Our patients come because of our skill in treating chronic pain and immune system problems without reliance on pharmaceuticals or invasive techniques.

Most of the patients we see at the first visit have a long history of chronic pain and medical problems.
Our philosophy is not to suppress symptoms with medications, but rather, to seek out the root cause of a patient's complaints and seek a permanent solution. Learn more about us

Prolotherapy Appointment Information

Prolotherapy and Knee Pain

Prolotherapy
and Knee Pain
In our opinion, before letting an arthroscope touch you, it is imperative to have an evaluation by a physician familiar with Prolotherapy (a non-surgical alternative.)

Knee Injury and Cortisone
In our opinion, the quickest way for an patient or athlete to lose strength at the ligament-bone junction (fibro-osseous junction) is to inject cortisone to that area. Cortisone and other steroid injections ALL have the same detrimental effects on articular cartilage.

Watch Dr. Hauser perform
Prolotherapy to the knee


Baker's Cyst and Prolotherapy
A cyst is a fluid filled sac in any location of the body.  One of the more common areas where cysts occur is the back of the knee.  These cysts are called popliteal cysts or Baker's cysts.  Typically, damage within the knee causes swelling and the fluid is pumped from the knee to this fluid filled sac.  This creates swelling and sometimes pain in the back of the knee.  This may cause problems achieving full bending or full straightening of the knee.

Knee Braces
It is a familiar locker room ritual. The taping of ankles and knees to provide support and limit movement of an existing injury. Despite numerous medical studies confirming the ineffectiveness of taping, and in some cases, actually contributing to further injury, most continue to do it.

ACUTE MENISCAL TEAR FROM HIGH HEELS
I recently saw a patient who I had seen two weeks before for acute severe knee pain. At that time the patient was unable to walk because weight-bearing on her left knee was impossible due to severe pain, which she graded an 8 out of a maximum ten point scale.

ACUTE MENISCAL TEAR
Recently  I did the first follow up session for a patient I had initially seen two weeks before for acute severe knee pain. At that time the patient was unable to walk because weight bearing on her left knee was impossible due to severe pain, which she graded an 8 out of a maximum ten point scale.

Meniscal Injury and Prolotherapy
By knowing the function of the meniscus, it is possible to predict what will happen when meniscal tissue is shaved or removed. Since it provides some of the nutrition to the articular cartilage, its removal will aid in the demise of the cartilage. If the cartilage is damaged, then the pressures on the bone will be too great and arthritis will soon follow.

Bucket Handle Meniscus Tear
The lateral and medial menisci sit between the femur and tibia bones. They are the shock absorbers in the knee. As such do you think it is a good idea to have them removed?

MENISCUS BLOG

Prolotherapy and Knee Replacement
This is not too difficult to figure out just from the figures of the number of people needing joint replacement surgery as directly correlated to the number of people who are developing arthritis, which is directly related to the number of people who have received cortisone injections, arthroscopy, RICE treatment, and anti-inflammatory medications over the past 40 years.

Cruciate Ligaments of the Knee: ACL, MCL and PCL
These are one of the best publicized of knee injuries. There is actually a very good reason for this. While cruciate ligament tears are not the most common knee injury, they very commonly do not heal well.

Estrogen and ACL Injuries
If estrogen directly inhibits collagen growth, then the more estrogens in a female's system the more athletic injuries she should incur at certain times of the month.

ACL TREATMENT OPTIONS
"The MRI says I have a complete tear, I guess I need surgery" Maybe not.

ACL Injury and Hormones
Though males and females have the same musculoskeletal structures, there are some unique differences that actually make female athletes more prone to injury.

Ligament and Tendon Laxities
Most athletic injuries involve strains and sprains to tendons and ligaments, respectively. A tendon attaches a muscle to the bone and involves movement of the joint.

MCL
This ligament on the medial aspect of the knee, the medial collateral ligament (MCL), is a commonly injured ligament. It is a broad thick band about four to six inches long. It has deep and superficial layers. This ligament is vulnerable to blows to the knee from the outside, which often occur in contact sports.

Prolotherapy Regenerates Knee Cartilage
all the surgery in the world cannot cause the new growth of healthy tendon and ligament tissue; at best, the pain may be alleviated, but for all the expense, risk, and trauma, the underlying cause of pain may never be addressed. Prolotherapy is a safe, simple, inexpensive, effective, and proven cure for chronic pain.

CARTILAGE TRANSPLANT SURGERY
Over my years of treating many knees, I have seen hundreds upon hundreds of people get Prolotherapy instead of knee replacement surgery or arthroscopic surgery. Do you realize that the amount of people in the United States who get arthroscopic surgery and/or knee replacement and other knee surgeries is about 1 million? Yes, one million people per year get knee surgeries in the United States!
 

Prolotherapy, Diet and A Golfer's Knee
JJ, a 46 year old female competitive league golfer, was first seen at Caring Medical in late 2006. She was 5’6”, 211 pounds with good muscle mass. She complained of her knees “giving out” along with having bilateral medial weakness, joint stiffness, pain and recurring edema with most leg exercises.

Prolotherapy and Pes Anserinus Tendons
The most common cause of knee pain is not ligament injury. (We realize that this is shocking, since we have been explaining in past newsletters that ligaments are normally the cause of chronic pain.) The most common cause of chronic knee pain is weakness in the pes anserinus tendons.    
 

Knee Cap Patella Disorders & Prolotherapy
When there is a problem with this part of the knee it manifests as pain in the front of the knee after strong exertion (running, walking, or stair climbing.) This may be due to erosion of the cartilage on the under side of the patella, poor tracking of the patella in its groove on the front of the knee, or an inflamed tendon on the lower edge of the patella.
 

Knee Injuries in the Older Athlete
Knee injury and pain is also quite common in the older athlete. Pain can be due to osteoarthritis of the knee joint, arthritis behind the patella (kneecap), sprain of the ligaments on the inner and outer part of the knee (medial and lateral collateral ligaments), and weakness of ligaments inside the knee (anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments).
 

Swimmer's Knee Injuries
A study on the incidence of injuries to various parts of the musculoskeletal system of swimmers, and noticed that a high percentage of breaststroke swimmers complained of pain in the medial knee.

