How Does Prolotherapy Treat Sore Joints?

Your joints give your body movement. They connect your bones and allow them to articulate through a complex combination of ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. You rely on your joints to carry you through every activity, each and every day — and when they’re sore, you notice. 

Sore joints are painful, and they can seriously hinder your mobility. If you’re tired of the pain, stiffness, and discomfort, it’s time to learn more about your treatment options.

Adam Redlich, MD, and our team at A+ Athlete Sports Medicine in Neptune and Robbinsville, New Jersey, specialize in prolotherapy. This non-surgical treatment involves injecting a solution into damaged joints to stimulate your body's natural healing process, and it could be an option for you.

The basics of joint soreness and swelling

Your joints get a lot of use, and joint pain is incredibly common. Sports injuries are a common cause of swelling and pain, especially in high-impact activities like football, basketball, or running, but also in everyday activity like doing laundry, lifting groceries, or doing gardening.

These activities put repetitive stress on your joints, which often leads to inflammation and swelling, and injury. Ligament, tendon, or cartilage damage, tendonitis, sprains, and more can all make movement painful and restricted. Ligaments and tendons that help support joints can weaken and actually become somewhat lax or loose allowing undesired movement or motion that overtime can lead to wear and tear and pain and swelling around the joints to which they connect.

Arthritis is another top cause of joint pain and swelling. Whether it's osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear arthritis) or rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disorder), the result is often the same: painful, swollen, stiff joints that hamper your daily activities.

How prolotherapy can relieve painful joints

First-line treatment for painful  joints often includes rest and pain medication. But when these treatments aren’t enough to manage your symptoms, it might be time to consider other options. Enter prolotherapy, a treatment gaining traction for its potential to alleviate joint pain felt to originate from abnormal laxity of the supporting ligaments and tendons.

Prolotherapy is a nonsurgical procedure aimed at stimulating your body's natural healing process. During a prolotherapy session, we inject a special solution into the affected joint or surrounding tissue. The solution typically contains dextrose or other irritants, and it triggers a localized inflammatory response that prompts your body to repair the area.

Prolotherapy can be an effective treatment option for painful joints because it targets the underlying cause of the swelling rather than just masking the symptoms. The injections help promote tissue regeneration to strengthen weakened structures connecting and inside your joint.

Over time, your body’s natural healing mechanisms help improve joint stability, mobility, and function, offering long-term relief from joint pain and associated discomfort. For many people, prolotherapy offers the opportunity to regain control over movements and resume a more active lifestyle with confidence.

What to expect with prolotherapy for painful joints

If you’re curious about prolotherapy for swollen joints, book a consultation with our team at A+ Athlete Sports Medicine. We assess your condition and discuss your medical history to determine whether prolotherapy is a good option for you.

We explain what to expect every step of the way, and we’re here to guide you through the treatment process. Each injection takes just a few minutes, and any discomfort is typically minimal and short-lived.

After the injection, you may notice temporary swelling or soreness around the treated joint, which should subside within a few days. You might experience improvement in joint pain shortly after your first session, but we often recommend a series of sessions to achieve optimal results. 

Be sure to follow the post-treatment instructions we give you, including rest, ice, and avoiding strenuous activities for a brief period. We work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan, depending on factors like the severity of your condition and your body's response to treatment.

Are you seeking lasting relief from painfulswollen joints? Prolotherapy may be a promising solution. Take the first step toward reclaiming a life free from joint pain and discomfort and schedule your first appointment at A+ Athlete Sports Medicine today.