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August 27
Aspirin and Coumadin
For many years I have been performing
Prolotherapy on patients who come to see me already taking blood thinners,
including Coumadin and aspirin. Let me first say that in all my years of doing
Prolotherapy on patients on Coumadin, I have never had a problem. I do let them
know that there is an increased chance of bleeding and/or bruising of course,
and on very very rare occasions someone on Coumadin may develop a hematoma
(where blood accumulates in the muscle), but I have never actually had a patient
develop a hematoma.
Even if it did happen, the normal treatment is to apply heat to it and wait
until it resolves.
In regard to aspirin, most folks who take this for blood thinning are taking a
baby aspirin or 81mg per day. This amount of aspirin can thin the blood and I
have not found it strong enough to inhibit the Prolotherapy. So if you are on
aspirin for heart disease prevention, then by all means continue taking it and
don’t worry about it inhibiting the Prolotherapy.
Questions?
Reply to
this newsletter
Five degenerated knees

Three patients
representing five degenerated knees underwent Prolotherapy at the private
practice of the primary author at Caring Medical and Rehabilitation Services in
Oak Park, Illinois. Each patient underwent standard Hackett-Hemwall Prolotherapy
to the knee.
PRP Prolotherapy - The
Hip
Marlene, a 47-year-old busy
executive, is an avid runner who
competes in a variety of running events every year, including at least one
marathon per year, as well as a number
of half marathons and smaller events. She also loves long distance cycling
events and weight training.
She has been a patient of Caring Medical for many
years and is a huge fan of Prolotherapy, as well as the
Hauser
Diet – both of
which have helped her heal sports injuries and improve her sports performance.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
A patient came in with a six year history of pelvic pain. She was
diagnosed with pelvic floor dysfunction. She had seen around 20 health care
practitioners. Her treatment course had consisted of muscle strengthening,
relaxation and reeducation, along with exercises, stretching, postural
education,
myofascial
treatment, various
nerve blocks,
epidural,
trigger point injections,
as well as manipulation and soft tissue mobilization. Many of which helped
temporarily but the condition just continued.
August 20
Prolotherapy and the Diabetic
As most of you know I have been doing
Prolotherapy
for many years now, having started in January 1993. In that time I have treated
people with brittle diabetes, those on pumps, as well as many other diabetics
(on oral pills and just one insulin/day).
Signs and Symptoms Indicating You Are A Prolotherapy Candidate
#1 – Numbiness
#2 – Pain at rest
#3 – Your Head Feels Heavy
#4 – Your Arm or leg or hip or any body part feels weak. #5 – Physical
Therapy increased my pain
Arm, Neck, and Shoulder Pain
What's the Diagnosis?
JoAnn came to Caring Medical and Rehabilitation Services (Caring
Medical) with a big stack of medical records. The most common diagnosis
she carried from all of the doctors she saw was
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. JoAnn
exhibited some of the classic symptoms including pain in the arm, neck,
and shoulder. She had a tired feeling in her arm, especially doing
overhead work. She experienced some numbness in the ring and little
finger that would come and go. One of her doctors presented her with the
surgery option. She was looking for an alternative!
Loose bodies on Arthroscopy
Loose bodies are fragments of bone,
cartilage, or collagen that are located in the joint cavities. The most
common location is the knee. Sometimes these loose bodies, truly are loose,
they move freely within the joint and can be entrapped between the articular
surfaces of say the knee bones (like the femur and tibia). This can cause
symptoms such as intermittent joint locking, limitation of motion, pain and
sometimes swelling.
There are other types of loose bodies that are not so loose. The fragments
attach into a bursa (a fluid filled sac that prevents friction between bone
and soft tissue structure such as a tendon) or stabilize onto some structure
such as the synovium. Most loose bodies do not produce symptoms and are
found incidentally on X-ray.
Caringmedical Blog
August 17, 2010
PRP for joint instability
August 16, 2010
Runner's knee
Hauserdiet.com Blog
Over Stimulated Thyroid? Bear Choices
Exercising in the heat
August 13
80
Injections
The First Visit for Radiculopathy
A patient came to the office
discouraged. He had already had one
back surgery
and now because of lumbar radiculopathy
the doctor wanted to another one. He heard about
Prolotherapy and came in to
Caring Medical in Oak Park for a
visit. The patient agreed that his EMG
did show radiculopathy but he had a lot of tenderness around his right
sacroiliac
joint. It was explained to the patient that we would like to just do
Prolotherapy to his
degenerated discs
and previous surgery sites, but believed his primary symptoms are stemming
from injury to his right sacroiliac joint. If his leg pain didn't improve
then other treatments such as nerve
blocks or Neural Therapy
would be done at the next visit. He received eighty
Prolotherapy injections on the
first visit.
Cervical Radiculopathy
Q. I have done 3 sessions of prolo to my cervical spine, for herniated
disc at C5-6 Level causing pain, stiffness and headaches. One week after my last
treatment I developed worsening pain and stiffness for 2 days on both sides of
my neck. The third day I woke up with severe dizziness every time I turned my
head to the side and light-headedness for three days in a row. Can this be a
side effect from the prolo a week later? Do you think the compression from disc
could be affecting the spinal artery to cause such dizziness?
A. There can be many different and possible scenario’s. Prolotherapy
stabilized the spine in one segment, your muscles relaxed but another segment
remains hypermobile. This usually occurs when just a part of the neck is treated
and not the whole neck. In such a case you may need these additional areas
treated. It is generally the instability that is leading to the dizziness.
Prolotherapy is great at curing ‘cervical radiculopathy’. I put in the quotes
because most people who have been told they cervical radiculopathy have no
pinched nerves in their neck. Not every pain radiating down the arm means a
pinched nerve in the neck. It can be a ligament referral pain from the elbow,
shoulder, neck, or thoracic area. If it is from a ligament problem, then
Prolotherapy works great. A sign that it is a ligament problem is when the
person has a ‘numb’ feeling in the arm, hand, or fingers but sensation sense is
fine. This is called numbiness and characteristic of a ligament problem.
CaringMedical.com Prolotherapy Blog
Hypermobility in swimmers treated with Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy: an alternative to knee surgery for meniscus tear,
arthritis, tendonitis, and joint instability
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.
Jean had Diet Typing and met with the nutritionist on the same day. She
told the nutritionist that she had gained 8-10 pounds since her back injury
because it prevented her from exercising. She also had low energy and had
trouble getting through the day at work
August 6
Osteoarthritis - right
knee - Synvisc
I have osteoarthritis in my right knee. I had a
steroid injections two
years ago which made my pain much worse about 4 months after the
injection. Later I had 3
Prolotherapy injections,
(Watch where do Prolotherapy injections go and do they hurt?)
4-6
weeks apart which helped a lot. The prolo reduced the stiffness and
improved the stability. Then I got greedy and had two Synvisc injections
and had an allergic reaction which resulted in bad swelling in my knee.
Prolozone®
Some of our readers have emailed us asking us our thoughts on Prolozone®.
In regard to using Ozone as the
proliferant in Prolotherapy,
here are my thoughts:
Prolotherapy
for the Achilles Tendon
5 treatments – 5 months
Mark was an avid runner and
softball player who was struggling with painful Achilles tendonitis. The pain
was present for over a year and after no relief from cortisone shots or
electrical stimulation.
My MRI is Terrible
Does
Caring
Medical order MRIs?
Almost
never. In my opinion, most
MRI findings have nothing to do with why the person has pain and
is thus the reason for most ‘failed surgery syndromes.’ Almost all people
even after surgery are not pain free. Surgery for pain in the best case
scenario should be done only after all of the conservative treatments have
been tried and failed. This includes
Prolotherapy!
Degenerated joints, including degenerated or
herniated
discs, signify
ligament laxity. Ligament laxity or vertebral instabilities are the reason that discs
become degenerated.
A
herniated disc by definition means the nucleus pulposis
(gelatin part of the disc) has herniated through the annulus fibrosis, which
is ligamentous tissue.
Caring Medical has helped many people with acute and chronic disc
herniations and
degenerated discs resolve
their pain and disability without surgery. For a person in relatively good
shape and immune function (good healing ability) the likelihood of success is
even higher. Prolotherapy by stimulating the ligaments to heal, helps the
vertebral segment become stabilized and thus eliminates the reason for the
degenerated disc.
Caring Medical Blog List
Prolotherapy for back pain, SI pain, and post fusion pain
Migraine Headaches and Prolotherapy by doctor Ross Hauser
The Hauser Diet For Lower Cholesterol
Are you exercising, but still overweight?