Prolotherapy & the Surgical Repaired Knee
During an initial consultation, I explain to patients that Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair painful areas. and can help many conditions, including a knee that has been through surgery.  

Never Have Knee Surgery Based on an MRI
Recently I saw an athlete who had been on a world championship national volleyball team years ago, and remains active in the sport. He complained about an unstable left knee since a minor mishap several months ago while playing basketball, and he also had a history of arthroscopic surgery on that same knee.

PROLOTHERAPY AND ARTIFICIAL KNEES
Yes, Prolotherapy can help people with artificial knees and hips, assuming the knees and hips are aligned in the proper position. Most of the pain after an artificial knee or hip relates to the structures around the joint. 

Healing Knee Injuries Without Surgery
Prolotherapy, in my opinion, is the best way to avoid surgery! It can promote the repair of torn cruciate ligaments, torn medial collateral ligaments, injured meniscus and chondromalacia.

Surgical Alternatives for the Knee Ligament
The complications of orthopedic surgery on knee ligaments are significant and frequent. The ligament grafts are profoundly weakened about eight weeks after surgery. At this time their strength is about 10 percent of its initial strength! It is only 50 percent of initial strength after one year. In two to three years the grafts are at their strongest, and then, less than their initial strength.(1) Compare this to one study where ligament strength was measured after a six-week period of doing Prolotherapy on knee ligaments.
 

KNEE ARTHROSCOPY FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS
OF THE KNEE
Recently I looked over several articles in newspapers and a nice clinical review article, all explaining how arthroscopy for knee arthritis is on the rise despite the lack of evidence that it helps get rid of pain. Most of the knee patients we see at Caring Medical have had knee arthroscopy and from what I can tell it accelerates the arthritic process. We feel a better approach would be to repair the arthritic process with Prolotherapy. 

Prolotherapy and Ankle Pain
Twisted Ankle
Acute ankle sprains are typically treated by immobilization, presumably to help the injured ligaments heal. Nothing could be further from the truth. Immobilization is the quickest way to cause a dramatic decline in ligament function and strength. Anti-inflammatory medications are often given after an acute injury, but should definitely be avoided during this time. Anti-inflammatory medication may actually prevent the body's own healing process from occurring.
 

Chronic Ankle Pain in a Female Athlete
Jenny had multiple signs, or symptoms, that confirmed this diagnosis such as non-healing sports injury with no overt trauma causing the original pain; multiple tender points in other parts of her body especially about the knees and hips; dry skin; brittle nails and hair; menstrual problems; improper diet for her metabolism; and finally, her taking synthetic estradiol.

Ankle Sprains
Ankle sprains are a common and often aggravating injury. Although most sprains are generally minor and heal quickly, a recent study conducted at the orthopedic department of the University of Basel Switzerland showed that in 20% to 40% of patients, sprains lead to chronic ankle instability, and that 70% to 80% of this patient subset eventually develops osteoarthritis in the affected ankle.

Ankle Fusion
It is common for Prolotherapists to see people with continued pain complaints after surgery. This is a very common occurrence in our office in Oak Park, Illinois. Often overlooked causes of this post-surgery pain are that the surgery itself may cause ligament injury or the surgery may not repair the ligament injury. When performing surgery, the ligaments are stretched and pulled in order to gain access to the joint.
 

Golf, Prolotherapy and Weak Ankles
Golfing could be defined, in a mechanical sense, as a coordinated movement between the upper body (torso, arms, and shoulders) and the lower body (feet, legs, and lower back). The most basic objective in this sport is control. Control the body segments, and you can control the physical impact and the end trajectory of the spherical object with dimples (the ball).
 

Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability
Most Ligament injuries do not totally heal. Even if the pain resolves, the ligament will not be as strong as it was prior to the injury. Since ligaments stabilize the joints, ligament injury then produces a loose joint. If the ligament never heals, chronic joint looseness or instability results.

Prolotherapy and Shoulder Pain


Frozen Shoulder
A frozen shoulder is also treatable with Prolotherapy, but healing occurs over a longer period of time. The term adhesive capsulitis refers to scar tissue that forms inside the joint due to lack of movement. If a joint is not moved through its full range of motion every day, scar tissue will form inside the joint. 
Prolotherapy and Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries and pain are quite common in golfers, swimmers, and tennis players. Shoulder pain may be due to acute bursitis, also known as an inflammation of the gel-like cushion in the shoulder. This results in extreme pain in the upper arm and shoulder region. Pain may even extend down the arm and can be quite severe. 


Shoulder Arthritis
Arthritis does not affect the shoulder joint as often as it does large weight-bearing joints, such as the hip and knee. With the shoulder, there is usually a history of injury or trauma to the shoulder or previous surgery.

Shoulder Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder is characterized by the destruction of the protective cartilage in the joint with painful and restricted motion. There is usually a history of trauma to the shoulder or previous surgery. While plain x-rays can confirm the presence of osteoarthritis in the shoulder, the most common unseen culprit to the development of arthritis is chronic ligamentous laxity.

Is There a Place for Arthroscopy?
Arthroscopy is useful to repair complete ligament and tendon tears and also to shave bone like under the acromion when a person has an impingement syndrome in the shoulder when it doesn’t heal completely with Prolotherapy. The number of arthroscopies ever recommended at Caring Medical can probably be counted on one's hands. The number of arthroscopies that have been prevented is in the hundreds.
 

Rotator Cuff Tendonitis / Impingement Syndrome
Rotator cuff tendonitis occurs when the small muscles of the Rotator Cuff, the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis, become strained causing weakness of these structures and subsequent tendonitis.
 

Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Pain
The most common cause of chronic shoulder pain is not shoulder instability but supraspinatus tendon weakness, also known as rotator cuff tendonitis. If full range of movement in the shoulder is compromised, the supraspinatus tendon works harder to provide the motion support needed.
 

SUPRASPINATOUS TENDINOSIS
I commonly see an MRI report that a patient brings in that is showing tendinosis. For someone who has tendinosis of a rotator cuff tendon, such as the supraspinatous tendon, or other tendons such as the Achilles tendon, the questions to ask are these...
 

