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Prolotherapy in St. Petersburg

A man is getting a stethoscope inserted into a patient's ear.

A Sweet Treatment Option!

Prolotherapy is a safe and effective, nonsurgical, regenerative injection technique that precisely introduces a small amount of irritant solution to the site of painful and degenerated tendons, ligaments, joints, and other structures to promote growth of normal cells and tissues. We use dextrose, a natural form of glucose (sugar) normally found in the body, to achieve this response.

How Does Prolotherapy Work?

The body’s natural response to stress (acute or chronic) is inflammation. Each stage of healing depends on the preceding stage. Many people take anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen to stop the pain and inflammation, thus preventing the normal healing cascade from progressing. The goal of prolotherapy is to induce a controlled, non-toxic, localized inflammatory response to the sites of injury to stimulate that natural healing and regenerative cascade in a proper manner, thus facilitating the repair and regrowth of tendons, ligaments and cartilage. The repaired tissues in response to prolotherapy appear the same as normal tissue, except they are stronger, thicker, and more resilient. Contrary to previous beliefs, prolotherapy is not a sclerotic, but rather a proliferant. In other words, it does not cause scar tissue but instead works by repairing and generating normal, healthy tissue.

Where Can Prolotherapy Help You?

Prolotherapy works well for a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions. Acute injuries such as sprains and strains, as well as chronic issues such as tendon pain and injuries respond very well to prolotherapy. Laxity, looseness or instability of joints respond exceptionally well to prolotherapy. Many people complain of “bone pain”, when in fact it is actually the tendons, ligaments and fascia which attach onto the bone that are the pain generators. We can identify these sometimes very small areas with an ultrasound during your appointment, increasing the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.

What To Expect with Prolotherapy Treatments

A single prolotherapy treatment sets the stage for healing, but the regenerative and strengthening that occurs continues for months after treatment. The treatment is similar to pushing over the first domino in an elaborate maze, in which there is an effect from each preceding step. Sometimes we need to keep “pushing over a domino” to keep the process going, re-stimulating the tissues until they regain normal function. Although some patients may only need a single session, treatments are generally performed every 3-4 weeks until the desired result is obtained. Response from treatments depends on many factors including the health and nutritional status of the patient, location and severity of the injury, how long the injury has been present, the type of treatment utilized and whether or not high quality physical therapy is incorporated in the recovery process.

Why Our Patients Experience Great Outcomes

In addition to patient-related factors, the physician’s training, experience and technique are key components to optimize your response. Dr John Broussard has extensive training in prolotherapy including fellowship and with the Hackett-Hemwall Patterson Foundation where he participates in prolotherapy missions abroad. At Alliance Regen & Rehab our treatments are specific to you. We work with you, your injury, your goals, and how you are progressing in your healing.

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