July 29
Prolotherapy After Failed 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 injections
to the weakened segments in the
lumbar vertebrae often result in
definitive pain relief in post-surgery pain syndromes. Back pain is commonly due
to several factors and surgery may have eliminated only one. It is possible, for
example, to have back pain from a
lumbar herniated disc and a
sacroiliac
joint problem. Surgery may address the herniated disc problem but not the
sacroiliac problem. In this example, Prolotherapy injections to the sacroiliac
joint would cure the
chronic pain
problem.
Unfortunately, it is common for a person to have
lumbar spine surgery for a sciatica
complaint diagnosed from an abnormality” on an
MRI
scan. The sciatica” complaint was a simple
ligament problem in the
sacroiliac joint and the MRI scan finding was not clinically relevant—it had
nothing to do with the pain problem. For the majority of people who experience
pain radiating down the leg, even in cases where numbness is present, the cause
of the problem is not a pinched nerve but
sacroiliac ligament
weakness.
Prolotherapy Blogs
Hauser Diet addresses your overall health status and ability to heal
Prolotherapy as an Alternative to Hip Arthroscopy in Athletes
Severely
Degenerated Hip
and a Fluoroscopically
Guided
Steroid Injection
Mark came
into the clinic with a two year history of bilateral hip pain, right hip
worse than the left. The pain started two years ago during a run.
Mark typically ran 28-30 miles per week, but had not run for about two
years, since the hip pain started.
As a 51-year-old, he was getting pretty discouraged because he had tried
physiotherapy, chiropractic care, electrical stimulation, laser treatments,
and all the recommendations given to him pointed him toward bilateral hip
replacement. The last treatment he tried was a fluoroscopically guided
steroid injection into his severely degenerated hip. The net result was
almost no pain relief and an expense of $2700.
Watch
our videos
Are You A
Candidate For Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy, Diet, and Hormones
Living with chronic pain day in and day out can cause discouragement and
hopelessness in many people. Fortunately for the people who come to see us at
Caring Medical, we can put some hope back into their life. While many people
benefit from
Prolotherapy alone, there are some
that need to correct some physiological imbalances in order to reach a pain-free
life. Below is the story of Brittany, a young mother who had been battling
chronic pain since the birth of her child. With the help of Prolotherapy, the
Hauser Diet,
natural hormone replacement therapy,
and supplements, she was able to reach significant improvement in just a few
short months.
Brittany came to see us after two and a half years of pain and therapies that
provided no relief. It was two and a half years ago that she gave birth to her
first child and pain in her
low back,
groin, and
hips started immediately after
childbirth.
She had an intense labor, delivering a 9 pound baby after 14 hours of labor
ending in a C-section, but Brittany had always been very athletic and healthy
and expected to recover and get back to her active lifestyle. Six months later,
however, she was still in pain and experiencing chronic fatigue that made it
hard to get through each day.
July 22
Frozen Shoulder and Low Back
Pain
David
is a 52 year-old male who came to Caring Medical with complaints of shoulder
pain that had been present for 18 months. He began resting his shoulder and was
forced to limit his workouts due to the pain. As an active person who worked out
regularly, David was not sure how he developed this injury, but felt it could
have been during weight lifting or any number of sports. The more he rested it,
the worse it seemed to be getting.
Prolotherapy After Arthroscopy
I cannot tell you how often I ask my
patients why they received an
Arthroscopy
and what the post surgery report showed, and the answer is so often “I don’t
know.” Unfortunately, people agree to procedures, surgeries, or medications
without really knowing the reasons for them.
This is the first of a series of articles I will write that shows patients’
actual arthroscopy reports with my opinion regarding what they need to look for
and questions they need to find out.
Let’s look at this very short arthroscopy report from a prominent Chicago
Hospital (consistently voted among the best hospitals in the country) on our new
patient Barb.
Hip
Osteoarthritis
Prolotherapy is a great option for the athlete who wishes to quickly
heal an injury and return to the sport that they love. Larry was one
such
athlete who we treated last summer from a far north suburb of
Chicago. He had been practicing martial arts and bodybuilding for years
until he hit age 54. It was then that he experienced a
hip injury that took him out of martial arts. Now, two years later
he was desperate to get back to his active lifestyle. Not only did
chronic pain keep him from martial arts, it also interfered with his
daily activities and his sleep. Despite a few years of PUSH therapy his
pain remained. When he visited an orthopedist he was diagnosed with
osteoporosis and
osteoarthritis of the hip.
July 15, 2010
A Pinched Nerve in the Neck?
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
pain from the upper thoracic area.
How do you tell?
Is it Really
Lumbar Radiculopathy?
If I suspect someone has lumbar radiculopathy, I generally have the patient get an
EMG/NCV test to
verify it. No, you can’t verify a nerve is getting pinched by an
MRI or
CT scan. It can suggest it. The actual physiological test to verify it
is an electromyography/nerve conduction velocity test (EMG/NCV) on the
nerves. Someone with a true lumbar radiculopathy typically has
all of the below:
-More leg pain than low back pain
-90% of the pain or greater is leg pain
-Pain gets to a 10 out of 10
-The pain is unbearable
-Even
narcotic medications barely touch
the pain
-True numbness or weakness in muscles
-MRI documentation of severe disc herniation or
facet
arthritis
Very seldom do I see people like that. Generally, they have bad pain,
but they are talking fine. When I walk into the exam room to meet
a new patient and they are laying down in the fetal position and in
obvious pain, then I suspect lumbar radiculopathy. Otherwise, it is
a “bogus” diagnosis.
Since ligaments,
like the posterior hip ligaments,
sacrotuberous, and
sacroiliac and lumbosacral ligaments refer pain down the leg, when
someone has some referral pain down the leg and doesn’t have the above
signs/symptoms, then most likely I tell them they have a ligament
injury and the most logical treatment choice for them would be Prolotherapy.
July 8
Why Not Just Give
Platelet Rich Plasma
To Every Patient
Here is
my bottom line related to joint instability and PRP. If you have
joint instability, you can receive PRP Prolotherapy to the joint
a hundred times and you will continue to have instability if
ligament laxity (weakness) is involved.
One shot of PRP into a joint is not going to regenerate an
injured, lax ligament that is responsible for providing joint
stability.
Watch Video from our website
Prolotherapy
Problems
Prolotherapy
in its ability to cure
chronic
pain
is completely dependent on the
Prolotherapy doctor
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.
We find that most people are cured of their pain with three to
six
Prolotherapy
sessions. If by the sixth Prolotherapy session a person has not
had significant improvement, we search for another cause of
their pain like infection or allergy.
In general with the Hackett/Hemwall/Hauser
technique of Prolotherapy, a good rule of thumb in regard to the
number of injections
per area is 10 to 20 for an extremity (knee, ankle,
shoulder)
and anywhere from 30 to 60 for the neck, back, or
thoracic spine.
Another reason a person gets inadequate Prolotherapy is that
there was inadequate
inflammation with the Prolotherapy treatment. Remember
the body only heals by inflammation. In some people stronger
Prolotherapy solutions are needed to get an adequate
inflammatory
reaction after the treatment.
Until a person gets the injured structures completely treated
with Prolotherapy with a strong enough solution, the person has
not failed Prolotherapy. It is important that after a
Prolotherapy session, that a person feels stiff for at least one
to two days. If the stiffness after the treatment only lasts a
few hours, then the immune reaction to the treatment most likely
will not be enough to regenerate the
connective tissue
needed for healing.
In such a situation there are two options. Figure out why the
person has a poor immune response by doing metabolic,
nutritional, and
hormonal testing, or
use a stronger Prolotherapy
solution. Physicians who have a lot of experience doing
Prolotherapy may have ten different solutions they use depending
on the individual case.
July 1, 2010
New Research
The Case for Utilizing Prolotherapy
as First-Line Treatment for Meniscal Pathology: A Retrospective Study
Shows Prolotherapy is Effective in the Treatment of MRI-Documented
Meniscal Tears and Degeneration
Ross A. Hauser, MD, Hilary J. Phillips, and Havil S. Maddela
The Hackett-Hemwall technique of dextrose
Prolotherapy used on patients with MRI documented meniscal pathology
including tears and degeneration, interviewed an average of 18 months
after their last Prolotherapy treatment, was shown in this retrospective
pilot study to improve patients’ quality of life. Most patients reported
statistically significantly less pain and stiffness and major
improvements in range of motion, crepitation of the knee, medication
usage, walking ability, and exercise ability. The improvements with
Prolotherapy met the expectations of the patients in over 96% of the
knees to the point where surgery was not needed. Prolotherapy improved
knee pain and function regardless of the type or location of the
meniscal tear or degeneration. The improvements were so overwhelmingly
positive that Hackett-Hemwall Prolotherapy should be considered as a
first-line treatment for pain and disability caused by meniscal tears
and degeneration. If these results are confirmed by further studies
under more controlled circumstances, with larger patient populations,
and with MRI confirmation, surely Hackett-Hemwall Prolotherapy will
become a first-line treatment for meniscal tears and degeneration.
