|
Soreness
After Prolotherapy
A patient is generally sore for a
couple of days after
Prolotherapy. This is because the
Prolotherapy injections,
(Watch where do
Prolotherapy injections go and do they hurt?)
have to go
through some muscles to get to the
ligaments and
tendons. To help the muscle
soreness resolve itself sooner,
massage therapy and moist heat applied to the
area is recommended. Natural products to encourage
soft tissue healing are recommended.
Gentle
manipulation techniques, such as myofascial release,
strain-counter-strain, or activator gun treatments, are helpful.
Other
modalities that improve circulation and assist the healing from
Prolotherapy
include acupuncture, Rolfing, electrical stimulation, magnets, infrared heat,
and ultrasound.
For those who are more sensitive
to pain, medications such as Tylenol and Ultram, which are not
anti-inflammatory
medications, are permissible. Occasionally a muscle relaxant is
needed. It is very important to avoid anti-inflammatory medications, as these
may decrease the effectiveness of Prolotherapy.
Narcotic medications should also be avoided
because they depress the
immune system. Of course, this is not helpful because
the immune system is critical for healing after Prolotherapy.
Exercising is permitted as soon
as the patient feels ready. Generally, light exercise can begin two days after
Prolotherapy. The general rule is if a certain activity or exercise hurts
significantly, switch to a different one. A small amount of pain is expected
while recovering from an injury, but not significant pain. If the patient
receives one
Prolotherapy treatment and feels fine, follow-up is still
recommended to allow the physician to assess the area for complete healing. If
it is still significantly tender, further treatments are needed because the
area is still injured. Once the tenderness is gone, the patient is cured.
|
