Prolotherapy is an appropriate and excellent treatment for osteoarthritis. However, as a Prolotherapist, I’ve had patients question how a treatment capable of “causing inflammation” could be appropriate and more importantly therapeutic for osteoarthritis. After discussing this further I realize the skepticism is based on two misconceptions, one regarding osteoarthritis, the other about Prolotherapy.
Osteoarthritis is commonly thought of as a condition of inflammation. After all, osteoarthritis ends in ‘itis.’ When the name of a medical condition or symptoms ends in ‘itis,’ inflammation is primary the disease process. The ‘itis’ in osteoarthritis is somewhat of a misnomer as osteoarthritis is primarily a disease of degeneration, although components of inflammation are present. Aspiration of joint fluid and blood testing confirm the primarily degenerative nature of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is more accurately characterized as a condition of degeneration and erosion of articular cartilage and adjacent connective tissues.
Proliferent or regenerative injection techniques like Prolotherapy work by initiating the body’s healing cascade. This cascade is divided into four stages. The first of these stages is a brief period of inflammation, typically lasting less than a week. This stage is marked by the movement of white blood cells, growth factors and other messenger cells the prime the area for repair. Prolotherapy therefore utilizes a brief bout of inflammation to trigger healing. As the inflammation subsides, special cells called fibroblasts migrate to the area to secrete collagen, a major protein of connective tissue. Acute inflammation is a required process for healing, defense and repair and is distinctly different than the perpetual inflammation of chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Prolotherapy is not only appropriate but is therapeutic for the degenerative nature of osteoarthritis. Treatments scheduled at three to six weeks switch on tissue repair mechanisms resulting in stronger and thicker ligaments, tendons and cartilage. That means more mobility and less pain overtime.
Dr. Ayo Bankole has received advanced training in prolotherapy and is a member of the American Osteopathic Association of Prolotherapy Regenerative Medicine, the California Association of Naturopathic Doctors www.calnd.org, and the American College for the Advancement of Medicine www.acam.org. He uses prolotherapy to treat pain conditions of the back, hips, knees, feet, shoulders, elbows and hands.
To learn if prolotherapy is right for you call 909-981-9200 for a free consultation.