Most doctors who are doing PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Prolotherapy are
not Prolotherapy doctors.
In a recent case, a young lady had seen an orthopedic surgeon who
apparently had gone to a weekend course and now was doing
PRP Prolotherapy.
The orthopedic surgeon as far as we could tell had absolutely no
training in Prolotherapy. All he was doing was injecting PRP into
an area that he normally would inject steroids.
June 23, 2010
Dr. Hauser discusses why
my orthopedist may not have heard about
Prolotherapy
Ross Hauser, MD providing Prolotherapy to the
low back
Bed rest vs staying active for acute low back
pain and sciatica
Watch
narcotic pain medications

A Complicated Case
We 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. Obviously her life was falling apart. After a few
prolotherapy treatments she began to feel some relief,
unfortunately she would need quite a few more, and since she
lived on the other side of the country, traveling to see us so
often was getting difficult.
When should I get pain relief from Prolotherapy?
The
anesthetic in the solution used during
Prolotherapy sessions
often provides
immediate pain relief. The pain relief may continue after the effect of
the anesthetic subsides due to the stabilizing of the treated joints because of
the
inflammation caused by the
Prolotherapy injections,
(Watch where do
Prolotherapy injections go and do they hurt?). This pain relief normally continues for a few weeks after the first treatment.
Between the second and fourth weeks the initial stabilization induced by the
Prolotherapy subsides, and because the initial growth of
ligament tissue is not
complete, some of the original pain may return during this "window period" of
healing.
Follow-up
is recommended at four to six weeks after each treatment to ensure an accurate assessment
of results, avoiding an evaluation of a patient during the "window period." Prolotherapy is performed every six weeks because most ligaments heal over a
six-week period.
As healing progresses, the quantity of injections required per treatment usually
decreases. The pain generally continues to diminish with each treatment unless
it is an acute injury which may heal in only two to three weeks after
Prolotherapy.
CW's
story - Bilateral Knee Pain
Long after Prolotherapy treatments concluded, how
was her knee pain?
CW is a 72 year-old woman who presented in July 2004,
complaining of a five-year history of severe right knee pain. She rated
her knee pain on the visual analogue scale (VAS) at a level of 6 on a
scale of 0 to 10. She experienced daily pain throughout the whole knee
and noted that the severity of the pain was also increasing. Her other
symptoms were increased pain upon sitting for long periods of time,
difficulty with stairs, and increased pain with walking.
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.
Prolotherapy Dangerous for C1?
I am experiencing my
C1 slip out on the right side of my neck. I
have seen many chiropractors over the past couple of years and I
get little benefit from them. I was told Prolotherapy performed
on c1/c2 is "EXTREMELY DANGEROUS" as there is a huge risk of
hitting an artery? Can Prolotherapy be performed on c1? Would I
benefit from this procedure? Thanks for your time.
A.
Yes we have done C1 many times
and it can be done safely and carefully, generally it is very
successful. Typically, you will need between 3 to 6 visits.
June 2, 2010
PROLOTHERAPY CAN PUT CURVE BACK INTO NECKS
A patient came in with severe muscle spasms in the neck. Her neck x-rays, which
were taken by a chiropractor showed a
straightening of the normal lordotic curve of the neck. She had received 120
manipulations to her neck and countless sessions of
physical therapy. She probably spent
$10,000 of her own money on previous care for her neck pain.
69 Year-old Still Running 100-mile Races Thanks to Prolotherapy
Sam Rizk is a 69 year-old man who came to Caring
Medical in June of 2008 with complaints of left low back and
ischial tuberosity (sitz bone) pain
for the past six years. The pain was aggravated by running, so he had ceased
running for three months prior to seeing us. Sam is an endurance runner who
picked up running at the age of 53. He had tried
chiropractic and
physical therapy, but achieved only
temporary relief of his pain. He had also tried Prolotherapy with another doctor
which also gave him temporary relief. When his pain returned with continued
running, he decided to give Prolotherapy another try, and this time at Caring
Medical.
May 25
What
Could Be Wrong 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.
Compression Fractures
Karen is only 35 years old, but
compression fractures can happen at any age. Remember that when you
have any fracture you probably injured a lot of other structures in the
vicinity of the fracture.
These structures could be ligaments, tendons,
cartilage or menisci. So if you have continued pain after a compression
fracture or another fracture even though the fracture is healed consider
that the pain is coming from a different spot. It is helpful to
realize that one of the worst treatments for ligaments is rest or
immobility. Guess what happens when you have a fracture? Yes, you
typically immobilize the arm or spine (wear a brace). This lack of
movement makes it even more likely that your ligament or other soft
tissues are not going to heal.
Chronic
Ankle Instability and Pain
Jenny had severe ankle pain. She
was an avid athlete, playing several sports. After evaluating her, I
determined that she was suffering from significant
ligaments in her
ankles, which was the cause of her pain. Jenny did not know how she injured
herself so severely.
May 18
Exercise induced low back pain
Hilary, a 51-year old woman who had a long
history of yoga practice. She was fit, lean and believed that yoga had helped
her get that way. Unfortunately, her
low back
had been in pain for over a year after she injured it in a yoga
position. As a result she had decreased her strength and cardio workouts and
lost muscle mass. She went from working out everyday to working out twice a week
with back pain after both workouts. Her
low
back pain included
sciatica and episodes of her back going out. She
continued yoga and even used a special headstand to self-adjust her spine. She
had also tried
massage therapy and
trigger point
therapy. She had short term
relief after acupuncture and she had it done every week. As the weeks started to
add up she was ready for a permanent solution to her back pain. When she heard
of
Prolotherapy she decided to give it a try.
May 11
Estradiol and
Prolotherapy
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.
There are plenty of things a person can do to aid healing. A good diet and
proper exercise are a given. Most people intuitively know why they are
important, and we can educate folks in the particulars. Not so apparent is the
effect that hormones can have on the
healing response.
May 4
Fast Track Yourself to a Knee Replacement:
Get Arthroscopy!
Patient thought her arthroscopy was for
meniscal repair, but she received a resection - the case of Brenda from Boston –
Prolotherapy would have been a much better option!
Brenda from Boston came to Caring
Medical with the desire to avoid getting
bilateral knee replacements. She was already told by a surgeon that she was
a great candidate
for knee replacement surgery. Brenda is 70 years old. When she was 54 she
received bilateral arthroscopies on the same day! According to Brenda during her
first visit, she said she had
meniscal repairs and that was the reason for her
arthroscopies in 1994. Let me ask you this. Do you see anywhere on her left
knee arthroscopy report below that Brenda had meniscal repairs? It looks like
they were removed to me! (See reports below).
April 12
Rusty’s Case:
Rusty is a 56 year
old medical professional and Navy Reserve officer who came
to Caring Medical for complaints of
bilateral knee pain
and low back pain. His knee pain began 15 years ago, along
with swelling of those joints. An
MRI
revealed chondromalacia patella. He had previously tried
physical therapy
for one year with only minimal relief of pain, but a lot of
money and time spent. He had difficulty going up stairs due
to pain. His low back pain started 30 years ago while
working in a factory and doing repetitive movements and
heavy lifting. He states this affected his ability to do
physical fitness requirements for the Navy Reserve.
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April 8
Diet and Chronic Pain
Mark, came to see us for shoulder pain, having
been diagnosed with a labral tear, he was told that shoulder surgery was his
only option, instead he chose Prolotherapy for his shoulder.
His pain was such that he could no longer workout and common daily
activities like opening a door or a jar caused pain. He also complained of
fatigue and told us he was working with a natural medicine doctor in his
home town because he had low testosterone levels. Mark was constantly
traveling for work, so the pain would often slow him down.
At Mark’s next visit he went to our lab to
have Diet Typing done before his Prolotherapy treatment.
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March 24
LuAnn’s case of frozen shoulder and
Prolotherapy
The shoulder is a great area to treat with Prolotherapy. In our experience, a
thorough Prolotherapy treatment and proper exercise and supplement regimen, can
get a person with a shoulder injury back to full activity and range of motion.
Take the instance of LuAnn, a 55 year-old retail worker, who came to us from
North Carolina.
Flying in for Prolotherapy to the
shoulder |
March 17
Hannah’s search for arthritis pain relief after military deployment,
leads her to Prolotherapy and the Hauser Diet
Hannah came to Caring Medical with multiple areas of pain.