Shoulder Dislocation
Shoulder dislocation occurs when a patient falls on an outstretched hand or when an anterior force to the shoulder occurs when the shoulder is abducted and externally rotated.
 

Shoulder Separations
The most common means of injury to the AC joint is a direct blow downward on the top, or point, of the shoulder.
 

SLAP Lesions and Prolotherapy
It is common for patients to walk into Caring Medical and say that their orthopedist told them that surgery was their only option. Patients are commonly told that surgery in the only option for such conditions as Meniscal Injury, advanced Osteoarthritis, labral tears of the hip and shoulder, and especially if they have a SLAP lesion.

SNAPPING SCAPULA SYNDROME
Snapping scapula syndrome, also known as scapulocostal syndrome or scapulothoracic syndrome, is characterized by a grating, grinding, popping or snapping sensation of the scapula onto the back side of the ribs or thoracic area of the spine.

SHOULDER PAIN BLOG

Elbow Pain, Wrist Pain

Elbow Pain and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 
Eighty percent of chronic elbow pain is due to a sprain of the annular ligament, a ligament rarely examined by a family physician or an orthopedic surgeon. Nearly all of our patients with chronic elbow pain tell us their doctors told them they have tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and not a sprain of the annular ligament.

Elbow Ligament Injury
One of the most common sports injuries that is seen at Caring Medical in Oak Park, Illinois is elbow ligament laxity. By laxity, I mean, the ligament is no longer able to stabilize the elbow.

Ulnar Collateral Ligament
The ulnar collateral ligament supports the inside of the elbow and is a reason for most chronic medial elbow pains. the UCL is responsible for holding the ulnar bone to the distal end of the humerus. This enables the arm to flex, pivoting at the elbow.

Tennis Elbow, Golfer's Elbow Prolotherapy
The anatomical structures involved in tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis) are structures located very close to the skin. Thus, being so close to the skin, traditional treatments such as physical therapy, heat, ultrasound, and massage should very quickly resolve the problems by greatly increasing the metabolic rate in the muscle attachments at these sites. However, because these conditions do not recover quickly, this tells us that the muscles are not the problem, but rather, the underlying ligaments.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
It can be estimated that 5 million people have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and that some 37 million people suffer from chronic wrist pain.

The Use of Elbow Braces
To think that putting a band around the elbow could do anything to help a physical condition is ludicrous. Wearing a brace actually has the potential to harm the injured area due to the compression exerted by the brace and by changing the biomechanics of motion from the compressive force.

Wrist Injury and Prolotherapy
The wrist is one of the most complicated areas of the musculoskeletal system.

Elbow Pain and Prolotherapy
Another common cause of chronic elbow pain is an ulnar collateral ligament sprain. This ligament supports the inside of the elbow. It is responsible for holding the ulnar bone to the distal end of the humerus. In other words it enables the arm to flex, pivoting at the elbow.

Tennis Elbow, Golfer's Elbow "Tommy John Surgery"
Some doctors will nearly always give a surgical option for the condition of elbow instability. Typically, the "Tommy John" surgery is offered. This involves taking a tendon from the wrist (palmaris longus tendon) and grafting this on the lateral or medial elbow, depending on which side is unstable.
 

Annular Ligament, The
Any kind of throwing motion, whether in javelin, baseball (especially the curve ball), bowling, or even lesser-known sports like hurling, puts tremendous force on this ligament.
 

Bilateral elbow tendinosis
Cynthia is a 45 year old formerly active woman who came to Caring Medical on April 18, 2006 with complaints of bilateral forearm and elbow pain. The pain in the left elbow was present since July 2004 and in the right elbow since February 2003.

Platelet Rich Plasma Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy with Platelet Rich Plasma for
Labrum and Menisci Degeneration and/or Tears
I can’t remember the last time a patient of ours had surgery for a torn meniscus or labrum. I know I have sent a few patients for surgery in the past, but it has been a long time. Prolotherapy works very well for labrum (hip and shoulder) and menisci degeneration and tears and even more so when platelet rich plasma (PRP) is added. So what is PRP and how does it work?

Platelet Rich Plasma Case History
Platelet Rich Plasma Turns the Tide
Prolotherapy - Platelet Rich Plasma Solution
PRP and bilateral elbow tendinosis

Pain Killers
Why it is Crucial for the Chronic Pain Patient to Stop Using Narcotics
One of the most heart-wrenching experiences any human being can experience is watching a loved one die. I am going to tell you this story so that you know we fully understand the power of narcotic medications.
 

Can I Take Anti-Inflammatories With Prolotherapy?
Anti-inflammatory medicine, like Motrin, Advil, aspirin, Clinoril, Volteran, Prednisone, and cortisone, all inhibit the healing process of soft tissues. The long term detrimental effects far outweigh the temporary positive effect of decreased pain.

PROLOTHERAPY - VIOXX AND BEXTRA
Vioxx, Bextra Celebrex

What About Prescription Narcotics?
Our mentor, Dr. Hemwall prescribed analgesics like Tylenol with codeine to ease stiffness and pain after Prolotherapy treatment. We occasionally use codeine, but we more commonly use Tylenol or Ultram (which do not decrease inflammation), or natural analgesics like bromelain or natural muscle relaxers such as magnesium.
 

Getting Off Of Narcotics
Traditional pain management in this country typically involves suppressing the symptoms of pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) and narcotics.
 

Myths About Pain and Swelling
10 Myths about pain and swelling
 

Depo-Medrol - Prolotherapy

PROLOTHERAPY-NEURONTIN, ELAVIL FOR SLEEP
When a person is wracked with chronic pain, especially when insomnia and burning pain is involved, physicians will try and alleviate the pain by prescribing medications such as Elavil and Neurontin.

Prolotherapy and Rib Pain

Slipping Rib Syndrome
In many cases a rib slips out of place because the ligaments that hold the ribs to the sternum, the sternocostal ligaments, have been weakend. Without muscles to hold the ribs in place, weakened ligaments allow slipping of the rib. This in turn causes further stretching of the ligament, producing severe pain.

Prolotherapy for Rib Pain
Most people don't realize that a person has cartilage in their sternal (breast bone).  This cartilage is where the ribs connect to the sternum.  For people with chronic musculoskeletal chest pain that is reproducible by pressing on the painful spot, most of the time this spot is where the ribs connect to the sternum. 

