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 Prolopuncture?
A good “Prolopuncture candidate”, 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:
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Lateral epicondylitis, medial epicondylitis (tennis/golfer’s elbow)
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Rotator cuff injuries, including supraspinatus tendinosis, rotator cuff impingement syndromes, and calcific tendinitis, also glenoid fossa osteoarthritis
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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
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Osteoarthritic changes to the knees, including chondromalacia patellae and degenerative osteoarthritis of the cartilage and meniscus
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Arthritis.
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Partial tears of tendons, ligaments and/or muscles.
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Plantar fasciitis and tarsal tunnel syndrome
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Arthritic changes to small joints of the fingers and toes
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Costochondritis, costovertebral ligament laxity and hyper-mobil ribs
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Hip injuries, including torn labrum, and/or lax or partially torn ligaments
Prolopuncture stimulates healing with creating “fibrous tissue,” 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.