At the young age of 30 she was experiencing low back pain, a stiff neck, and
numbness in her arms, fingers and toes. Her low back pain was initially very
mild and her doctor told her she had mild arthritis. She did some
physical therapy and saw minor
improvements. Four months after the mild pain began, she was deployed for
military service overseas. The heavy gear that she wore each day made the pain
gradually worsen. One day as she was bending down she felt a shocking pain come
over her low back and right arm. From that point on she had pain whenever she
would bend over and she struggled through each day in her heavy gear as she
walked miles. When she returned home, she knew she needed help. In addition to
her low back pain, neck stiffness,
and numbness she was also having pain in her right ankle, an area that had given
her trouble for 12 years. After deployment, she returned to a stressful job
working 12 hour shifts, seated behind a computer. She was able to workout a few
times a week, but with nagging pain. Her main goal was to get out of pain. Read
more |
March 3
The Opera Singer's Story
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.
PP had done some research on the internet and found information on jaw pain
on our websites, emailed us, and became a patient soon afterwards. The
styloid process is thin piece of bone that extends down from the skull to
which
ligaments
and muscles attach. PP is a professional opera singer and this condition was
preventing him from performing. Yawning or eating very sweet or sour foods
would trigger his pain.
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|
Feb 24
Traveling Low Back Pain
I have so many weird and traveling
places of pain in my
low back,
buttocks and sitdown bones that I wonder how I
could be diagnosed accurately. Sometimes when standing the pain is awful in the
sacroiliac joint, but every time I sit, it feels tight across my
buttocks
and a searing burning sensation in the outer hips and goes to tingling in the
whole buttock area. I find myself standing many, many hours because sitting is
horribly uncomfortable. It feels like the whole right side of my body is being
pulled or torqued Even the two bones at either side of my throat are not lined
up evenly. The right bone is more protruding.
What could possibly be the root cause?
A. Obviously I
can't comment on precisely what is the problem but do believe a good
Prolotherapy doctor may provide you with a lot of help. It sounds like you have
issues going on with your ischial tuberosities (sit down bones). Most likely you
have
sacrotuberous
ligament
injury. This can give burning pains in the perineum and make sitting
horrible. From a Prolotherapy standpoint, it sounds like Prolotherapy to both sacroiliac joints
and ischial tuberosities. If on examination your
greater trochanters
(outsides of hips) were tender then these would be treated also. Realize often
an injury to one area eventually affects the surrounding areas.
|
Feb 17
Left Hip Pain
Susan, a 38 year old marathoner from Iowa came in for an initial
consultation and possible treatment to left hip. The patient was referred to
Caring Medical and Dr. Hauser by a local physical therapist in Iowa, and also
from another "runner patient" from University of Iowa track team.
Discogenic and Annular Tears
My doctor, who does
Prolotherapy,
has said that my chronic pain is likely due to discogenic pain (pain
coming down from the torn disc itself). He said that he does not believe
Prolotherapy can help. Everything I have read about discogenic pain is
horrible. Some say it cures itself in 2 years or so, others say that it is
chronic and will never go away. Have you had success treating patients with this
condition
A.
The answer is a resounding yes! When other
Prolotherapy doctors say “not a
Prolotherapy
candidate,” often we believe the opposite is true.
MRIs,
CT scans and Discograms are all types of imagining techniques that show
problems in the discs. The real problem however is that you can not
definitely correlate that the finding on imaging correlates with a
person’s symptoms. In other words, people have degeneration in discs,
annular tears and other abnormalities and have no symptoms. Your disc
bulges every time you bend over. So disc
bulging by itself doesn't mean
that is causing a person’s symptoms. In other words, the history is the
most important determining factor in the majority of pain cases
including low back and neck pain. Imaging just confirms what the
clinician already knows.
|
|
Meniscus
The patient is a male, age 37. While snowboarding, he put his foot down and
twisted his left knee. He had episodes of locking and painful popping
associated with swelling and pain. His worst episode happened the day prior
to his first visit to me. He could barely walk. I withdrew over one quarter
cup of fluid from his knee and injected Prolotherapy solution into the
joint. After drawing the fluid out two more times, I treated his lateral
meniscus six times with Prolotherapy. After this he returned to both winter
and summer sports and unrestricted work duties.
Swelling in a joint typically means that a structure inside the joint is
injured, usually in the knee this is a cruciate ligament or meniscus. Either
way, the best treatment in my opinion is Prolotherapy.
Prolotherapy can effectively treat many meniscus injuries, especially those
in the outer rim. The blood supply to the meniscus nourishes this outer rim
and allows for easier healing. Unfortunately, only 15 to 20 percent of
meniscus injuries occur in this outer third.
Studies have shown that the central two-thirds of the meniscus is capable of
repair using the blood vessels from the joint lining (synovium) and the
meniscus itself. It has been demonstrated that the cells of the meniscus can
and do heal when exposed to certain growth stimulating factors.
Prolotherapy provides this stimulation to heal. This is why many athletes
suffering from the pain and disability of a torn meniscus are successfully
treated by Prolotherapy instead of the much riskier surgeries.
|
February 4,
2010
Prolotherapy and Massage,
Chiropractic, and Physical 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.
There are certain conditions that physical therapy, chiropractic care and
massage therapy often have partial success in but dont cure the
problem. Here are a few that I can think of off hand:
Ligament sprains
Tendon strains
Tendonitis
Joint Instability
Degenerated Joint
Degenerated Discs
Tendon Tears
Joint Subluxations
No one doubts that physical therapy can help a
person get on a great exercise program to correct muscle imbalance problem.
Likewise physical therapists and massage therapists can do wonders to get
rid of muscle spasms, as can chiropractic care. But what is one to do if the
joint continues to hurt, be swollen, or muscles continue to go into spasms.
Well, if it were me I would seek out the care of a
Prolotherapy doctor.
The diagnoses above are very commonly seen in
our office. When a ligament is injured, joints move too much. That is why so
many of us have a crunching sound in our joints. It means the ligaments are
loose or weakened (there are other causes of course). When the ligaments can
no longer stabilize the joint or vertebrae, the muscles go into spasms.
Recurrent muscle spasms almost always point to an underlying ligament
problem. When the muscles can no longer stabilize the unstable segments, you
get an overgrowth of bone. That overgrowth of bone is called osteo- or
degenerative arthritis. Degenerative arthritis is just the body's response
to stabilize an unstable area. So you see that
ligament injury
is typically the cause of degenerative arthritis. Since
Prolotherapy injections help
with ligament repair it typically helps relieve the pain of degenerative
joints or spines. Generally people need three to six visits. The injections
are typically given every four to six weeks.
The best treatment I know of to help a joint or ligament to become healthier
is Prolotherapy. Prolotherapy is very effective in my opinion to help
resolve the pain of the conditions mentioned above. When physical therapy,
chiropractic care or massage therapy does work then the person should
consider Prolotherapy as a great alternative.
|
|
January
27, 2010
Acidic blood and
chronic pain
We utilize a simple
diagnostic testing procedure known as
Diet Typing to determine a person's under lying physiology. A
significant portion of the testing involves testing the blood pH level. The
pH level, together with a glucose
tolerance test and some other testing will help us determine which
diet you need to follow for your individual body type. Ensuring that our
patients follow the appropriate diet helps in their overall healing,
especially in conjunction with Prolotherapy.
A significant number of chronic pain patients show a lower than normal blood
plasma pH.
A person with low blood pH has what is termed acid blood. Acid blood is
typically dark in color due to low oxygen content. Oxygen is the food that
allows the body to extract and store energy from the blood. A low oxygen
content in the blood compromises healing capabilities.
The treatment for acid blood is to
consume foods and supplements which
neutralize the blood pH. This is
accomplished by consuming items which
are alkaline and by reducing the intake
of acidic items. Caffeine, sugar, wheat,
citrus fruits, soda pop, and potatoes
should be avoided, whereas protein and
vegetables should be the majority of the
meal.
Nuts, seeds, brown rice, or soy products are good sources of protein if a
vegetarian diet is preferred. People with acid blood are typically
carbohydrate addicts and consume very little protein. Protein is needed in
the diet because collagen,
which makes up ligaments and tendons,
is the most abundant protein in the body. Collagen is the building block for
ligament and tendon tissue. A healthy diet with adequate amounts of protein
for soft tissue growth is essential for healthy ligament and tendon injuries.
Another interesting finding is that our testing consistently reveals that
chronic pain patients suffer
from chronic dehydration.
Chronic dehydration produces a reduction in shock absorbing capabilities of
the intervertebral discs and articular
cartilage,
placing additional stress on the
ligaments to stabilize
the joints. The end result is
ligament laxity, injury,
and resultant chronic pain.
It is very important for the person in chronic
pain to drink six to eight glasses of purified water per day.
January 20, 2010
Prolotherapy and the Older Patient
Pain is not a normal part of the aging process. Chronic pain always has a cause
and that cause is not old age syndrome. Chronic pain is almost always due to
ligament weakness.
Because most bodily functions decline with age, the ability to heal an injury
and the immune system response are slower. Older people may respond slower and
because of this slower healing more Prolotherapy sessions may be needed.
