Journal of Prolotherapy
Clinical outcomes and medical literature on Prolotherapy research from the Journal of Prolotherapy
By Roy V. Hakala, DDS & Kim M. Ledermann, DDS ABSTRACT Prolotherapy was first described in the scientific literature in 1937 for the treatment of TMJ disorders. This article describes basic TMJ anatomy and the common components of TMJ dysfunction (TMD). Diagnostic methods used to identify TMD are listed and the technique for injecting the TMJ is detailed. more »
By Ann Auburn, DO, Scott Benjamin, PT, DSCPT, & Roy Bechtel, PT, PHD ABSTRACT Background Content: This skill paper investigates the ramifications of an alternative method to inject the iliolumbar (IL) and the dorso-sacroiliac ligaments (DL). Both the IL and the DL are very important to pelvic control and are needed for sacral stability. The IL and the DL more »
By Babette Gladstein, VMD ABSTRACT Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) is a significant health problem among all dogs. It has been estimated that up to 30% of the canine population are effected. As a result, one of the most frequent applications of Prolotherapy involves the hip area. Preventative therapies can play a large part in the management more »
By Gerald R. Harris, DO ABSTRACT Chronic pain is a major problem in our society. Neural Therapy , like Prolotherapy, is an injection method of healing. Developed in the early 1900s by Ferdinand and Walter Huneke, Neural Therapy is one of the best known natural healing methods in Germany, and is now also practiced in Europe more »
By Ross A. Hauser, MD & Debra K. Brinker, RN ABSTRACT Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) typically refers to post-traumatic pain that spreads from the site of injury, exceeds in magnitude and duration the expected clinical course of the inciting event, and progresses variably over time. Burning pain is the primary symptom, but patients frequently report allodynia, changes more »
By Robert Banner, MD, Glen M. Batson, DC, Rob Werstine, BA, BScPT, DIP. SPORT, DIP. MANIP, FCAMT, & Freddie Smith ABSTRACT Prolotherapy is indispensable when considering biomechanical correction in the treatment of pain associated with ligament laxity. This 51 year old male was referred for assessment and treatment of a 15 year history of chronic low back pain. more »
By Mark T. Wheaton, MD & Nichole Jensen ABSTRACT Osteoarthritis (OA) or degenerative joint disease (DJD) is more common than all the other types of arthritis combined. It is well-established that injury to a joint increases the chances that the joint will develop osteoarthritis over time. Precipitating causes include sudden impact or trauma, overuse or repetitive motion injuries, more »
By Gary B. Clark, MD, MPA Cervical Spine Whiplash Injuries and Prolotherapy Case Study: On 9 December 1945, General George S. Patton and his chief of staff were being driven in a sedan near Mannheim, Germany, with Patton sitting on the right side of the back seat. A US Army 2½-ton truck, traveling in the opposite more »
By Jörn Funck, MD The journey In 1975, after I finished my clinical education as an orthopedic surgeon, I opened my private office as an orthopedist in Luebeck, Germany. In those days the possibilities to operate were not so good for young orthopedic surgeons. Big operations, like hip replacements, were done only in the large public more »
By Gary B. Clark, MD, MPA ABSTRACT The Hackett-Hemwall Foundation organizes a medical mission training course every March. JOP columnist and Prolotherapist, Gary B. Clark, MD, MPA, reviews the fortieth anniversary of the Hemwall Honduran program, which occurred in March 2009. The HHF course is the largest Prolotherapy training program of its kind. This physician group more »
By Rodney S. Van Pelt, MD As with other joints in the body, Prolotherapy is routinely the preferred treatment option for chronic shoulder pain/injury. Prolotherapy can be used successfully for treating most chronic injuries of the shoulder including rotator cuff injuries and tears, arthritis, sprains, and AC separation. Prolotherapy is 85-90% successful in stimulating healing of more »
By Christopher J. Centeno, MD pain management traditionally has focused on the use of C-arm fluoroscopy to inject the spine. Fluoroscopy is a real time X-ray designed to allow the physician to guide a needle into a specific location. (See Figure 1.) While Prolotherapy has been performed without the use of imaging guidance, our training in more »
By Ross A. Hauser, MD, Glen M. Batson, DC, & Chris Ferrigno, MS, PT ABSTRACT The painful condition resulting from soft tissue damage and degenerative disc changes causing pressure on a cervical nerve root is called cervical radiculopathy. It often produces agonizing neck pain, a burning sensation, along with numbness radiating down the arms, shoulder blades, and back, more »
By Donna Alderman, DO ABSTRACT Modern Prolotherapy evolved from the insights and courage of a few doctors in the early part of the 1900s. These pioneers would then form groups to teach others, share knowledge, and improve techniques. The earliest record of such a group started as the American Society of Herniologists in 1926, now known more »
By Ross A. Hauser, MD Welcome to our fourth Journal of Prolotherapy issue! Wow, it is packed! We have received a wonderful array of great comments from our readers. I wanted to share a few of these emails/ correspondences. Scott Greenberg, MD, was nice enough to send us this: “Why can’t conventional medicine find your pain? Pain is often more »
By Gary B. Clark, MD, MPA Visions of Regenerations to Come “Sometime between the years 1934 and 1936, a random patient with a random disease visited a random doctor and for the first time in recorded human history had a better than 50:50 chance of benefiting from the encounter.” –Anonymous The above-cited quotation still lies sequestered more »
By Ross A. Hauser, MD & Marion A. Hauser, MS, RD ABSTRACT This article provides the JOP reader with some basic information about Platelet Rich Plasma, also known as PRP. PRP as a Prolotherapy proliferant has become increasingly popular in the pain management field. The basic tenants of PRP preparation and use in the Prolotherapy field are discussed. more »
By Ann Auburn, DO, Scott Benjamin, PT, DSCPT, & Roy Bechtel, PT, PHD ABSTRACT The spine is a flexible mechanical system and performs several important functions. Performing Prolotherapy to the spine for regenerative purposes often restores function completely. The authors investigated and reported on alternative positioning for injecting the lower back and pelvic ligaments. Journal of Prolotherapy. 2009;1(3):181-183. more »
By Scott R. Stoll, MD Enthusiastically, I started my first day of practice as a Physiatrist with all of the tools I learned in training, ready to diagnose and treat all of the sports and spine maladies I had so carefully studied. I worked diligently to practice evidence-based medicine and applied solid, scientifically proven principles to more »
By Ross A. Hauser, MD & Kimberly A. Gruen, BA ABSTRACT Chronic pain, osteoporosis, and joint degeneration are common problems facing a spinal cord injury (SCI) patient. To date, there are no published case studies documenting the effectiveness of Prolotherapy in reducing pain and improving joint function in SCI patients. The following is a case study of the more »