Prolotherapy: A Nonsurgical Solution for Chronic Joint Pain

You have chronic joint pain. You’ve tried the normal solutions to ease your pain: over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatories, activity modification, cortisone shots, physical therapy.

You’ve gotten some mild relief for a while, but then the pain returns, and now your provider is telling you surgery is the only option left. But is that true?

At A+ Athlete Sports Medicine, Adam Redlich, MD, and our team offer prolotherapy, which is a nonsurgical solution for chronic joint pain. Here’s how it works.

What is prolotherapy?

Prolotherapy is a regenerative medical treatment that involves an injection of an irritant (usually dextrose, or sugar water) into an area of pain or disease in your body to jump-start your body’s natural healing abilities and relieve your pain. It’s often used with musculoskeletal conditions that affect your bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints.

This includes conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA), hip, knee, or shoulder pain, tendonitis, strains and sprains, age-related wear and tear, and more.

It’s a minimally invasive treatment that can often postpone or alleviate altogether the need for invasive surgery and extensive rehab.

How does it help?

The idea behind the treatment is that injecting a harmless irritant like dextrose into an area where you’re having pain causes your body to kick its natural healing mechanisms into high gear. As healing agents rush to the site of the “injury,” they also repair the damaged tissue in the area and increase the level of collagen production, which results in decreased pain and  stronger, more stable tissues and joints.

What should I expect?

During your prolotherapy session, Dr. Redlich will apply a numbing spray to the injured areas and then inject dextrose into the area. The procedure itself only takes a few minutes. You may experience some discomfort for a few days afterwards, but this is actually a sign that the healing inflammatory response has begun and your body is responding properly. You should not have any significant downtime from your normal activities.

Most conditions will require 3-6 monthly injections to experience the best results. In the weeks after your treatments, you should notice reduced pain and increased musculoskeletal functioning in the injured area.

You can maximize the results of the procedure by not applying ice and avoiding anti-inflammatory medications as you’re healing. This allows your body to fully restore and heal the injured area.

If you’re interested in trying prolotherapy, our team at A+ Athlete Sports Medicine is here whenever you’re ready. To book an appointment, call our offices in Robbinsville or Neptune, New Jersey, today or use our online scheduler to pick the best time for you.