Email Interview with Stephen Cavallino, MD – Prolotherapy in Italy

By JOP Staff & Stephen Cavallino, MD

JOP: Dr. Cavallino, please tell us a little about your medical background.

Cavallino: My medical background: I am an Emergency Medical Physician. I was born in New York and went to medical school in Bologna, Italy. I have been working for more than 20 years in the ER and currently doing Prolotherapy for the past seven years in Italy with much success.

JOP: How were you introduced to Prolotherapy?

Cavallino: Thanks to the Hackett-Hemwall Foundation and Dr. Jeff Patterson, who came to Italy to give a Prolotherapy course.

JOP: What has your overall experience/impression been with Prolotherapy?

Cavallino: I am incredibly happy to have this amazing healing therapy to offer, known as “Prolotherapy.” I am very lucky to have the opportunity to use this amazing regeneration injection therapy. Over 90% of my patients are pain free after several treatments. I think that this is amazing!

Happy team ready to share the joy of Prolotherapy with the people of Honduras and the team of international doctors.

JOP: What types of cases do you feel respond best to Prolotherapy?

Cavallino: I see very good results all over, but the knee and shoulder are very promising. I also have incredible results treating the spine and hip joints. Tendinopathies are great responders to Prolotherapy, but you need to do it correctly.

JOP: Do you perform other procedures for pain, and if so, what types.

Cavallino: I do “Neural Prolotherapy” and I am so shocked how it works. All we are doing is regenerating the nerves that have been suffering for a long time. Very successful if used in association with Prolotherapy.

JOP: Can you estimate the percentage of your patients that receive Prolotherapy?

Cavallino: All my patients receive Prolotherapy, and Neural Prolotherapy if needed. I do only these two pain procedures.

JOP: What type of Prolotherapy solution do you use?

Cavallino: ONLY glucose/lidocaine/saline (sugar water).

Dr. Cavallino working with physicians who are learning Prolotherapy.

JOP: How many visits do your patients typically need?

Cavallino: I would say a minimum of three to maximum of eight visits.

JOP: How is Prolotherapy perceived in Italy?

Cavallino: It is not known at all. It will take time and patience to convince the medical society that Prolotherapy is harmless and can cure many people, especially ill people that cannot undergo surgery, who are on blood thinner medications, and definitely unhealthy people with chronic pain. Italy is successful with Prolotherapy because patients by “word of mouth” tell the real life results.

JOP: Are there any Prolotherapy organizations in Italy?

Cavallino: Yes, SIPRO – Societa Italiana di Proloterapia. www.proloterapia.net.

JOP: Where do you think the future of Prolotherapy is headed in Italy?

Cavallino: Very soon it will be exploding!

JOP: Is there anything else that you would like the international JOP audience to know about you?

Cavallino: Yes, I’m trying very hard to pass on the message that we need to inform the public more and especially doctors need to realize how important Prolotherapy can be for so many ill people with chronic pain.

JOP: Thank you Dr. Cavallino for your time and sharing with our readers about your practice.

Cavallino: Thanks for this opportunity to prove how Prolotherapy has cured many Italian people.



Dr. Cavallino with physicians and assistants treating patients at the annual Hackett-Hemwall training in Honduras