Prolotherapy
Question: I have a painful shoulder from overuse that has plagued me for years. I am trying to find an alternative to total replacement surgery. Prolotherapy has been recommended to me.
Dr. Bruno’s Response: Prolotherapy is injecting an irritant - a saline or dextrose solution - into a painful area, most often to treat tendon injuries resulting from overuse. It may also relieve pain due to osteoarthritis in certain joints. However, the American College of Rheumatology and Arthritis Foundation (ACR/AF) do not recommend using Prolotherapy for osteoarthritis of the knee or hip.
There is some evidence that dextrose Prolotherapy reduced the pain and disability of rotator cuff conditions. But, it should be remembered that researchers have not been able to identify how Prolotherapy works. Any success may be due to the placebo effect.
And, as with all invasive procedures, Prolotherapy must always be performed by a clinician knowledgeable and thoroughly experienced in its use in the joint or area being injected. Getting a second opinion before any invasive procedure is always in order.