Thoracic Outlet Syndome
The symptoms of TOS include: pain in the neck, shoulder, and arm; coldness in the hand; and numbness in the arm and hand. However, in severe cases of compression of the subclavian vessels, Raynaud’s phenomenon, claudication, thrombosis, and edema can occur in the involved extremity.


HORMONES
Estradiol Inhibits Healing

One of our jobs at Caring Medical is to help our patients have the best chance to heal from their pain. Prolotherapy is the treatment of choice in our opinion for lax (injured) tendons and ligament which cause pain.

More Articles

Why Prolotherapy May Not Be Working For You
We get many emails asking why Prolotherapy may not be working, here are 10 reasons.
 

Why Prolotherapy Results May Not Be Seen Immediately
Prolotherapy in its ability to cure chronic pain is completely dependent on the Prolotherapist treating completely the injured structures. This means that all the injured structures are treated with a strong enough solution to heal the area in a reasonable period of time.
 

What Do You Mean the Prolotherapy Worked?
A patient came in for his sixth Prolotherapy visit.

Soreness After Prolotherapy
A patient is generally sore for a couple of days after Prolotherapy. This is because the Prolotherapy injections have to go through some muscles to get to the ligaments and tendons.
 

How To Optimize Response To Prolotherapy
In my opinion there are many ways to effectively optimize the success of Prolotherapy in patients suffering from chronic pain. The following is a guideline:
 

A PROLOTHERAPY NIGHTMARE
A patient had significant lower back injury because she fell off of a horse. She tried numerous treatments without help. She finally heard about Prolotherapy she thought about coming to visit us in Oak Park, Illinois but decided to go to someone closer.
 

How Much Inflammation Should Prolotherapy Create?
There are actually two answers to this. The first one is obvious. You need enough inflammation to heal. Someone can heal after Prolotherapy with only a minimal inflammatory discomfort and someone else may have the whole area very tender, stiff and inflamed.
 

What's The Proof That The Prolotherapy Is Working?
This is a common question asked by people just about to receive Prolotherapy for the first time. Typically there are several variables that are looked at to make sure the Prolotherapy is achieving the results the person desires.
 

When Prolotherapy Doesn't Work?
The key to Prolotherapy is twofold:  you must have a Prolotherapy-Responsive Ailment (PRA), in other words, a pain that Prolotherapy is effective at treating and you must get a sufficient inflammatory response to the area to stimulate repair through the process of Prolotherapy.
 

Not All Prolotherapists Are Created Equal
Not all Prolotherapists are created equal and the proof is some of the things our patients have told us and what we have heard from other physicians:
 

Obesity and Prolotherapy
When a person is overweight it puts extra strain on the joints, obviously. What this means is that the ligaments in an overweight person have to be stronger than in a normal weight person to support the person. 
 

Natural Medicine Techniques For Prolotherapy
Two case histories below explain many factors that contribute to the vicious cycle of chronic pain, non-healing injuries, and connective tissue deficiency.
 

P2G
The Prolotherapy solution P2G includes phenol, glycerin, and glucose.
 

I Can't Have Injections!
It is really interesting how people respond to the injections of Prolotherapy. You’ll probably be surprised to know that over 95% of the patients at our office use nothing to get through the procedure.
 

Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Massage therapy
Let me start by saying that Prolotherapy is often used in conjunction with physical therapy, chiropractic care (excluding high velocity manipulation) and massage therapy. When physical therapy, chiropractic care and massage therapy is no longer resolving the problem, it is then that Prolotherapy is a great alternative treatment.
 

Can Stress Stop Prolotherapy From Working?
Take a picture of someone without pain, then give them chronic pain and take a picture of them 4 years later, still with the pain. Guess what you see? They looked like they aged at least 10 years in those four years!

How can Prolotherapy be made ‘painless’?
For the last 15 years I have been using various intravenous medications to help people get Prolotherapy over large areas relatively pain free.

We Give Lots Of Shots
While the notion of getting a lot of injections into your body may not be appealing, surely you want every area of your body treated that is causing pain?  Is it any wonder when a person goes to a Prolotherapy doctor and gets two or three shots why they don’t get completely better? 

Pain Killers and Cortisone
Cortisone Shots 
In my opinion, receiving a cortisone shot is one of the quickest ways to lose strength at the ligament-bone junction (fibro-osseous junction).

Cortisone Shots and Prolotherapy
Athletes are primarily given NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and steroid injections because it is the standard of care.

Why Not Get A Cortisone Injection?
“My doctor wants to give me a cortisone shot. What do you think?” “Cortisone helped me before, why shouldn’t I get another shot?” “Is Prolotherapy going to hurt like a cortisone shot?"”

MISCELLANEOUS
MAYO CLINIC PROMOTES PROLOTHERAPY
MAYO CLINIC AND PROLOTHERAPY
Neural Therapy
PROLOTHERAPY FOR POST-FRACTURE REHAB
Abdominal Pain and Sports Hernia
SYNVISC and Prolotherapy
Not All Chiropractors Are Created Equal
Prolotherapy and Repetitive Injury
Prolotherapy and Fibromyalgia
Prolotherapy and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Chronic Pain
Dysautonomic Polyneuropathy
What is the Effect of Aging on Healing?
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Pseudogout
Hand and Finger Injuries
Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Trigger Points
Overmanipulation Syndrome
Estradiol Inhibits Healing
Women's World
Prolozone®

Watch Dr. Hauser perform
Prolotherapy to the low back


Watch Dr. Hauser do
Prolotherapy to the thoracic spine

Arachnoiditis
Arachnoiditis is typically diagnosed in someone who has undergone back surgery and still suffers severe back pain that radiates down the legs and often to the feet. The pain has a persistent burning, stinging, or aching quality. The diagnosis is occasionally made when similar symptoms are felt in the neck, arms, or the mid back with radiation into the chest. This pain is typically unresponsive to pain medications and muscle relaxants.

