherapy uses injections of a dextrose solution at the site of the chronic pain, at the point where the ligament or tendon has been compromised. The dextrose, which is a natural sugar produced during the cellular metabolism in plant and animal tissue, acts as an irritant in human tissue. The injection of dextrose triggers the body into an inflammatory response and causes the body to respond by stimulating the body's natural healing process. The natural healing process of increased blood supply and nutrients to the point of inflammation stimulates the growth of new ligament and tendon tissue, bringing stability and relief to the joints affected by the chronic pain of diseases like arthritis and fibromyalgia. People suffering from joint pain caused by injuries in car accidents or sports related injuries also benefit from the alternative joint pain treatment of Prolotherapy.

"Prolo' in the word Prolotherapy is short for proliferation, which means the rapid growth or increase of something. The new growth of ligament and tendon tissue achieved as a result of Prolotherapy not only grows rapidly, but grows thicker and stronger than the person's normal tissue. The new growth of ligament and tendon tissue stabilizes the affected joint and brings relief of the chronic pain.

Ligaments hold our bones together, bone to bone in our joints. Tendons are the connective tissues that hold our bones and muscles together at a movable joint. Both have limited blood supply and many nerve endings, this accounts for the slow healing process (if healing occurs at all) of a damaged ligament or tendon and the intense, chronic pain.

While the alternative joint pain treatment of Prolotherapy is widely unheard of, the premise of Prolotherapy has been around since the time of Hippocrates. Hippocrates is the first one accredited with using the technique of Prolotherapy. History reveals that Hippocrates would stick a hot poker in the torn, dislocated shoulder joints of soldiers, causing the joint to heal naturally. The alternative treatment of chronic pain through Prolotherapy is much less barbaric now, but the results are the same; cause the body to heal itself.

Prolotherapy alternative joint pain treatment duration and results vary with each individual, some chronic pain sufferers may only need a few Prolotherapy injections for chronic pain relief while others may need more before having their joint pain eradicated.

Sources:

http://www.prolotherapy.com/prolodefine.htm

http://www.prolotherapy.org/