Prolotherapy Healing

Tendons are the white fibrous bands which attach your muscles to your bones. Ligaments are the white fibers which surround your joints. (Look at the image of the knee, below, where you can see its tendons and ligaments). They form a girdle around your joints which keeps your joints tracking straight. Ligaments and tendons are made of a protein called collagen. Collagen is what your body uses for structural support. As you age, your skin will have less collagen, so it will sag. In the same way, with age or with trauma, your ligaments and tendons can tear, loosen up or get weaker and thinner. The reason ligaments and tendons are white, (see Figure 1), is that they have very few blood vessels, if they were rich in blood vessels they would be red, the color of muscles or blood. Ligaments and tendons attach on the periosteum, which is the blood vessel rich membrane which covers the bone. Prolotherapy works through injecting a proliferant solution (usually 10 to 25% dextrose or the patient's own blood or his own platelet rich plasma) where ligaments and tendons attach on the blood vessel rich periosteum. This causes inflammation, which brings blood vessels from the periosteum (the covering of the bone where they attach) into the tendons and ligaments, as well as the release of growth factors. When a glucose solution is injected, a large number of growth factors are released. The glucose solution also inhibits the release of growth negating products such as interleukin and tumor necrosis factor alpha) in the area. The enhanced circulation and the growth factors bring in cells called fibroblasts which facilitate the deposition of new collagen into your ligaments and tendons, thus making them larger and stronger. Tendons and ligaments can be made up to 40% thicker and 100% stronger with prolotherapy. Prolotherapy has also been shown to increase the growth of cartilage and to help repair the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus of the knee.

Right Knee

Figure 1 diagram of your knee showing the ligaments girdling your joints, tendons attached to muscles and cartilage



Where is your pain? Headaches Temporomandibular Joint Neck Pain Back Pain Shoulder Pain Tennis/Golfer Elbow Chest Pain Sacroiliac Joint Pain Hip Pain Knee Pain Ankle Pain Foot & Toe Pain Plantar Fasciitis Achilles Tendonitis Osteoarthritis What is prolotherapy? How does it work? Is prolotherapy for you? What conditions respond to it? When should you avoid it? What are the risks? What are the benefits? How long does it last? How much does it cost? Schedule an appointment Testimonials Consent forms Prolotherapy Shoulder research project References from medical literature Prolotherapy Steroids Anti-inflammatory Glucose injections The Caveman Diet About Dr. Bertrand		HOW DOES IT WORK? Tendons are the white fibrous bands which attach your muscles to your bones. Ligaments are the white fibers which surround your joints. (Look at the image of the knee, below, where you can see its tendons and ligaments). They form a girdle around your joints which keeps your joints tracking straight. Ligaments and tendons are made of a protein called collagen. Collagen is what your body uses for structural support. As you age, your skin will have less collagen, so it will sag. In the same way, with age or with trauma, your ligaments and tendons can tear, loosen up or get weaker and thinner. The reason ligaments and tendons are white, (see Figure 1), is that they have very few blood vessels, if they were rich in blood vessels they would be red, the color of muscles or blood. Ligaments and tendons attach on the periosteum, which is the blood vessel rich membrane which covers the bone. Prolotherapy works through injecting a proliferant solution (usually 10 to 25% dextrose or the patient's own blood or his own platelet rich plasma) where ligaments and tendons attach on the blood vessel rich periosteum. This causes inflammation, which brings blood vessels from the periosteum (the covering of the bone where they attach) into the tendons and ligaments, as well as the release of growth factors. When a glucose solution is injected, a large number of growth factors are released. The glucose solution also inhibits the release of growth negating products such as interleukin and tumor necrosis factor alpha) in the area. The enhanced circulation and the growth factors bring in cells called fibroblasts which facilitate the deposition of new collagen into your ligaments and tendons, thus making them larger and stronger. Tendons and ligaments can be made up to 40% thicker and 100% stronger with prolotherapy. Prolotherapy has also been shown to increase the growth of cartilage and to help repair the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus of the knee. References: Effect of glucose injections on tissue repair process helps your joints function much better. Figure 1 diagram of your knee showing the ligaments girdling your joints, tendons attached to muscles and cartilage

HOW DOES IT WORK?