Ankylosing Spondylitis
It is an accepted fact in the medical literature that an individual who presents with four out of the following five symptoms, without having any trauma to the lower back, has an 80 percent chance of having the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis

Low Back Pain and Prolotherapy
The first step in determining ligament laxity or instability in the lower back is by physical examination. The examination involves maneuvering the patient into various stretched positions. If weak ligaments exist, the stressor maneuver will cause pain. Do this simple test at home:

Scoliosis and Prolotherapy
Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine of 11 degrees or more. An estimated 500,000 adults in the United States have scoliosis. Scoliosis is usually discovered during adolescence and is called idiopathic scoliosis, a fancy term meaning the doctor has no idea what caused the scolios.

Degenerative Disc Disease
When talking back pain, it is important to talk about the intervertebral disc. It is not commonly known that the intervertebral disc undergoes the most dramatic age-related changes of all connective tissue. By the third decade of life, much of the distinction between the annulus fibrosis (outside of the disc) and the nucleus pulposus (jelly middle) is lost, as the latter is progressively replaced with fibrocartilaginous tissue.

Degenerative Disc Disease & the Athlete
Degenerative disc disease (DDD). This is a common form of osteoarthritis in the back. A degenerated disc is one that has lost some water and as a result loses height and flattens. When the disc is of normal height, the ligaments  that hold the spine together remain at normal length.

Degenerative Disc Disease & Sports
So you have been diagnosed with degenerated discs. Join the club. Yes, even yours truly had an MRI. What a horrific experience. I had a pinched nerve in my neck and the flu both at the same time. The MRI technician placed me in the exact position that caused the radiating pain down my arm.

Spinal Stenosis and Prolotherapy
People generally question us when we tell them that Prolotherapy can help relieve the pain of spinal stenosis, yet, the answer to their questions can be found in the following five facts.

Spinal Cord Stimulators
“Can I get Prolotherapy if I have a spinal cord stimulator?” This is a question I get asked once or twice a year.

Mal-rotation C1 vertebrae Prolotherapy
Numerous patients over the years have come in with what I term “C1 Syndrome.”  I am sure it is called something else in chiropractic and osteopathic literature, but regardless of the name, it is a condition caused by mal-rotation of the C1 vertebrae.

MRIs, Herniated Discs, Prolotherapy
It is prudent for a patient to consider why he or she is getting an MRI. If a patient wants to get surgery then go ahead and get an MRI. There is almost no other reason to get one. MRI’s cannot tell a person what is causing their pain, it only confirms what is known by the history and physical examination.

Radiofrequency denervation
Radiofrequency denervation of nerves for low back pain is becoming more and more of an accepted treatment. In my experience very few people receive long term relief with this therapy. In addition, this therapy makes absolutely no sense to me.  Let's see if it makes sense to you.

Acute Lumbar Disc Herniation
Here at CMRS we often find ourselves going against conventional wisdom in our therapeutic recommendations. Our explanation for this is that we really care for patients and dig diligently for the right answers, and we are not bound by establishment blinders and the need for conformity to an established but arbitrary and often ineffective standard of orthodox care.

BACK PAIN-WHAT'S THE DIAGNOSIS?
People are confused because doctors, most commonly orthopedic surgeons, give them diagnoses that they do not understand. In one study, 51 surgeons were asked to give the four most common diagnoses used for patients with low back pain and a total of 50 different terms were used.

Facet Syndrome
Chronic low back pain is the most common complaint seen at pain clinics. Typically people with chronic low back pain show degenerative changes in their vertebrae on x-rays. When the pain is primarily located at a specific attachment of two vertebrae, which is the facet joint, the person is said to have facet syndrome.

Loose Ligaments and Back Pain
When back pain is due to loose ligaments, a very characteristic behavior of pain is observed. A patient with loose ligaments of the lumbar spine or pelvis will experience recurring dysfunctions at the intervertebral joint (degenerative disc and possible nerve compression), at the facet joints (locking in flexion or extension), and at the sacroiliac joints. In other words, the low back pain can be due to an unstable disc problem, facet joint locking, or sacroiliac dysfunction.

Women, Back Pain and Hormones
During pregnancy, a woman's body secretes a hormone called relaxin which causes ligaments to loosen in preperation for birth. Ligament laxity is normal during pregnancy.

ARTIFICIAL SPINAL DISK
The 11-02-2004 edition of The Wall Street Journal ran an article on Johnson and Johnson’s newly approved artificial spinal disk. Once an adequate number of surgeons is trained (it is a very technically difficult operation), the procedure will be offered as the new alternative to fusion operations in the treatment of degenerative disc disease.

Sacroiliac Pain
I never get tired of hearing from patients who have experienced alleviation of their chronic pain by receiving Prolotherapy. On a follow up with a particular patient, the patient told our staff he felt so much better that he wouldn't need to be coming back into the office anytime soon.

Tarlov Cysts
The key to deciding about treatment of these cysts is to be certain the cyst is the cause of the symptoms. Before deciding on intervention the symptoms should be serious enough that their treatment is indicated.

The problem with getting properly diagnosed: SI strain
I just saw a 35 year old man who had low back pain for the past 6 years. Physical therapy had failed to help him at all. When he saw an orthopedist he specifically showed the doctor the location of his pain (over the right sacroiliac joint), and described the clicking and popping sensation that he frequently experienced in the same area. The doctor told him "there is nothing there"!!!

SPINAL DISC PROBLEMS
Why I believe disc degeneration has very little to do with chronic low back pain

The Role of Back Surgery
Except in a life-threatening situation or impending neurologic injury, back surgery should always be considered a last resort and done only after all conservative treatments have been exhausted.

Prolotherapy After Back Surgery
Many people only become aware of Prolotherapy after they have undergone a surgical procedure for back pain. Although the pain may not be as severe as it was before the surgery, most people continue to experience significant back pain after surgery. Why? Because the back surgery involved removing supporting structures, such as a lamina, facet, or disc, thus weakening surrounding segments.

Prolotherapy & Spinal Fusion
When Patient R was 50 years old, he was a pretty active guy. One summer, he was doing his regular Saturday yard work when he lifted a bale of pine straw from the bed of his new pick-up truck. As he straightened up, he felt a pop in his lower back and immediate pain.

