When an injury occurs, the body’s normal healing process removes damaged tissue and replaces it with healthy tissue through the process of inflammation. Although chronic inflammation can have different causes and can necessitate different treatments, acute inflammation is a required step in healing. Because steroids and NSAID pain relievers reduce inflammation, they can slow down the healing process. A set of therapies that has been shown to both trigger healing and reduce pain is referred to as regenerative injection therapy (RIT), or prolotherapy.

The American Association of Orthopaedic Medicine (AAOM) explains the RIT process in relation to orthopedic injuries: “With a precise injection of a mild irritant solution directly on the site of the torn or stretched ligament or tendon, prolotherapy creates a mild, controlled injury that stimulates the body’s natural healing mechanisms to lay down new tissue on the weakened area. The mild inflammatory response that is created by the injection encourages growth of new ligament or tendon fibers, resulting in a tightening of the weakened structure. Additional treatments repeat this process, allowing a gradual buildup of tissue to restore the original strength to the area.”

Prolotherapy can treat pain caused by unhealed injuries in cartilage, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons and can be used to treat many conditions, such as pain in the head and neck, mid and lower back, hip, foot and ankle, sacroiliac joint and knee and shoulder, as well as pain caused by such conditions as arthritis, fibromyalgia and tennis elbow.

Dr. Neal Pollack is the founder of Neurology & Pain Treatment, located at 2600 N. Mayfair Rd., Ste. 1120, in Milwaukee. To contact the clinic or get more information, call 414-453-7780 or go to MilwaukeePainClinic.com. For the source of the quote, go to AAOMed.org/Injection-Therapy-FAQ. For a further explanation of the inflammation process, see the Medical News Today article at TinyUrl.com/pjelt6u.