Prolotherapy: good results when performed correctly

Angela,

I am very sorry to hear of your bad experience with prolotherapy, it sounds awful. I shadowed an osteopathic manipulative therapist for a month in college and he practiced prolotherapy regularly. This doctor was a great doctor and a great person, he practices for the love of his patients and would never do anything to harm them. I think he was turning 70 and was still practicing medicine. Anyways, I saw him perform prolotherapy on many patients. The needles are big, but not always. The needle size depends on the size of the patient and the location of the desired injection point, but that's not to say they they are not scary or intimidating.
They also did cause pain. I remember seeing the patients flinching, wretching, and on occasion, crying in pain, but it was worth it. One patient drove around 6 hours once every two weeks just to see this doctor and receive this treatment.
Many people loved this treatment and said that it changed their lives. I am sorry that you did not have the same experience. I think that your particular doctor is a bad one, and there are probably many more like him, as sad as that may be, but please do not spread bad news about prolotherapy because is it a great alternative medicine, especially to many surgeries, such as back surgery, which is still very unreliable.
I also did a little extra research and in April of 2005, Mayo clinic doctors started supporting prolotherapy and said people could benefit from prolotherapy in ankles, knees, elbows, and the sacroiliac joint located in the lower back
This may have change since the last time you were at Mayo, or maybe not everyone has the same opinion about it. I think it is option that should be considered, as long as you can find a good, reliable doctor.
I'll close with this: people have gotten Gillain-Barre from flu vaccinations, but the majority of people still get them. There are bad side effects to everything and there are bad doctors who do not practice compassionately or adequately, and that's a shame, but prolotherapy's name should not be tarnished because of a couple of bad incidents.
I hope that you find something to cease your pain, my prayers are with you.

God Bless Tweet