Finding Relief from Chronic Pain

March 2012

Finding Relief from Chronic PainIf you suffer from chronic pain, then you don’t need to hear how frustrating the enduring discomfort can be. It interferes with the daily lives of tens of millions of Americans without much offered in the way of successful treatment. However, there are options available that many people are not aware of. Prolotherapy is a form of treatment for chronic pain that does not involve daily medication or surgery.

Prolotherapy is a type of nonsurgical ligament reconstruction that stimulates the regenerative potential of the immune system to target and treat injured areas. Instead of introducing pain medications to mask the pain you are feeling, or causing more pain through surgical intervention, prolotherapy enhances your body’s natural ability to heal wounds and overcome pain.

A recent study of 145 patients found that prolotherapy was a very successful treatment option in the management of chronic lower back pain. The patients in this study experienced lower back pain for an average of close to five years prior to undergoing prolotherapy, and when contacted one year following their prolotherapy treatment were still experiencing relief from their chronic pain.

Of the 145 patients treated with prolotherapy, 89% experienced relief from more than 50% of their pain, and 80% of participants exhibited improvements in their ability to walk and engage in physical activity, as well as improvements to their mental health, including decreased anxiety and depression. In addition, 75% of patients were able to stop taking pain medications following prolotherapy.

Prior to undergoing prolotherapy, the patients evaluated in this study were all told by physicians that there were no other treatment options available to them, or that surgery was their only choice. However, the majority of these patients did find relief from their pain. If prolotherapy worked for them, then it may be something that is worth consideration for you.