I had fusion surgery and now live on pain pills. Can this procedure help with scar tissue pushing on a nerve and causing chronic pain in the buttock, leg, and knee?

Many people believe their pain is from scar tissue and nerve injuries but we don't. Please get an EMG/NCV test. NCV means nerve conduction test. This is the test you need to see if you truly have nerve injury. If it is a lot of nerve injury then you will need a treatment beside Prolotherapy. If you have mild nerve injury or your nerves are deemed fine, then by all means get an evaluation for Prolotherapy.

In situations such as these, Prolotherapy has a high cure rate. Generally 3-8 treatments of Prolotherapy are needed. Remember any ligament can give you referral pain at a distance sight. So yes your burning pains down your leg can be coming from your lower back. Let me give you an example. I injured my upper back just before the Ironman Triathlon. I was 100% sure I had a nerve getting pinched and even had consultations to get an EMG/NCV and MRI of my neck and possibly thoracic spine. The total costs of these tests would have been something like $7,000-8,000.

Someone I trusted told me to just do Prolotherapy to the area. I am telling you the pain was excruciating. I could bend my neck to the right and I would get 'electricity' down my arm. I was having trouble working, sleeping, you name it. I received Prolotherapy shortly after the Ironman. I am telling you in about three weeks I was like a new man. It is now 3 months after the Ironman and I am back to full time training. Yes I trained for 18 hours last week (most weeks aren't that much). I cycled for 5 hours straight on Friday! Don't underestimate the power of Prolotherapy.

Answered by Ross Hauser, M.D.
Add A Comment About This Article Or Add A Comment About Back Pain

Reader Response
I had a fusion L3-4, hardware removed 8 months later.  The pain continued relentlessly.  I kept pointing to a spot left on the tailbone.  Three sessions of glucose prolo fixed most 90% of the pain.  It is now 6 months later and we are going to do a minor round of prolo to get the remaining pain.

The doctor and the prolo he did saved my life.*

I had spinal fusion following a car accident, I am still in pain. Can Prolotherapy help me I am also a diabetic?

When someone has a surgery like yourself and has continued pain after the surgery, the most logical explanation is that the surgery did not address the cause of your pain (or least their are other causes that it didn't adddress).  For you this could be the area above or below the fusion or the sacroiliac joints.  In our experience Prolotherapy to these additional areas typically resolves the pain.  Remember it takes generally three to six visits of Prolotherapy and sometimes more.  But don't fear, just get a Prolotherapy evaluation.

Answered by Ross Hauser, M.D.
Add A Comment About This Article Or Add A Comment About Back Pain

*Does not necessarily reflect the views of Caring Medical and Rehabilitation Services and Prolonews.com
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