Prolotherapy Information by Ross Hauser, M.D.
Prolotherapy questions? Prolotherapy Appointment Information
Caring Medical and Rehabilitation Services
Oak Park, Illinois 708-848-7789  

Information about Prolotherapy, Prolotherapy Treatments, Side-Effects, Injections, Research and Reviews

Joint Pain Options
Ankle pain treatments  
Arthritis treatment
Back Pain treatment
Elbow pain treatment    
Foot pain treatment
Groin pain treatment
Head-Neck Pain treatment
Hip pain treatment
Knee pain treatment
Rib pain treatment
Shoulder pain treatment 

The Injections
Comprehensive Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy Treatments
Prolotherapy and Diabetes
Painless Prolotherapy injections
Whole body Prolotherapy
Prolozone
P2G phenol
Neural Therapy
How many injections?

Your Questions
Immune system
Autoimmune disease
Obesity and Prolotherapy
Does Prolotherapy Work?
Hormones Therapy
Prolotherapy not working
Prolotherapy Cost


The Research
Meniscal Tears and Degeneration
Regeneration of Articular Cartilage
Long-term NSAIDs side-effects
Prolotherapy research links

 

Bone Marrow / Stem Cell
Bone Marrow for articular cartilage
 

Prolotherapy and Medications
Motrin
Advil
Cortisone research
Cortisone shots
Cortisone injections
Synvisc
Neurontin and Elavil
Pain Management Medications
Prescription narcotics for pain
Use of pain killers
Aspirin and Coumadin
Painkillers
 

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The Dangers Of Prolotherapy
In now over 50 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.
 

The Journal of the American Medical Association reported a fatality from Prolotherapy in 1959. The patient had a history of terrible low back pain and sciatica on both sides for 15 years. She received injections of zinc sulfate in 2.5 percent phenol solution. She immediately developed some lower extremity paralysis and was hospitalized. The report states that she regained almost complete use of her legs within a few days. Apparently some four months after the Prolotherapy she goes to the hospital because of nausea, vomiting and low back and leg pain. She is taken to the operating room and exploratory neurosurgery is performed at the base of her head. She had a marked hypotensive (low blood pressure) episode during the operation and an adrenaline compound was needed to keep her blood pressure up. Immediately after the operation her pupils were barely reacting to light. The author noted that he thought this was due to cerebral anoxia due to the prolonged period of hypotension during the operation. Several hours later the patient died. Does this look to you like a patient died after Prolotherapy? She did not develop the symptoms that led to her hospitalization, on October 27, 1957, until four months after she received the Prolotherapy. She obviously died because of the surgical procedure causing her blood pressure to drop—the author of the article admits it in the text. The author noted, "An attempt at surgical correction of this apparently hopeless situation resulted in death. This technique of precipitating fibro-osseous proliferation [He is talking about Prolotherapy] appears to be neither sound nor without extreme danger."
 

A similar erroneous conclusion might have been "neurosurgery appears to be neither sound nor without extreme danger." I would not, of course, say this because neurosurgery can save lives. However, a case of a Prolotherapy side effect is reported. The side effect appears to have resolved within a few days. The person is then admitted to the hospital four months later and dies during surgery. Because of this, "experts" considered all Prolotherapy as extremely dangerous. This, of course, is published in one of the most prestigious medical journals to "warn" everyone about it.
 

Another prestigious medical journal, Journal of Neurosurgery, published a report of three cases of side effects related to Prolotherapy in 1961. Never did the physicians state what was injected in any of the three cases. In reality, an improper solution was used. The typical Prolotherapy solutions was not what was used in these cases. But because one physician used a different solution, the natural conclusion was that all Prolotherapy is highly dangerous. The conclusion in this article was "...it is clear that injection of sclerosing solutions into the region of the spine is a highly dangerous procedure." Imagine if a totally incompetent neurosurgeon was performing brain surgery, not following standard protocols of treatment and people were dying or left paralyzed. Would it be right for someone to write an article in a medical journal regarding these cases and then state that neurosurgery is a farce and extremely dangerous because everyone is going to die or become paralyzed?
 

How could Dr. George Hackett, a great pioneer of Prolotherapy, have a 90 percent cure rate without even one side effect, yet these other physicians report four cases of people receiving significant side effects? The answer is easy. The physicians who caused these side effects did not follow the cardinal rule of Prolotherapy. Do not inject around the spine unless the needle is touching the bone. Additionally, they did not use the standard solutions of the day, such as Sylnasol. The authors of these articles (including the editors of J.A.M.A. and Journal of Neurosurgery) should have made it extremely clear that standard Prolotherapy protocol was not followed in each of these cases. A more reasonable conclusion would have been that all Prolotherapy doctor are not created equal.

Prolotherapy is a very safe procedure if standard protocol and solutions are used, but serious side effects are possible if these are not followed.

Prolotherapy may not be effective for every individual and there are risks involved, these risks should be discussed with your physician. Results achieved with some may not be typical of all. Please consult a physician.
 

Ross
Hauser M.D.


Caring Medical and Rehabilitation Services

Ask Dr. Hauser
About Prolotherapy

Dr. Hauser is one of the leading experts in the treatment of chronic pain and sports injuries with
Prolotherapy.
 


 

The Journal of Prolotherapy


Prolotherapy research at
The Journal of Prolotherapy

 

Prolotherapy Links
Prolotherapy Doctors 
Bone Marrow Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy.org
Learn about us
Prolotherapy in the news
Other Prolotherapy Links

 

 

Ask Dr. Hauser About Prolotherapy

The information on this website is presented as information only and not a self-help guide NOR AS SPECIFIC HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS. Never alter or change your health management or begin any new health plans without first consulting your personal health care provider. Some statements on this site regarding the value of nutritional supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

As with any medical technique, Prolotherapy may not be effective for every individual and there are risks involved, these risks should be discussed with your physician. Results achieved with some may not be typical of all. Please consult a physician. Please read Prolotherapy Risks

There is no known cure for arthritis. Prolotherapy and nutritional supplements can help alleviate, reverse, or end arthritic pain by treating an underlying cause that contributes to degenerative disease, ligament laxity. Strengthening ligaments and other connective tissue can help prevent bone on bone arthritis from developing.

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