Prolopuncture

What Is Prolopuncture/Prolotherapy?

Prolopuncture is an injection of B12 and Dextrose in Acupuncture points. Prolotherapy is similar to Prolopuncture; however, the injections are made at Acupuncture points with Prolopuncture. Prolopuncture helps your body make new cells and fibrous tissue to help repair soft tissue injuries in joints. The name “prolo” comes from the proliferation, rapid growth or reproduction of new cells, of fibrous tissue and “puncture” because of the use of Acupuncture points. It will also strengthen lax or partially torn tendons and ligaments. The all natural ingredients in Prolopuncture causes the existing injured soft tissue to make fibrous tissue. This fibrous tissue will mend tears in soft tissue, tendons, ligaments, labrum, meniscus, and cartilage as well as thickening the soft tissue. The process of thickening soft tissue and creating fibrous tissue will prevent bones from touching, which decreases pain. Western Medicine encourages healthcare providers to prescribe painkillers, which only mask the pain until you wear out the soft tissue in the joint creating it to become bone on bone situation. At that point, the only option is surgery and/or an artificial joint replacement.

How Is Prolopuncture Performed?

Prolopuncture consists of using a fine needle to inject an all natural solution into tendons, ligaments, labrum, meniscus, cartilage, and joints via the Acupuncture points. The substance used is called Dextrose, a kind of sugar, and B12. The Dextrose irritates the tissue because Dextrose is a scarring substance that promotes new growth of fibrous tissue to mend tears and repair the injured soft tissue.  This happens when you break a bone or when you cut yourself.  So another words the Dextrose makes the body do the same process when mending broken bones or when you cut your skin. Without the assistance of the Dextrose the body doesn’t mend tears in your joints, like it does when you break a bone or cut yourself.  The growing of the fibrous tissue promotes joint stability, mending repairs, thickening degenerative soft tissue and reducing pain. When injected into the torn tendons, ligament, labrums, meniscus, cartilage or joints, the Dextrose solution induces a physiological reaction that stimulates the soft tissue to create fibrous tissue just like when you cut yourself.  The Dextrose induces the migration of fibroblasts (the body’s repair cells) to the site of injury.  Fibroblasts lay down new connective and fibrous tissue and in so doing, enlarges, mends and strengthens the damaged tendons, ligaments, labrum, meniscus, and cartilage.

Who Is A Good Candidate For Regenerative Soft Tissue Growth?

A good Prolopuncture case is one in which the patient has suffered a degeneration or accidental trauma to the connective tissue or soft tissue of a joint or the ligaments and/or tendons that stabilize the joint. This would include but not only be specific to  patients with:

  • Lateral epicondylitis, medial epicondylitis (tennis/golfer’s elbow)
  • Rotator cuff injuries, including supraspinatus tendinosis, rotator cuff impingement syndromes, and calcific tendinitis, also glenoid fossa osteoarthritis
  • Knee injuries, including lax or partially torn cruciate ligaments, torn or degenerative meniscus and cartilage, enthesopathy (origin and insertion injuries to tendons and ligaments), as in injuries to the tibiofibular ligaments
  • Osteoarthritic changes to the knees, including chondromalacia patellae and degenerative osteoarthritis of the cartilage and meniscus
  • Arthritis.
  • Partial tears of tendons, ligaments and/or muscles.
  • Plantar fasciitis and tarsal tunnel syndrome
  • Arthritic changes to small joints of the fingers and toes
  • Costochondritis, costovertebral ligament laxity and hyper-mobil ribs
  • Hip injuries, including torn labrum, and/or lax or partially torn ligaments

Prolopuncture stimulates healing in soft tissue injuries. This healing response occurs because the injection of the Dextrose solution into the injured tissue stimulates the body’s own fibroblasts to migrate into the affected area and rebuild the damaged and frayed tissue. The Prolopuncture solution is made of a compound which causes proliferation of connective tissue. Ligaments, tendons, meniscus, cartilage, labrum, and joints have a notoriously poor blood supply and are difficult to heal. It is recommended not to do anything that would strain or irritate the area trying to heal. Irritating the affected area can be compared to picking a scab on a wound; the wound will eventually heal but will take a lot longer. It might even require additional Prolopuncture. It is in the patient’s best interest to act as if the area were like when one has a broken bone; although soft tissue injuries are harder to heal than hard tissue (like bone). So, having this mindset will help the healing process. If you had an open wound and you kept sticking your finger in it; it would take longer to heal. It’s always better to be “safe than sorry.” During the Prolo treatments, one’s activity level should be no more 25%.  The body only has so much energy and if you are spreading that energy thin by doing other activities, thats less energy the body has to heal.

What To Expect From A Course Of Prolopuncture?

On your initial visit, Dr. House will review your health history and perform a physical exam specific to your condition. He will also review your prior medical records, including X-rays, CAT scans, and MRI reports, if available. Once the location and nature of the injury are confirmed, a course of Prolopuncture treatments can be prescribed. The Prolopuncture treatment protocol calls for 10 treatments of Prolopuncture every 5 to 7 days.  Then a month is taken off and if there is anymore severe symptoms Dr.House strongly recommends getting 2 more Prolopuncture treatments within a year of the last treatment. Only 10% of the patients have to do the 2 extra treatments usually due to not following what Dr.House recommended during your treatments.  Most patients consider the pain of Prolo injections to be significantly less than the chronic pain of their injured.  All patients are encouraged to moderate their activities for 24 hours following each session, after which they can resume normal physical activity. Pain following the injections is usually short term. Putting Ice or frozen peas on the area 3 to 5xs for 10 minutes with a 30 minute break between icings is recommended to ease post-injection pain.  After 24 hours of the Prolo treatment, Dr.House explains, how “Heat is your friend & cold is your enemy.”  Other words, stop using ice and use heat to make your injured area feel better.  Some patients experience pain and swelling at the injection site for 1-3 days following the procedure.  If the ice & heat isn’t getting the desired relief, then we recommend the patients take Tylenol for the pain, but not aspirin or any type of anti-inflammatory medications like Advil or Aleve, which can inhibit the healing response. A Specific non-mucous forming diet & stretching are prescribed after the 1st treatment and are continued thru the 6-8 months of rehab & recovery.  The response to treatment is cumulative, with benefits compounding with each treatment. Remember, the treatments take 50-70 days, the soft tissue will continue to grow and repair for an additional 6 months after the last treatment.  Dr. House will give you a 6-8 month Rehab Assignment which will include a detailed protocol of what you will need to do for the next 6-8 months to rehab & recover from your injury.  The course of Prolopuncture treatments, Dr. House likens to surgery.  The only difference is Prolopuncture is non-surgical and takes 50-70 days because the body can only heal so fast.  Dr.House will guarantee you if you don’t follow his recommendations closely, you will not get the results you want.  Dr.House is not only the Physician but he is also a Prolopuncture success story.  Most Physicians never get injured in their field of expertise, so how do they really know what they are doing “REALLY” works.  They don’t… Dr.House knows beyond a shadow of a doubt Prolopuncture works because if it worked for him and his very severe injury, it will work for any qualified Prolopuncture candidate.