Failed Back Surgery Prolotherapy
Patients often have chronic low back pain persisting after surgery and are put into the category of people with "failed back surgery syndrome." It is easy to find reasons why a back surgery patient would still have pain after the surgery. During surgery, for example, a discectomy (removal of the disc), the surgeon must spread some muscles and cut some of the ligaments in order to perform the surgery. The surgery itself can cause ligamentous laxity and instability of the spine.

SPINAL FUSION & FOOT DROP
A patient came to Caring Medical with a long history of back pain complaints. He had a discectomy and subsequent spinal fusion. He has had to wear an AFO (ankle foot orthosis) because of foot drop in the year following spinal fusion.

Compression Fractures
Do you suppose that the traumatic force that was of such magnitude that it caused a fracture may have injured some other structures as well?  You bet it did!  It probably injured the spinal ligaments.

Prolotherapy gets Triathlete with Spondylolisthesis
gets back to racing
I am writing this letter to you a little late since you treated me in September 2006 for 'spondyloisthesis of L4/L5. Since treating me I have gone on to walk 2 - 4 miles nearly every day, swim, bike, spin bike and complete the 'Danskin' triathlon in August 2007. You have given me my life back since I did all these things before my back issues showed up.

Prolotherapy and Hip Pain

Snapping Hip Syndrome This is the injury that has plagued Joan Benoit Samuelson, the famous track star. Snapping Hip Syndrome is a clinical entity that causes pain and snapping in the hip joint. There are several known causes, the most common being the iliotibial band snapping over the greater trochanter (at the top of your thigh bone). It can also be caused by snapping of the iliopsoas tendon over the iliopectineal line (in general the pubic area of the hip bone), the iliofemoral ligaments over the femoral head (where the thigh bone connects to the hip bone), as well as other places on the hip bone.   Iliotibial Band Injury Another common athletic injury to the tendons of the knee is a strained iliotibial band. This causes pain on the outside of the knee just below the joint line. It is caused by strong exertion of the muscle during the sport or during training.   Ischial Tuberosity / Hip and Buttocks Pain When you have pain on the bottom of the buttock, especially when sitting and running, this could be indicative of ischial tuberosity pain. Sometimes a doctor will examine this area, find it to be tender to palpation, and give you a diagnosis of ischial bursitis.   Hip Replacement and Prolotherapy The hip joint joins the leg to the pelvis. Unfortunately, for most people, both legs are not exactly the same. They may look the same, but from a bio-mechanical standpoint, they are not the same. One leg may be rotated either in or out, or one leg may be shorter than the other. The latter is especially common if one leg was broken during childhood. Because the hip joint connects the leg to the pelvis, the hip joint will sustain the brunt of any bio-mechanical abnormality that may occur. If one leg is shorter than the other, the hip joints will be stressed because the leg length discrepancy causes an abnormal gait (manner of walking).   Pain After Dislocation The hip joint is a a very stable joint, made that way in part by massive ligaments. Therefore the amount of forces required to dislocate a hip is great and usually found in car accidents, falls from high places, and sports injuries.   Hip Pain and Prolotherapy The hip joint joins the leg to the pelvis. Unfortunately, for most people, both legs are not exactly the same. They may look the same, but from a bio-mechanical standpoint, they are not the same. One leg may be rotated either in or out, or one leg may be shorter than the other. The latter is especially common if one leg was broken during childhood. Because the hip joint connects the leg to the pelvis, the hip joint will sustain the brunt of any bio-mechanical abnormality that may occur. If one leg is shorter than the other, the hip joints will be stressed because the leg length discrepancy causes an abnormal gait (manner of walking).   Hip, Groin Pain and Prolotherapy Chronic groin pain is easily treated with Prolotherapy because there are multiple ligament laxities that cause groin pain. This diagnosis is accomplished by the physician having a listening ear and a strong thumb (TO PALPITATE THE PAINFUL AREA.). An interesting case will illustrate this point.   Pubic Symphysis Pain Pain of the public symphysis area is often overlooked and blamed on abdominal muscles and adductor muscles which attach in this area with the diagnosis of abdominal muscle pull or adductor tendonitis.   Hip Labral Tear Though the operation is typically successful, there are some patients who want an alternative to hip arthroscopic surgery for labral tears. I believe the best alternative treatment to hip arthroscopy is Prolotherapy. While there are no formal studies on hip labral tears treated with Prolotherapy, I have been treating labral tears with Prolotherapy for fifteen years. I always give the client the option of arthroscopy, some choose it but most do not. I think there is something innate in people that they do not want to undergo general anesthesia if they don’t have to. HIP PAIN BLOG

Prolotherapy and Foot Pain

Morton's Neuroma & Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome It is quite common for people with the diagnosis of a neuroma, or nerve entrapment, to undergo multiple surgeries attempting to alleviate the entrapment. One individual came to us at Caring Medical with a history of 15 surgeries! This occurs primarily because most physicians incorrectly believe numbness is equated with a pinched nerve. Ligaments and tendon weakness in the limb also cause chronic numbness in an extremity. The Achilles Tendon and Heel Spurs The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon of the human body and is one of the most commonly injured tendons in sports. It is the tendon responsible for plantar flexing of the foot, which is how athletes are able to spring off of each step.   Poor Foot Biomechanics Poor foot biomechanics may be responsible for a myriad of chronic complaints, including pain in the feet, knees, lower back, and neck.   Chronic Foot Problems Achilles Tendon As we age, flat feet become more common. This means that the foot has too much pronation (turning outward). As the foot pronates excessively, a plantar fasciitis or even a heel spur can occur. To prevent these injuries from occurring, proper footwear is essential to support the arch through correct orthotics. Once plantar fasciitis occurs, Prolotherapy of the plantar fascia (strong attachments at the bottom of the foot) can be quite helpful in eliminating this pain.   Arches of the Foot Although skeletal structure is important to arch support, without the ligaments, the arches would collapse. The plantar ligaments (ligaments on the bottom of the foot), which are stronger and larger than dorsal ligaments (ligaments on top of the foot), tie the inferior edges of the bones together. The most important ligament in the maintenance of the medial longitudinal arch is the plantar calcaneonavicular, or spring ligament. FLAT FEET Recently I saw a 58 year old woman for follow up consultation in regards to her natural hormone replacement therapy. She had started coming in about 6 months ago. She told me that she had "flat feet" and that she had quite a bit of pain, primarily across the tops of both feet and at the inner side of the arch. Flat Foot Pain and Posterior Tibial Tendon Injuries There are many causes of flat feet. Two of the more common are genetic - you were born with it. Acquired flat footedness, on the other hand, usually means your posterior tibial tendon is worn out and not supporting your arch. Often, but not always, a flat foot can be painful and achy. Usually, but not always, posterior tibial tendon injuries, can be painful. Very painful!   The Painful Big Toe It may seem odd that a treatment that stabilizes joints would help loosen up a rigid joint. Hallux rigidus is a condition characterized by bone spurs in the first metatarsophalangeal joint. In other words the big toe does not flex or extend very well. It is rigid. The usual traditional treatment offered to the patient is often a joint replacement. Another treatment option is Prolotherapy.