Teenagers, because they are in the growing phase of life, rarely need more than
one Prolotherapy treatment to eliminate chronic pain. Someone in their 90's will
heal slower because of their age and often report more than the typical four
Prolotherapy sessions to cure their chronic pain.
Full free articles from the
Journal of Prolotherapy. 2009;2:76-88.
A Retrospective
Study on Hackett-Hemwall Dextrose Prolotherapy for Chronic
Hip Pain at an Outpatient Charity Clinic in Rural Illinois
In this retrospective study on the use of Hackett-Hemwall
dextrose Prolotherapy, patients who presented with over five
years of unresolved hip pain were shown to improve their
pain, stiffness, range of motion, and quality of life
measures even 19 months subsequent to their last
Prolotherapy session. This pilot study shows that
Prolotherapy is a treatment that should be considered and
further studied for people suffering with unresolved hip
pain.
Hip pain study
|
|
End Stage Hip
Degeneration
In my experience, one of the main determinants in whether Prolotherapy
will help a potential patient with a
degenerated joint is how much range of motion he/she has
compared to normal. What I find in my experience is if a patient has
little hip range of
motion, especially internal or external rotation,
then they may need a hip replacement.
However and surprisingly, I typically see 50% or greater normal motion in the
hip in the average person who has been told that
a
hip replacement
is the only option.
Yes, I may see some limited range of motion
because of their arthritis, but much of the
motion is there. In these instances, Prolotherapy works
very well. By this I mean that the patient
will achieve improved strength in the leg, as
well as more motion. Along with this, of course,
comes a diminished level of
pain and use of
pain
medications.
The vast majority are very happy and don't end up
needing hip replacements.
If someone has had six Prolotherapy treatments and still has a problem,
they either need to
continue to get the 'booster' Prolotherapy
treatments, get a
second opinion by another
Prolotherapy doctor, or get a hip replacement.
|
|
Full free articles from the
Journal of Prolotherapy. 2009;2:76-88.
A Retrospective Study on
Hackett-Hemwall Dextrose Prolotherapy for Chronic Hip Pain at an
Outpatient Charity Clinic in Rural Illinois
In this retrospective study on the use of Hackett-Hemwall
dextrose Prolotherapy, patients who presented with over five
years of unresolved hip pain were shown to improve their pain,
stiffness, range of motion, and quality of life measures even 19
months subsequent to their last Prolotherapy session. This pilot
study shows that Prolotherapy is a treatment that should be
considered and further studied for people suffering with
unresolved hip pain.
Hip pain study
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?
Read more
|
Dec 2, 2009
Back Surgery
I was recently sent a link from the NPR (national public radio) website about a
person in Maine who started looking at what was going on in their health care
system. In the 1970s, it was shown that the hysterectomy rate in Maine was
incredibly high. Eventually it was basically shown that more high-tech medical
procedures like instrumentation back fusion for degenerative disk disease did
not elicit better results. If this is so "why were so many of these procedures
being done?" The researchers ended up feeling that the main answer was money.
The more complicated a surgery, the more everyone was getting paid, including
the surgeons.
Anyone who takes a neutral view and looks at our health care system, especially
as it relates to how we deal with pain patients in the United States, can easily
see that more is not necessarily better. If people don’t take an active role in
their pain care and rely on expensive drugs, arthroscopies, and complicated
surgeries, without themselves getting healthy, there is good chance that besides
a big bill with potential debt, they will also be left with pain. The questions
to ask yourself before undergoing a complicated surgery is, “Is this going to
get my body stronger and healthier?” and "Is there an alternative that is less
expensive and less invasive?” To both of these questions, I say the answer is
“yes.”
People may be surprised, but I do, in fact, on rare, and let me say it, rare
occasions, recommend surgery. There are clear indications for surgery. If a
person doesn’t meet these strict criteria, then surgery doesn’t work. I, of
course, see many, many and let me say it again, “many” surgical failures. This
is why I reiterate that if you or someone you love has chronic pain and someone
has recommended surgery, run, no make that sprint, to the Prolotherapy doctor! If
Prolotherapy isn’t going to work and you need surgery, wouldn’t you feel more
comfortable knowing that you went to a conservative doctor and received
reassurance that surgery is the answer? Most often, however, the doctor would
say, “You are a great Prolotherapy candidate. Most likely with good nutrition,
exercise, and Prolotherapy you will not need surgery!” These words need to be
spoken more often because "less is often better!" |
Nov 18, 2009
Degenerative Disc
Disease
Sciatica
Lumbar Radiculopathy
Most people who come to
me for low back or
neck pain
truly believe that it is their degenerative disc disease that is causing
the problem. Since everyone has degenerative disc disease by the age of 40, this
can’t be the cause of the pain, since almost everyone at the age of the 40 has
no neck or back pain. Honestly, degenerative disc disease even shows up in
teenagers. Did you know that the most common reason that discs show up as
degenerated on
MRI’s
and CT Scans is dehydration? The discs are very sensitive to dehydration. Since
most of us don’t drink enough water, is it any wonder that so many people show
up as having degenerative disc disease?
Why do you think so many people get
disc surgery and have
continued pain? Why do so many people get
IDET (frying of the disc)
and still have pain? The reason is the disc is not causing the pain problem the
person is having. Sure, some people have degenerative discs that cause them
pain, but the majority of people who have these diagnoses, have pain that is
coming from another structure. What other structure?
Besides the nerve, the most painful part of the musculoskeletal system
is probably where the muscles,
ligaments, and tendons
attach to the bone. The periosteum (outside of the bone) is very
sensitive. This is where all these structures attach to the bone. So if a person
has a ligament or tendon injury, it is almost always where it attaches to the
bone. This can be amazingly painful. When a ligament is stretched, injured, or
torn, the joint becomes unstable, since the ligaments provide stability for
structures.
Why do people with
low back pain
have muscle spasms? Not because the discs are degenerated, because the
discs do not provide stability to the lower back, the ligaments do. The muscles
spasm in order to stabilize the back after a ligament injury. If you have neck
or low back pain that is accompanied by muscle spasms, then think ligament
injury. Since you are thinking ligament injury, then what treatment should you
get to stimulate ligament repair? Prolotherapy! See this isn’t so hard is it?
Everyone who has a pain radiating down the leg is diagnosed with
sciatica.
Okay, not everyone, just about everyone. Do you know that if a nerve is really
pinched that you could barely have a conversation with me? You be wracked with
pain. As it is now, your pain comes and goes. You may even have a tingling down
your leg. No, it isn’t your sciatic nerve getting pinched. You simply have a
ligament in your lower back, such as the sacroiliac ligament that is not
stabilizing your pelvis. The pain or numb feeling down your leg is a
referral
pain. It isn’t a nerve
getting pinched. If you can sit in a chair and raise your leg straight out in
front of you without reproducing your pain, then most likely you have a ligament
injury and not an injury to your sciatic nerve. (In other words, you don’t have
lumbar radiculopathy).
If you have more low back pain than leg pain, then most likely you have
a ligament injury in your back and not a pinched nerve. If you are in pain but
it isn’t to the point of causing you to sweat, you most likely have a ligament
injury, not a sciatic nerve getting pinched. If you can feel equally in both
legs, in other words the numbness you feel isn’t true numbness, because when
someone touches your skin you feel it fine. It is thus numbiness. Numbiness is
the sensation of numbness, but on physical examination your sensation (sense of
touch) is fine. This is a referral sensation, generally from a ligament injury,
not a nerve injury.
|
Nov 11, 2009
Frequently asked questions about Prolotherapy and the following conditions:
KNEE DEGENERATION
If you have reasonable range of motion (at least 50% of normal), then you have a
great chance of responding to Prolotherapy. Typically three to ten sessions are
needed. The amount of sessions depends a lot on the extent of the
arthritis.
In many cases Prolotherapy is a great alternative, however in knee degeneration
sometimes surgery is your only option.
MENISCAL TEAR
Menisci are tissues that help cushion the knee. When damaged, they do not repair
well so surgeons will often tell patients that surgery is the only option. For
the vast majority of
Meniscal
tears, Prolotherapy works great.
Also the person can train while getting Prolotherapy. This is another advantage
especially for the athlete.
MORTON’S NEUROMA
I have treated a lot of ‘morton
neuroma’ patients and had great success eliminating the pain with
Prolotherapy. Typically these patients have a ‘dropped metatarsal head’ from a
ligament injury.
Prolotherapy to the ligament helps strengthen the area and the pain diminishes.
While the person is getting Prolotherapy I have them wear Yogi Toes This
is a device that spreads their toes, so the nerve has more room. Eventually the
nerve feels fine and so does their foot!
