Prolotherapy – What is it and How Does it Work?

Prolotherapy or proliferation therapy, is a form of injection therapy used to stimulate a healing response to injured tissues. Prolotherapy is a form of regenerative injection therapy where the solutions injected aim to stimulate the body’s natural healing processes to form new tissues such as muscle, ligament, tendon and fascia. The substances injected consist of tailored amounts of glucose (specifically dextrose) and local anesthetic mixed.

How does prolotherapy work?

When glucose is injected into a painful joint or around a loose ligament, it causes an inflammatory response. The inflammatory response promotes regeneration of damaged tissues and reduces pain at the site of injury. Over the following weeks of prolotherapy injections the body’s natural healing processes are activated resulting in damaged tissues to be repaired and strengthened over time.

What conditions can prolotherapy help with in podiatry?

Prolotherapy can assist in the recovery and management of many conditions within the field of podiatry. Conditions that we treat with prolotherapy at Hurst podiatry includes:

·        Knee osteoarthritis and instability                                         

·        Osgood-Schlatter disease

·        Ankle osteoarthritis and instability

·        Post rehabilitation ankle therapy

·        Achilles tendon pain

·        Midfoot osteoarthritis and midfoot weakness

·        Morton’s neuroma and bursitis

·        Bunion pain

·        Big toe joint arthritis

·        Heel pain

Listed are the most commonly treated conditions, however it is not an exhaustive list, prolotherapy can be effective for numerous other conditions, consult a podiatrist at Hurst to see if your condition can be managed with prolotherapy.

How can prolotherapy help?

Prolotherapy can provide significant pain relief for the conditions listed above. More specifically, management and improved function of the knee, ankle, midfoot and big toe joints that have become arthritic. Strained and stretched ligaments can be strengthened and tightened through prolotherapy, this is particularly important in knee and ankle instability following injury.

Longstanding achilles tendinopathy (read more about achilles tendinopathy here) can be improved through prolotherapy by stimulating healing of the damaged tendon fibres and causing new tendon growth.

Bunion pain is often a result of strained ligaments caused by the displacement of the big toe joint. Prolotherapy can strengthen the strained and damaged ligaments, reducing the pain and improving mobility at the joint.

How long does prolotherapy take to work?

Because prolotherapy works by stimulating regeneration of new ligament and tendon fibres, results may occur within the first week of treatment, but the complete effectiveness of the treatment can take between 3 to 12 months as the body remodels itself.

How many treatments will I need to have?

For standard prolotherapy, 4- 6 treatments are required each spaced out 2 weeks apart. More treatments may be required as maintenance every 6 months for long-term chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis.

How much will the treatment cost?

Each treatment will be the consultation fee with an additional $30.

I have diabetes. Can I have sugar injected into me for prolotherapy?

Prolotherapy is a safe treatment for diabetics. The sugar that is injected (dextrose) does not cause an increase in blood sugar levels, meaning no alterations to diet or medication is required.

Are there any reasons I shouldn’t get prolotherapy?

Reasons not to have prolotherapy:

·        Needle phobia

·        Acute fracture

·        Active infection

·        Septic arthritis

·        Cellulitis

·        Anticoagulant medication

·        Following a corticosteroid injection

·        Joint placement

Are you experiencing any pain or discomfort in your feet?

If you’ve got sore feet, ankles, or lower limbs, book an appointment to see our team here at Hurst Podiatry in Melbourne today.

We have 5 locations in Melbourne’s east – Healesville, Croydon, Kilsyth and Mooroolbark – and a team of highly skilled and qualified podiatrists ready to help you today.

Book your appointment by calling us on 03 5901 2216 or click here to book online.