Prolotherapy involves injecting small amounts of solution at the tissue/bone junction into ligament and/or tendon structures that are dysfunctional (weak, degenerative, loose, painful). Also treated are mild to moderately degenerative joints. Depending on the site and size of the area involved, this usually necessitates more than one injection site. Injections can be painful, may require sedation, and are performed under fluoroscopic guidance in a private office setting.
After the procedure, most patients feel a fullness and numbness in the areas injected. Often, pain is relieved for several hours because of the local anesthetic that is injected along with the prolotherapy solution. The pain will usually become quite evident several hours later and usually peeks in 3 – 8 hours. For the next 24 – 48 hours, there may be a considerable discomfort at the injection sites prior to the pain intensity lessening. The pain will continue to decrease over the next 3-7 days. Some patients never experienced much discomfort at all. The injections can be repeated every 2 -3 weeks, with 3 – 4 injections being done at each area.