ROTATOR CUFF TEAR
If a person has a
Rotator Cuff
tear as the primary pathology in
their
shoulder, Prolotherapy generally
works great. If the tear occurred because of a big bone spur in the
acromioclavicular
joint then shaving the bone spur with arthroscopy may be needed. Rotator cuff
problems are one of the most common conditions treated successfully with
Prolotherapy.
LUMBAR DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE
Lumbago or
low back pain
is still the most common pain experienced by people. Modern orthopedics is still
trying to find an operation that works. Prolotherapy to the lower back is the
most common procedure I do. Most low back pain is from the
sacroiliac
joint and not the lumbar degenerative discs. Most people have
degenerated discs
and have no back pain. That is why it is a second opinion should be sought.
‘CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME’
There are many cases of people diagnosed with
carpal tunnel syndrome who
responded great with Prolotherapy to the elbow. The ligaments around the elbows
refer pain into the fingers. The person can also have a numb sensation in the
fingers also with ligament problems. So if the surgeon wants to ‘unpinch’ the
nerve in your wrist, consider getting a second opinion from a
Prolotherapy doctor.
OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE ANKLE
Getting better with Prolotherapy and exercise for extensive arthritis in the
ankle is a long process but the patients I have seen prefer that to having
Ankle Fusion
DEGENERATIVE HIP ARTHRITIS
People often wait too long to see a Prolotherapy doctor with this condition. It is
important if the doctor says you have the beginnings of hip arthritis, seek out
the attention of a Prolotherapy doctor. If you wait too long to see one you will end
up getting a
hip replacement.
What would you rather have? Some Prolotherapy now with some exercises and
supplements to help your hip get stronger or slow degeneration of your hip until
you are disabled and need a hip replacement? Are you really so sure you will
recover 100% with surgery?
Yes Prolotherapy does give the surgical candidate options. Prolotherapy is not
always the best option but then again neither is surgery. Each has its role. For
most folks getting an evaluation by a Prolotherapy doctor before undergoing the knife
treatment makes a lot of sense. It could save them the operation all together! |
OCTOBER 20
Case History:
Chest and Rib Pain
in the Martial Artist
James Heugh, a 19 year-old mixed martial arts fighter from Ontario, Canada,
first came to Caring Medical in late December 2008, complaining of severe pain
around the right side of his sternum. As you can imagine, the very nature of his
chosen sport resulted in numerous strikes to the chest, not only in competitive
matches, but also during many sparring sessions. This combat sport combines the
hand blows of boxing, the kicks of karate, and the throws of wrestling and judo.
James remembers sometime in mid 2008 receiving a “knee” to the chest. A few
months later as he was throwing a heavier opponent from atop of him, he felt
some movement around his sternum. From that point, most of the
ribs in his right chest began to
“pop” out of place with certain motions. His pain increased as the injuries
mounted, and only inactivity relieved his pain, which was not an option for a
mixed martial artist. After allowing three and a half months to rest and take
joint repairing supplements, along with anti-inflammatory medications, James was
still in pain and not competing. An internet search led him to
Prolotherapy and Caring Medical.
Read the article
|
|
September 30
MRI's NOCEBO EFFECT
You have all heard of the placebo effect, such as when a person is given a sugar
pill but believes it is a high blood pressure pill and their blood pressure goes
down.
Now you need to know about placebo’s cousin, the nocebo effect.
This occurs when a doctor shows a person their MRI scan and says the MRI looks
really bad that there is a lot of arthritis. The doctor then expresses surprise
that the person can even walk, the MRI is that bad!
Well you know what happens next-the persons pain gets worse! The nocebo effect
is when a doctor tells a person that their MRI is terrible and it is crushing a
nerve and the person should be feeling terrible-and soon they are.
The problem is is that the MRI may show something that isn’t true, sometime this
falsehood can lead the person to have more pain and even worse medical
procedures like surgeries that are unwarranted.
My job and the job of other Prolotherapy doctors is to recognize the nocebo effect
and tell folks that their nerves are fine. They have no nerve problem as
evidenced by their history and exam and that their referral pain is from a
ligament.
Often I’ll have a client in my office talking to me, moving around fine, yes
they are in pain, but when I tell a joke, the laugh. They definitely aren’t in
agony and sometimes they have no pain. So let’s think about it. If your nerve
is pinched like the MRI says – wouldn’t it be pinched all the time? If this
was true do you think you would have a little pain or a lot? Would it be there
all the time or some of the time? You see if you have pain that comes and goes
and often times is a 2-3 on a scale of 0 to 10 then the odds of you or that
person having a pinch nerve are very, very little. Most likely they have
ligament injury and guess what? Ligament injuries in the spine do not show up
on MRI! So if you have a ligament injury causing your pain then most likely
your MRI will give you a false positive.
Chronic Pain and
Brain Atrophy
I suspected it, but now it has been proven: Chronic Pain Causes the Brain to
Shrink - up to 11%. Research has shown that the brain can shrink (atrophy)
up to 11% with chronic pain, like the pain someone experiences with conditions
such as chronic
low back pain
or
Fibromyalgia.
In other words, the brain can age 10-20 years if pain is not dealt with.
The researchers have found that not only have scans and magnetic imagery
documented the loss of gray matter, a number of other studies complement these
findings in that the brains of chronic pain patients demonstrate altered
neurochemistry and central nervous system processing of input signals such as
odors, taste, heat, emotions, and touch. Studies show that chronic pain patients
do not process external stimuli in a normal fashion. So what can a chronic
pain patient do for this? Obviously, the most important factor is treating
the pain with something that can help cure the pain! |
08/04/2009
Prolotherapy and
Rolfing
07/24/2009
P2G
06/03/2009 "Painless" Whole Body
Prolotherapy
04/15/2009
Snapping scapula syndrome
04/01/2009 Prolotherapy Research
A
Retrospective Study on Dextrose Prolotherapy for Unresolved Knee Pain
04/01/2009
The Regeneration of Articular Cartilage
with Prolotherapy
04/01/2009
Diet, Prolotherapy and Arthritis
04/01/2009
Five
Medical Conditions and Prolotherapy
03/25/2009
tinnitus
03/03/2009
JJ, a 46 year old female competitive league
golfer
03/03/2009
Maximizing Prolotherapy Response
02/25/2009
Tendon Damage from FLUOROQUINOLONES
ANTIBIOTICS
02/25/2009
Burning Mouth Syndrome
02/25/2009
Quick Treatment Gets Hospital
Medical Biller Back to Work - Tessie
02/18/2009
Medical Biller Back to Work
02/05/09
The Hauser Diet®
Natural Medicine Program
01/21/09
Cervical Radiculopthy
12/17/2008
Diet, Hormones and Prolotherapy (TMJ)
12/17/2008
Food, Inflammation, Healing
12/10/2008
Headaches, Neck Stiffness, Ringing In The
Ears
12/03/08
Alkaline and Acidic Blood pH How Does It Effect Prolotherapy?
11/19/08 Knee Pain I
am 83 years old and have had knee pain for many years
11/14/08 LIGAMENT INJURY
11/12/08
PRP Case Study
11/05/08
Does It Affect Hormone Levels and Other
Laboratory tests?
10/22/08
Anti-Inflammatory In The Prolotherapy
Solution?
10/22/08
C1 vertebrae
10/22/08
Prolotherapy and Muscle Wasting?
10/15/08 Tailbone pain
10/15/08
Cervical Radiculopthy
09/24/08 Long Term Study Confirmation! Do Not Rely on MRI Findings for Knee Pain
Etiology!
09/19/08
Three Cervical Radiculopthy
Prolotherapy Treatments
09/17/08 Special Announcements
09/03/08 Estradiol Inhibits Healing and is Carcinogenic: Both Reasons Women
Should Not Be on Birth Control Pills
09/03/08 Why it is Crucial for the Chronic Pain Patient to Stop Using Narcotics
– ASAP! Prolotherapy
08/20/08 THE
DOCTOR SAID THERE IS NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO TO GET RID OF YOUR PAIN
08/13/08 How Soon Should Prolotherapy Work? How Many Times Do I Need To Come
Back?
08/06/08
Headaches, Neck
Stiffness, Ringing In The Ears
07/30/08
Golfers Knee
07/30/08
Does It Affect Hormone
Levels and Other Laboratory tests? Prolotherapy
06/04/08 Cervical Radiculopthy
04/30/08THE
DOCTOR SAID THERE IS NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO TO GET RID OF YOUR PAIN
04/23/08 Prolotherapy Not Working?
04/23/08
Does It Affect Hormone
Levels and Other Laboratory tests?
April 16
Overmanipulation Syndrome
Tendinopathy in Sports
February 5, 2008
How Soon Should Prolotherapy Work? How Many Times Do I Need To Come
Back?