Plantar FasciitiS/HEEL SPURS BLOG

Head and Neck Pain Headaches Have a Neck Component Ask a person who has chronic headaches-any kind of headache-from migraines, tension, muscular, to cluster headaches-they will inevitably say that either before, during, or after the headache they experienced neck pain. What most people do not realize is that the ligaments in the neck refer pain to the head. This is the reason why most headaches have a neck component. CERVICAL 'RADICULOPATHY' About once every two weeks a patient comes in worried because they believe they have a pinched nerve in the neck. Typically they have had an MRI which some some degenerative arthritis and degenerated discs in the neck and they have tingling in the arm and hand. So is this cervical radiculopathy or is this just a referral ligament pain pattern from the upper thoracic area. How do you tell?   Torticollis "Please help me. I don’t know what happened but now I’m stuck in a position where my head always faces to the right. It interrupts my sleep and has made my life miserable. The doctors have done lots of tests and say my problem is in my head. Can you help?" Sincerely, Mrs. Turned to the Right   Migraines and Prolotherapy Current traditional drugs for migraine headaches, such as Ergotamine, Fiorinal, Codeine, and the other medications, provide only temporary relief.   Prolotherapy, BOTOX®, and Headaches Modern medicine has resorted to injecting a known toxin into the muscles of the face/neck/head to help patients get rid of headaches. Their headaches may diminish but the paralysis caused by the botulism toxin weakens the muscles.   Three Types of Headaches The symptoms of headaches are so prevalent that many physicians dismiss headache patients and label them as emotional or stressed out, which leaves them in even more despair. A good example of this is Marion, who started getting migraine headaches shortly after marrying me! On her one and only visit to the HMO physician, she received a quickly scribbled out prescription for Propranolol, though he wanted to give her an antidepressant.   TMJ Syndrome and Prolotherapy A commonly forgotten area in regards to headache and neck pain is the temporomandibular joint. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the physical connection where the jaw meets the skull.   Barre-Lieou Syndrome Early in his Prolotherapy practice, back in the 1950s, Dr. Gustav Hemwall noted some interesting phenomena occurring after Prolotherapy injections. His patients' neck pain and headaches were relieved with Prolotherapy and to his surprise their dizziness, headaches, nausea, blurred vision, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) were also alleviated.   PROLOTHERAPY AN ALTERNATIVE TO NECK SURGERY I recently saw a patient who had suffered for at least ten years with neck pain and was told it was time to consider surgery. The doctor (surgeon) wanted to do a multi-level fusion, but the patient wanted to look at alternatives including Prolotherapy.  Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms Trigeminal neuralgia (TN), also known as tic douloureux, is a pain syndrome recognizable by the patient's history alone. The condition is characterized by pain often accompanied by a brief facial spasm or tic.   C5 Articles relating to C5   Natural Medicine and Prolotherapy Tinnitus, Neck Stiffness OS, a 52 year old male, first came to Caring Medical in April of 2007. He was suffering with tinnitus for the last four years. His “buzzing” in the ears was accompanied by neck stiffness. This all began after a period of professional and personal stress, and he remembers sleeping in an awkward position around the same time. OS intermittently had chiropractic adjustments which would lessen the severity of his symptoms for a time, but they would never completely go away. Caffeine would worsen his condition.   Prolotherapy, Neural Therapy and Diet Typing PP, a 35-year old male opera singer, came from out of the country to Caring Medical seeking help for bilateral jaw pain which extended from the styloid processes of the skull near the ears down his jaw and into the neck. BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME If your tongue feels like it is on fire and all your tests come back negative you are probably going to be diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). While this can be the only symptom, in cases that have come to me for an evaluation I usually find other symptomology which lends support to the fact that BMS can be one of the manifestations of Barre-Lieou   NECK PAIN BLOG DISCUSSIONS

Ligament and Tendon Injury

Benign Congenital Hypermobility An often overlooked but extremely important reason for chronic body pain is benign congenital hypermobility (BCH) Generalized joint hypermobility (loose joints in the entire body) due to ligamentous laxity occurs in about five percent of the population.   Ligament Injury and Referred Pain Patterns The chief principle of Prolotherapy is that it treats the root cause of chronic pain and sports injuries—ligament and tendon weakness. The chief symptom of ligament and/or tendon injury is pain. Ligament Injury We think many athletes and people suffering from chronic pain do not heal their initial injuries because of improper treatment. This improper treatment generally takes the form of one or all of the following recommendations: rest, ice, immobilization, anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone shots, taping, or bracing. Connective Tissue Damage There are many articles written on chronic pain though rarely is mention given to the main culprits for pain, the connective tissues of the spine and joints. Sports Injuries in the Older Athlete Although activities may be helpful for cardiovascular fitness, there has been a rise in sports-related injuries. This is particularly significant for the older athlete. Previous injuries that occurred in earlier years, were of little consequence at the time, and that did not heal properly, may cause pain over the years due to the continuation of the degenerative process. Tendinopathy Prolotherapy for Tendinopathy:

