Progesterone: A Hormone To Enhance Prolotherapy Treatments
Our success with Prolotherapy is not just in the giving of shots. If the body's immune system is not geared up for optimum repair, then the Prolotherapy injections, (Watch where do Prolotherapy injections go and do they hurt?)  will not be as effective as the physician and the patient hopes. This is why we use many methods to determine how to make Prolotherapy more effective or to determine why Prolotherapy did not work as successfully as we hoped. One such determination is the level of Progesterone in our female patients.
 

Why is Progesterone Important?

It is imperative for females, who want to keep their ligaments, tendons, and the rest of their soft tissues strong, to keep progesterone levels at a maximum level. Many women do not ovulate and this is vital to forming progesterone, since progesterone is secreted by the corpus luteum that forms after the egg is released.

There are now over-the-counter kits that can tell a woman if she is ovulating. Any woman not ovulating needs to see a nutritionally-minded doctor to figure out why this is not occurring. Any woman not ovulating means she has no progesterone.
 

Progesterone stimulates the injury healing process in connective tissue by encouraging osteoblast and fibroblast proliferation, thus encouraging bone and soft tissue growth. Progesterone has been shown to increase collagen synthesis and decrease hydroxyproline concentrations in postmenopausal women. Progesterone, therefore, has a direct effect on preventing collagen breakdown. Progesterone has been shown in numerous studies to be able to stimulate bone growth and thus combat osteoporosis.
 

For postmenopausal women with chronic pain and evidence of connective tissue deficiency, natural progesterone is very much needed. Besides helping correct the connective tissue problems, hot flashes, depression, and low energy, a myriad of other symptoms tend to dissipate after starting Progesterone.
 

Not all progesterones are created equal

We often have women come into the office and say, "I am already taking progesterone." We tell them that it is not the same kind of progesterone that we are talking about. Inevitably the patients take out a bottle of Provera. Provera is medroxy-progesterone, a chemical that is a progestin but not progesterone. While their chemical structure is only slightly different, their effects on the body are distinctly unmatched and these medications should not be used interchangeably.
 

Synthetic progestogens can inhibit ovulation, thus suppressing the body's output of its own natural hormone, progesterone. Today, progesterone is derived from extracts of yams or soybeans and is chemically identical to the hormone produced naturally by the body. This is what a woman needs-progesterone, not a chemical derivative.

For the young female athlete with chronic pain and sports injuries that do not seem to be healing, but whose hormone levels appear adequate, foods with hormonal activity are recommended. The six highest estrogen receptor-binding herbs in one study, were soy, licorice, red clover, thyme, turmeric, hops, and verbena. The six highest progesterone receptor-binding herbs were oregano, verbena, turmeric, thyme, red clover, and damiana. Consuming these herbs and foods allows you to get the beneficial effects of the hormones without any of the harmful effects.
 

Since soy milk ingestion causes a dramatic increase in saliva estrogen receptor-binding components without causing a rise in estradiol, this is the food that is encouraged most frequently when estrogenic manipulation is desired. Soy foods contain the phytoestrogen genistein, which suppresses estradiol synthesis by direct genistein inhibition of aromatase and 17B-steroid oxidoreductase. It is for this reason that essentially all women would benefit from increasing their soy intake. If for no other reason than to keep their estradiol levels lower. This is especially important for women with connective tissue deficiency. For most athletic women, protein consumption is suboptimal, so tofu, miso, and soy protein powders are encouraged to combat connective tissue deficiency. Herbal remedies containing the above substances are also given to encourage connective tissue growth.

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Why We Prefer Bromelains!

Bromelains in conjunction with Prolotherapy are a very effective supplement for combating chronic pain.

There has been a lot of press lately about a lot of supplements that may aid in alleviating pain of injuries related to chronic conditions. These supplements are also said to be good for arthritis, immune disorders, and for digestive disorders. We have experimented (mostly on ourselves and family) to see if indeed some of these highly publicized supplements were as claimed. Many were very good, others good, but in the end we stood by our first choice, good old Bromelains!

Bromelains come from the enzymes found naturally in Pineapples, whether from the pineapple stem or juice. As a digestive aid it is remarkably effective in breaking down proteins (so good that Bromelains can even be used as a meat tenderizer).

- It is Bromelain’s effectiveness in protein break down that leads to its anti-inflammatory properties.

- Bromelains break down fibrin, a blood protein that is involved in clotting and inflammation.

- Bromelains also stop the production of kinins, inflammatory hormone compounds.

Further when you compare it to many supplements, Bromelains are considerably less expensive.

* Reduces effects of blunt injuries. Patients experience reduction in swelling, pain and tenderness.

* Rheumatoid Arthritis may respond to bromelain therapy.

* Good for sports injuries. Sprains, strains and muscle injuries respond well because of tissue repairing properties.

* Reduces bruising, relieves pain, prevents swelling, and promotes wound healing and tissue repair.

* Helps the intestines break down food, alleviating digestive problems.

* Recommended for diarrhea due to digestive enzyme deficiency.

* May help urinary tract infections.

* Aids in asthma control.

* Alleviates chronic bronchitis.

* Improves circulatory problems.

**The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated the statements within this website. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.