Neural Therapy & Peri-Neural Therapy
Pain treatment and scar tissue treatment
Scars are often sites of dysfunctional nerve tissue. Direct injection of scars with local anesthetic is thought not only to help restore function of damaged nerve cells but has a secondary benefit of reducing the mechanical “pull” of the scar on other normal tissue. For example, a large scar on a patient’s sternum acquired from open-heart surgery may put unnatural tension on the thoracic spine, causing back pain. Injections into the scar soften it and reduce the pull.
Short for proliferative therapy, also commonly referred to as regenerative injection therapy (RIT). Regenerative injection therapies are used to treat chronic pain conditions and musculoskeletal injuries.
Ligament or tendon attachments once stretched, torn, or otherwise injured often have difficulty returning to pre-injury level of functioning due to limited blood supply to these structures. Chronic anti-inflammatory use or steroid injections further impair this process and
surgery can often produce more scarring and limited range of motion without addressing the root cause of dysfunction.
Prolotherapy can stimulate healing of the joint structures without cutting, or removing, tissue. This treatment consists of injecting a proliferating agent into an injured tendon or ligament attachment site (bone or joint), to stimulate the body’s natural healing process. As part of this process, the body recruits’ fibroblasts into the injured area, which are the body’s major cells responsible to produce new collagen, the material that ligaments and tendons are made of. This leads to the growth and formation of new ligaments, tendons, and cartilage in areas where there is weakness, laxity, or excess scar tissue.
Ingredients: There are 4 common ingredients used in standard dextrose prolotherapy solutions.
1. Dextrose: This is the main proliferative agent used in the treatment. Concentrated dextrose (sugar solution) is used as an irritant to stimulate a mild inflammation which ‘tricks’ the body into thinking the area is injured and to begin healing.
2. Procaine: A short-acting anesthetic that helps control pain. Additional benefits of using procaine include stopping muscle spasms, increasing muscle strength, breaking up scar tissue, and resetting malfunctioning nerves.
3. Adenosine Monophosphate: Is used to reduce inflammation and has also been shown to dissolve bone spurs & other pathological calcium deposits.
4. Methylcobalamin & Vitamin B12: Is added to aid in the repair of nerve function. It also has been used for sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, and bone spurs.
Prolotherapy is NOT the same as Cortisone Injections!
Unlike cortisone injections, regenerative injections work cumulatively, and more than one treatment is usually required to achieve full healing and function of the compromised joint.