Prolotherapy and Arthritis

Arthritis Pain There is an epidemic of people suffering from chronic pain. We believe part of the reason is incorrect diagnosis. Very seldom do we find that arthritis itself, is the cause of the pain in sufferers. It is estimated that 15% of the U.S. population has arthritis, with prevalence being about 50% over the age of 65 and only 5% under the age of 44. Degenerative Joint Disease Getting old has nothing to do with chronic pain. Chronic pain has it causes, yes, but they do not include advancing age! Pain is a signal that something is wrong, something has become injured or weakened. For most, this is a signal that the ligaments that stabilize joints have become lax or weak. This pain is signalling then the onset of most degenerative joint disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis Gerd came to Caring Medical with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis. He was taking up to 1600mg of Ibuprofen per day and Azulfidine. He was put on Azulfidine after visiting the Mayo Clinic to try and get his Rheumatoid Arthritis under control, but it didn’t work.   ARTHROFIBROSIS Recently a patient came in because they called another Prolotherapy office and the doctor didn’t want to treat their arthrofibrosis. Prolotherapy and Arthritis "I will be blunt and to the point! I HURT! It doesn’t matter if its winter, summer, night or day - I HURT! I have tried various pills without any help. I am only 42 years old and the doctors say that I have arthritis. Please help me! I’m even having trouble getting through the day working." Osteoarthritis and Prolotherapy Osteoarthritis (or degenerative joint disease (DJD)) is the most common form of arthritis, affecting nearly the entire elderly population. Osteoarthritis is described as a generally progressive loss of articular cartilage accompanied by sclerosis of subchondral bone and, in many instances, the formation of subchondral bone cysts and osteophytes.

Medical Research and Prolotherapy

Unresolved Neck Pain The Hemwall-Hackett technique of dextrose Prolotherapy used on patients who had an average duration of four years eleven months of unresolved neck pain who were eighteen months out from their last Prolotherapy session was shown in this observational study to improve their quality of life. PROLOTHERAPY IS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE FOR PEOPLE WITH TENDINOSIS The October 2007 issue of the American Journal of Radiology published an article entitled Sonigraphically Guided Intratendinous Injection of Hyperosmolar Dextrose to Treat Chronic Tendinosis of the Achilles Tendon: A Pilot Study   Medical Research and Prolotherapy Although chronic pain has many causes, the vast majority of chronic pain sufferers have loose joints caused by ligament weakness. This is evidenced by George S. Hackett, M.D.'s research study described in the third edition of his book, Ligament and Tendon Relaxation Treated by Prolotherapy, published in 1958. The study consisted of the following:   The Dangers Of Prolotherapy In now over 45 years, no serious side effects from Prolotherapy have been reported in the medical literature despite millions of Prolotherapy treatments given. In my opinion, Prolotherapy is not dangerous, Prolotherapy cures chronic pain.   Why Isn't There More Prolotherapy Research? Before double-blinded studies, doctors would ask patients if they felt better. If patient after patient told the physician they felt better, than it was presumed and accepted that the therapy was effective. If it was a new therapy, then it was taught doctor to doctor and eventually it was taught in medical schools. If this was still the standard upon which medical therapies were judged, then clearly Prolotherapy would be taught in all the medical schools, but it is not. Why not?   How Safe is Prolotherapy In his study published in 1961, Abraham Myers, M.D., states that in treating 267 patients with low back pain with and without sciatica from May 1956 to October 1960 "over 4,500 Prolotherapy injections have been given without the occurrence of any complication." The History of Prolotherapy The concept of Prolotherapy originated in the non-surgical treatment of hernias, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids, all conditions which are due to connective tissue weakness. Medical Study Abstracts Sleep Sleep and Healing Chronic Pain Chronic insomnia is the number one reason people have diffuse body aching. To cure diffuse body aching, the cause of the chronic insomnia must be found. If the chronic insomnia began because of a pain complaint at a particular part of the body, then there is an excellent chance that Prolotherapy can cure the problem. XYREM HELPS CHRONIC PAIN SUFFERERS SLEEP Typically when a patient of mine is not progressing as they should the problem usually relates to them not sleeping because of their chronic pain. Prolotherapy and Diet

Can Eating the Wrong Foods Cause You PAIN? Early on in our practice, we found that some of our Prolotherapy patients were not healing like we expected them to heal. We found out that these patients’ diets were not appropriate for their specific body types. The Anti-Inflammatory Diet Your newsletter recommends an “anti-inflammatory diet”, while stating that it is inflammation that heals the body. Your newsletter also states to not take anti-inflammatories? I’m confused! Prolotherapy and Diabetes We are sometimes asked if diabetic patients can receive Prolotherapy. The basis for the question is that standard Prolo solutions contain dextrose (glucose) as the major active ingredient, so should the diabetic refrain from using Prolo or does he need to take more medication to compensate for the treatment? What Is pH and How Does it Affect Healing? We utilize a simple diagnostic testing procedure known as Diet Typing to determine a person's under lying physiology.   Prolotherapy and Diet A 71 year old woman who came to Caring Medical all the way from New England because she heard about Prolotherapy in a newsletter that she receives. Diet, Migraines and Prolotherapy: A Case History History: Michelle is a 56 year old female who came to Caring Medical in January of 2008 with complaints of migraines and neck pain that have been occurring for 25 years. Diet and Chronic Pain We recently had a patient come in for Prolotherapy injections for upper back pain, low back pain, and hip pain. She had had a nightmare experience with surgery and was left with so much pain that she had to quit her job and spent most days in bed. The patient decided to have our Hauser Diet Typing test so that she could isolate on foods that would promote healing. Diet Helps Healing When Jean was having trouble healing her back with Prolotherapy, we recommended Diet Typing to ensure that her body is able to support the immune response that Prolotherapy was stimulating. She was about 70% better than when she had started Prolotherapy treatments, but she was ready to get to 100% pain free living. Diet to Stop the Onset of Arthritis A common condition plaguing many Americans is arthritis. The pain caused by arthritis can interfere with many aspects of a person’s life. We recently saw a young man whose mother has Rheumatoid Arthritis. Around the age of 21 this patient, John, started to have wrist pain. At age 31 his low back began to have pain, and now at the age of 33 he was still having wrist, and low back pain plus new pains in both of his elbows. Afraid that he was developing rheumatoid arthritis like his mother, he came to see us for Prolotherapy to heal his joint pain. PROLOTHERAPY DISCUSSIONS