Flat Foot Pain and Posterior Tibial
Tendon Injuries
January 16, 2008
Cervical Radiculopthy
November 21, 2007
Prolotherapy and
Lumbar Spinal Fusion
November 14, 2007
The Cost of Prolotherapy
Pyriformis Syndrome
November 7, 2007
Neck Pain Observational Study
Nerve Block Questions
October 31, 2007
Tolerating The Injections!
October 10, 2007
Soreness after Prolotherapy
How Soon Should Prolotherapy Work? How Many Times Do I Need To Come
Back?
September 5, 2007
Tendinopathy
Calcium
Deposits
August 29, 2007
Headaches
Groin
Pain, Hip Pain
August 15, 2007
Neck Disc Herniation
Pain in the Right Posterior Thoracic Region
Case History
August 1, 2007
Why Prolotherapy Results May Not Be Seen Immediately
July 26, 2007
10 Tips
to Determine if You Are A Good Prolotherapy Candidate
July 19, 2007
MORE
PROOF THAT DEXTROSE PROTHERAPY WORKS:
July 12, 2007
Is Your Prolotherapy Not Working:
You
Could Be the Cause!
Prolotherapy for Acute Injury
July 5, 2007
Top Five Medical Conditions You Believe
You Have…But DON’T!
How To Optimize Response To Prolotherapy
June 27, 2007
Prolotherapy with Platelet Rich Plasma
Solution
Prolotherapy:
The Best Alternative to Open Bankart Surgery
June 20, 2007
Prolotherapy
as an Alternative To Surgery in These Ten Conditions
My Top Ten Reasons For Not Getting A Cortisone Shot
How Soon Should Prolotherapy Work? How Many Times Do I Need To Come
Back?
June 6, 2007
SNAPPING
SCAPULA SYNDROME
Prolotherapy Risks
May 30, 2007
Headaches
Groin
Pain, Hip Pain,and
Prolotherapy
May 23, 2007
Questions about Spinal Fusion
Articles related to the C-5
May 16, 2007
What Do
You Mean You Are Not Ordering an MRI?
Can Stress Stop Prolotherapy
From Working?
May 9, 2007
10 Reasons Why Prolotherapy May Not Be Working For You
Prolotherapy for
Bursitis
April 11, 2007
Celebrex
Never Have Knee
Surgery Based on an MRI Diagnosis
WHAT
DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE NOT ORDERING AN MRI?
How Soon Should Prolotherapy Work? How Many Times Do I Need To Come
Back?
April 4, 2007
Pain
Medications and Hypertension
Neck Pain Blogs
March 14, 2007
The Problem with
Getting Properly Diagnosed: SI strain
March 7, 2007
Prolotherapy Risks
Undoing
The Twist:
Treatment of Ankle Sprains
February 21, 2007
Signs
and Symptoms to Know That You Are A Candidate For Prolotherapy. Part
1
Should You Just
Keep Taking Pain Medications?
Flat Feet
February 7, 2007
Inevitable Hip Replacement or Prolotherapy?
Posterior Tibial Tendinitis
January 31, 2007
Failed Back Surgery Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy, Idet, Epiduroscopy, Surgery
January 17, 2007
Prolotherapy and
Trigger Points
January 10, 2007
Articles related to the C-5
Back Pain-What Is The Diagnosis?
Not all chiropractors are created equal!
January 3, 2007
Can People With Diabetes Get
Prolotherapy?
My
Top Ten Reasons For Not Getting A Cortisone Shot
How Soon Should Prolotherapy Work? How Many Times Do I Need To Come
Back?
2006
December 13, 2006
Neck Pain Blog
December 6, 2006
The Problem with
Getting Properly Diagnosed SI strain
How To Optimize Response To Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy and
Trigger Points
November 29, 2006
MENISCUS BLOG/Knee
Pain/Surgery Blog
ARTHROFIBROSIS
AND PROLOTHERAPY
Your SCANS Says
Abnormality,
But Is That The Cause of Pain?
November 22, 2006
Should You Just
Keep Taking Pain Medications?
Prolotherapy for
Bursitis
November 15, 2006
Knee Cap Patella Disorders
&
Prolotherapy
Foot Pain Blog
November 8, 2006
Posterior Tibial Tendinitis
Flat Feet
November 1, 2006
Failed Back Surgery Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy, Idet, Epiduroscopy, Surgery
Soreness
After Prolotherapy
October 18, 2006
Articles related to the C-5
Back Pain-What Is The Diagnosis?
Not all chiropractors are created equal!
October 11, 2006
Questions from Readers
Visit the back pain blog
October 4, 2006
My
Top Ten Reasons For Not Getting A Cortisone Shot
September 27, 2006
Questions
Q. A not so well known cause of injury and chronic pain is the
positioning of the body during surgery.
Read more
Q. I have had pubic/groin pain on my left side for 9
months now. Read
more
Groin Pain Intensified
During Monthly Period
Read
more
Q. I have so many weird and traveling places of pain
in my low back, buttocks and sitdown bones that I wonder how I
could be diagnosed accurately.
Read more
Q. I have a lot of scar tissue in my knee, (adhesions), I
am concerned that Prolotherapy, along with building good tissue will
also build scar tissue.
Q. Prolotherapy will not interfere with adhesion or scar tissue. The
Prolotherapy solution is injected at the
fibro-osseous
junction to stimulate production of the
collagen matrix which does not create or promote adhesion formation in
the body.
September 20, 2006
Neck Pain Blog
Neck Disk Herniation
Cervical Stenosis
Never Have Knee
Surgery Based on an MRI Diagnosis
WHAT
DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE NOT ORDERING AN MRI?
Prolotherapy and
Shoulder Separation
Pain
in both shoulders
September 13, 2006
The Problem with
Getting Properly Diagnosed: SI strain
How To Optimize Response To Prolotherapy
Groin Pain Intensified
During Monthly Period
September 6, 2006
Tailbone Pain Blogs
Back Pain
Questions
August 30, 2006
MENISCUS BLOG/Knee
Pain/Surgery Blog
ARTHROFIBROSIS
AND PROLOTHERAPY
Your SCANS Says
Abnormality,
But Is That The Cause of Pain?
August 23, 2006
Headaches
August 16, 2006
New Foot Pain Blog
Can Stress Stop Prolotherapy From Working?
August 9, 2006
Prolotherapy for
Bursitis
Prolotherapy and
Trigger Points
SACROILIAC BLOG
updated
August 2, 2006
Shoulder Blogs
WHAT
DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE NOT ORDERING AN MRI?
Prolotherapy After Back Surgery
July 26, 2006
Inflammation: The Key to Healing
Loose Ligaments: The Key to Solving Back Pain
July 19, 2006
Articles related to the C-5
Prolotherapy and Baker's Cyst
Back Pain-What Is The Diagnosis?
Not all chiropractors are created equal!
July 12, 2006
More Q & A at the Back Pain blog
A Story of Prolotherapy and Spinal Fusion Therapy
The Importance of Sleep in Prolotherapy
July 5, 2006
Can
I see a Chiropractor?
Depo-Medrol: Another Good Reason to Choose
Prolotherapy
Why Do I
Have Chronic Pain?
June 29, 2006
My
Top Ten Reasons For Not Getting A Cortisone Shot
How Soon Should Prolotherapy Work? How Many Times Do I Need To Come
Back?
Soreness
After Prolotherapy
June 21, 2006
Connective Tissue Damage
Q. Can
Positioning During Surgery Cause Chronic Groin Pain?
A. Read blog
June 14, 2006
acetabular labral tears
shoulder separation
Tailbone Pain Blogs
June 7, 2006
Knee Injury and Cortisone
Facet Syndrome
The Achilles Tendon & Heel Spurs
May 31, 2006
Back Pain
Questions
Q. My doctor
doesn’t know about Prolotherapy.
He wants me to have surgery. What should I
do?
Read More
Q.
I’m considering disc surgery. What is your opinion?
Read more
Q.
I am in a lot of pain and needed to escalate my pain medication to
narcotic strength.
Read more
Q.
My doctor suggested an “epidural” shot
for my pain. Is
this a good idea?
Read more
Q.
Can I see a Chiropractor?
Read more
Q.
Prolotherapy Helped! Now,
Which Exercises Can I Do?
Read more
May 24, 2006
How Much Inflammation Should Prolotherapy Create?
Nutrition,
Prolotherapy, Chronic Pain
Prolotherapy and Pseudogout
May 17, 2006
RADICULOPATHY BLOG
Never Have Knee
Surgery Based on an MRI Diagnosis
Headaches
May 10, 2006
PROLOTHERAPY FOR POST-FRACTURE REHAB AND PAIN
ARTHROFIBROSIS
AND PROLOTHERAPY
Your SCANS Says
Abnormality,
But Is That The Cause of Pain?
