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PROLOTHERAPY
RELIEVES PAIN, RESTORES MOTION
 SCOTT
GREENBERG, M.D.
Originally
published in Letsliveonline.com
Originally used by Hippocrates to
help javelin throwers with dislocated shoulders, prolotherapy is a natural
solution for chronic pain -- and the only treatment that helped to relieve the
former surgeon general’s persistent
back pain. Scott Greenberg, M.D., a
physician at the Magaziner Center for Wellness & Anti-Aging Medicine in
Cherry Hill, N.J., talks about why he uses prolotherapy almost exclusively for
chronic pain caused by
ligament and tendon injuries.
How did you get interested in
holistic medicine, particularly prolotherapy?
I was very disappointed when I entered my clinical years. Medicine seemed to
be a revolving door of patients coming in and going out, all getting the same
treatments. Things weren’t individualized in any way. I had always wanted to
be a doctor, but traditional medicine seemed impersonal, cold and very much
like, “Here, take this -- it will fix you. There’s no other way.” When I
started my family residency, I began reading more about nutrition and testing
it out on my patients, with amazing results.
One thing that I thought was
particularly tragic was people in pain. Many times, however, something hurts
for a very good, mechanical reason. Through my investigation, I found that
prolotherapy was the way to fix this damage. When I learned that prolotherapy
was the only treatment that helped the former surgeon general, C. Everett
Koop, M.D., I began to incorporate it into my practice.
What is prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is a reconstructive ligament treatment administered through a
series of injections, which signal the body to repair a damaged area. The
ligaments and tendons are the supporting structures of our bodies. I’ve
found that a lot of people’s chronic pain comes from these areas. For
example, in the case of
arthritis, it is often the soft tissue and the
supporting structure around the joint that cause symptoms, not necessarily
bone grinding on bone. Prolotherapy works because it restrengthens an area,
which eliminates the pain and restores function.
Which conditions respond best
to prolotherapy?
Any kind of chronic pain in the hands, fingers, ankles, knees, neck and back.
Prolotherapy is also useful for
tennis elbow,
TMJ, herniated discs and even
migraines and sciatica.
How does prolotherapy work?
First off, I do a complete medical examination and a full musculoskeletal
examination, placing extra emphasis on pain that originates from the ligaments
or tendons. If I find that a patient’s pain is coming from one of these
areas (because I’m able to reproduce the symptoms during my examination),
then I will be able to treat it with prolotherapy.
For the injections, I use a
solution generally made up of two anesthetics and an irritating (or
inflammatory) agent (dextrose or cod-liver extract). The purpose of the
irritant is to signal the body that there is an area that needs repair. It’s
the same as when you sprain your
ankle -- your body creates
Inflammation to
repair the damage. Prolotherapy does the same thing: It tells the body that
there is an injury that needs to be healed. The body sends specialized
white-blood cells, fibroblasts and
Growth Hormone, which help to remove
debris and, ultimately, repair tissue and lay down new
collagen. Collagen is
the supporting structure for our tendons and ligaments.
Is pain involved?
The injections aren’t painful when done by a skilled practitioner.
Initially, because there is some local anesthetic in the injection, patients
are relieved of pain when they leave the office. If I inject the ligaments of
the knee, and a patient’s pain goes away, then I know that the arthritis
isn’t from bone grinding on bone. I know that the arthritis is from
ligament
pain in the knee. Unfortunately, the local anesthetic only lasts for a few
hours. I use that more for a diagnostic purpose. After a few days, patients
will experience an increase in pain and soreness. (Some patients have
described it like a toothache.)
How many sessions do people
need?
It’s very individualized. The small joints may take from one to four series
of injections. Knees and ankles may take anywhere from three to six series of
injections, and necks and backs may take on average of six to 12 series of
injections, depending on the person. Usually, I inject people every two to
three weeks. It can take up to six weeks to have maximum healing from one
injection. The body is repairing itself over a six-week period of time.
What are the signs that the
ligaments and tendons are healing?
I can tell a couple of ways: patients’ strength, their range of motion, and,
most importantly, their symptoms. Are they pain-free? Some people may need
follow-up sessions. Because it’s a restorative technique, however, the
person should be “cured” of pain forever. The technique is really
something that rebuilds structure, and unless there is another injury, there
may not be a need for additional treatments.
If prolotherapy replicates a
natural process in the body, why do some people need extra help healing?
The most common reason is that when most people get hurt, they reach for drugs
like
Advil, Motrin and Aleve, all of which inhibit inflammation. In the long
term, this detracts from the body’s ability to heal. Ironically, I haven’t
really found
inflammation in my chronic-pain patients, outside of those with
rheumatoid arthritis, which is more of a degenerative disease. The second most
common reason is that a person’s ligament and tendon strength deteriorates
and weakens over time for a variety of reasons. This contributes to tissue
breakdown, rather than tissue building. That is why I need to stimulate the
tissues to rebuild themselves.
The “technical” side of
prolotherapy is interesting, but how does it work for your patients?
A 72-year-old man came to me after having diagnostic arthroscopic surgery for
chronic
knee pain. His orthopedic surgeon told him he would need
knee-replacement surgery. His
knee pain (see Prolotherapy research
paper) was so bad that when he came to our
office, he had to use our handrail to hoist himself up the stairs. I found out
that he had some tenderness in certain ligaments of his knees. I gave him
three series of
Prolotherapy injections. After the third treatment, he had
100% relief of his pain. He no longer limped (which he did initially); he was
able to walk upstairs with no knee pain -- and without holding onto the
railing. He canceled his
knee surgery.
What supplements/therapies do
you use in addition to prolotherapy?
I usually put my patients on an individualized stretching and strengthening
program. I also like heat therapy, ultrasound and massage a lot. Some
supplements that are good for tissue regrowth are vitamin C, MSM,
glucosamine
sulfate and zinc.
Scott Greenberg, M.D.,
specializes in prolotherapy, nutrition, cancer therapies, preventive medicine
and anti-aging strategies. For more information, call (856) 424-8222. Dr.
Greenberg answers patient questions on Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 5 to
6 p.m. (EST) at (856) 424-0707. |