May 3, 2006
Prolotherapy for
Bursitis
Prolotherapy and
Trigger Points
The Cruciate
Ligaments of the Knee: ACL, MCL and PCL
April 26, 2006
ACUTE MENISCAL TEAR
Loose Ligaments: The Key to Solving Back Pain
April 19, 2006
What is the Effect of Age on Healing?
The Importance of Sleep in Prolotherapy
Arthrofibrosis and Prolotherapy
April 12, 2006
Shoulder Blogs
WHAT
DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE NOT ORDERING AN MRI?
Prolotherapy After Back Surgery
April 5, 2006
Prolotherapy and Baker's Cyst
Back Pain-What Is The Diagnosis?
Not all chiropractors are created equal!
March 29, 2006
MENISCUS BLOG/Knee
Pain/Surgery Blog Updated
Prolotherapy A Great Alternative Treatment For People With Rib Pain
March 22, 2006
A Story of Prolotherapy and Spinal Fusion Therapy
Rotator
Cuff and Shoulder Pain
Healing
Knee Injuries Without Surgery
March 15, 2006
Depo-Medrol: Another Good Reason to Choose
Prolotherapy
Why Do I
Have Chronic Pain?
Think Twice About
Surgery for Back Pain
March 8, 2006
Prolotherapy and
Shoulder
Injuries
Ischial Tuberosity / Hip and Buttocks Pain
Meniscal Injury
and Prolotherapy
March 1, 2006
Soreness
After Prolotherapy
February 22, 2006
Connective Tissue Damage
Thoracic Outlet
Syndrome
February 15, 2006
Obesity and
Prolotherapy
Hip Replacement and Prolotherapy
Hip, Groin Pain and Prolotherapy
February 8, 2006
The Top Ten Conditions That Receive Prolotherapy and Why
Facet Syndrome
February 1, 2006
Prolotherapy for
Bursitis
Prolotherapy and
Trigger Points
January 25, 2006
Connective Tissue Damage
Knee Injury and Cortisone
Ankle Sprains
January 18, 2006
The Achilles Tendon & Heel Spurs
Arthrofibrosis and Prolotherapy
Alkaline and Acidic
Blood pH How Does It Effect Prolotherapy?
January
11, 2006
Read our new back pain blog!
Q. My doctor doesn’t know about Prolotherapy.
Q. I’m considering disc surgery. What is your opinion?
Q. My doctor suggested an “epidural” shot for my pain. Is this a
good idea?
Q. What are the signs of spinal stenosis?
Q. Can I see a Chiropractor?
Q. Is it necessary to have an X-ray or imaging study to do
Prolotherapy?
Wrist Injuries and Prolotherapy
January 4, 2006
Loose Ligaments: The Key to Solving Back Pain
Failed Back Surgery and Prolotherapy
Rest
is an Ineffective Treatment for Acute Lumbar Disc Herniation
2005
December 28, 2005
Headaches
Arthrofibrosis and
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy: An Alternative To Neck Surgery
December 21, 2005
Common Acute Shoulder Injuries
What is the Effect of Age on Healing?
The Importance of Sleep in Prolotherapy
Failed Back Surgery and Prolotherapy
December 14, 2005
POSTING AT OUR HIP PAIN BLOG
hip_pain_blog.htm
How Nutrition Can Heal Your Chronic Pain
Never Have Knee
Surgery Based on an MRI Diagnosis
How Much Do Prolotherapy Injections Hurt?
November 30, 2005
Prolotherapy and Baker's Cyst
Back Pain-What Is The Diagnosis?
Not all chiropractors are created equal!
Ankle Sprains
December 7, 2005
WHAT
DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE NOT ORDERING AN MRI?
Facet Syndrome
Prolotherapy After Back Surgery
November 23, 2005
Think Twice About
Surgery for Back Pain
Prolotherapy a Great Alternative
Treatment for Pseudogout
Prolotherapy for Post-Fracture and Rehab Pain
November 16, 2005
Prolotherapy A Great Alternative Treatment For People With Rib Pain
November 9, 2005
Thoracic Outlet
Syndrome
Why Did
this Happen to Me? How Chronic Pain Occurs
November 1, 2005
Prolotherapy Is a
Great Alternative to Surgery For Radiculopathy
A Prolotherapy
Nightmare
Facet Syndrome
October 26, 2005
The Top Ten Conditions That Receive Prolotherapy and Why
Facet Syndrome
Hip Replacement and Prolotherapy
Hip, Groin Pain
and Prolotherapy
October 19, 2005
Ankle Sprains
Hip Pain and
Hip Replacement
October 12, 2005
Artificial Spinal
Disk May Open New Era in Making Back Pain Worse!
The Importance of Sleep in Prolotherapy
Failed Back Surgery and Prolotherapy
October 5, 2005
Alkaline and Acidic
Blood pH How Does It Effect Prolotherapy?
What Do Some Patients Do When Prolotherapy Doesn't Work?
A Difficult Case For
Prolotherapy
September 28, 2005
Arthrofibrosis and
Prolotherapy
September 21, 2005
What is the Effect of Age on Healing?
The Importance of Sleep in Prolotherapy
Failed Back Surgery and Prolotherapy
September 14, 2005
How Nutrition Can Heal Your
Chronic Pain
Never Have Knee
Surgery Based on an MRI Diagnosis
How Much Do Prolotherapy Injections Hurt?
September 7, 2005
Frequently Asked Questions
What's The Proof That The Prolotherapy Is Working?
What Do You Mean the Prolotherapy Worked? I Still Have Pain!
How To Optimize Response To Prolotherapy
Medical Research and Prolotherapy
Why has your doctor never heard of Prolotherapy!
August 31, 2005
Doctors Who Won't "Treat" Pain
Why has your doctor never heard of Prolotherapy!
Myofascial Pain
Syndrome
August 24, 2005
WHAT
DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE NOT ORDERING AN MRI?
Facet Syndrome
Prolotherapy After Back Surgery
August 17, 2005
Xyrem Helps Chronic Pain Sufferers
Sleep
Back Pain-What Is The Diagnosis?
Low Back Pain and Prolotherapy
August 10, 2005
Not all chiropractors are created equal!
August 3, 2005
“New Help for Ringing in the Ears!”
Says Recent Women’s Magazine Article
Facet Syndrome
Prolotherapy After Back Surgery
July 27, 2005
PROLOTHERAPY:
A GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO NEURONTIN AND ELAVIL FOR SLEEP
WHY
DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME? HOW CHRONIC PAIN OCCURS
Rest
is an Ineffective Treatment for Acute Lumbar DisC Herniation
July 20, 2005
Ankle Sprains
Hip Pain and
Hip Replacement
July 13, 2005
Supraspinatous
Tendinosis
Ligament Injury
July 6, 2005
What
Do You Mean The Prolotherapy Worked? I Still Have Pain!
Rest is an
Ineffective Treatment for Acute Lumbar Disk Herniation
The Top
Conditions That Receive Prolotherapy and Why
June 29, 2005
Artificial Spinal
Disk May Open New Era in Making Back Pain Worse!
The Importance of Sleep in Prolotherapy
Failed Back Surgery and Prolotherapy
June 22, 2005
The Mayo Clinic
Performs Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy and Baker's Cyst
Ehlers-Danlos Syndorme (EDS) / Fibromyalgia
June 15,
2005
What Do Some Patients Do When Prolotherapy Doesn't Work?
A Difficult Case For
Prolotherapy
A History of
Prolotherapy
June 8, 2005
Ankle Sprains
Hip Pain and
Hip Replacement
June 1,
2005
Prolotherapy and Fibromyalgia
May
25, 2005
Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Why has your doctor never heard of
Prolotherapy!
Dysautonomic Polyneuropathy Helped
by Prolotherapy
May 11,
2005
Xyrem Helps Chronic Pain Sufferers
Sleep
Back Pain-What Is The Diagnosis?
Low Back Pain and Prolotherapy
May 4,
2005
Prolotherapy After Back Surgery
The History of
Prolotherapy
April
27, 2005
The Top
Conditions That Receive Prolotherapy and Why
Prolotherapy for Post-Fracture and Rehab Pain
Arthrofibrosis and
Prolotherapy
April
20, 2005
Ligament Injury
April
13, 2005
Radiofrequency
Denervation
April 6,
2005
Hip Pain and
Hip Replacement
A Difficult Case -
Chronic Pain / Fibromyalgia
March 30, 2005
Prolotherapy: a Great Alternative to
Neurontin and Elavil for Sleep
March 23, 2005
Mayo
Clinic Promotes Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy and Baker's Cyst
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) / Fibromyalgia
March 16, 2005
Prolotherapy: A
Difficult Case
Why I Do Prolotherapy
What Do
Some Patients Do When Prolotherapy Doesn't Work? They Come To Caring Medical!
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