Prolotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment that consists of injections of an irritating solution in an area of injury or with pain. The solution generates a local inflammatory response, which favors the repair and regeneration of the tissue in that area.

In which patients can prolotherapy be performed?

Prolotherapy can be used in different cases and in different types of patients, from children to adults. The most frequent causes are joint pain, low back pain (lumbago), neck pain, chronic pain, among others.

Before treatment, it is necessary to go to a consultation for an examination and diagnosis. A clinical history is important to know the history of the pain, from its onset, type, location, and cause. It is also important to know previous treatments for current pain and existing illnesses.

This is accompanied by a physical examination where the doctor will perform maneuvers to assess mobility and pain, this in some cases is complemented by an imaging study, commonly ultrasound to accurately detect the injured area such as the muscle or tendon, which will also help guide the treatment.

Once it is decided to carry out prolotherapy, the patient is scheduled at the doctor’s office. It is important to remember that it is an outpatient treatment, so the person can return home after the therapy is completed. It is recommended to wear comfortable clothes that give easy access to the area where the injections will take place.

As we mentioned before, prolotherapy consists of several injections around the affected area, the irritating solution is usually dextrose, but PRP, P2G and stem cells, among others are also used. Before infiltrating with said solution, local anesthesia is placed through small injections in the previously marked sites, which makes it a less painful therapy.

After its application, the patient should expect slight discomfort and inflammation at the site during the first hours that can last from 48 to 72 hours, which is why rest is solicited during this period.

The necessary sessions vary depending on the diagnosis and severity of the pain, but they are usually 3 to 6 sessions with a month of rest between them. An improvement of more than an 80% has been reported after treatment.

It is essential to go to a specialist doctor with experience in prolotherapy for an effective and safe treatment.

Muscle pain, also known as myalgia, is the affection of one or several of our muscles. The discomfort is usually not serious and is self-limited. However, it is still a common cause of medical consultation.

Chronic muscle pain affects a large percentage of the population, occurring mostly in people who play sports or who make constant movements at work. In the case of sports, the sports with the highest risk are football, basketball, martial arts, and athletics.

Myalgias have various causes, the most common are injuries due to trauma, tension, or overload. There are also “non-muscular” causes, which means that muscle pain is not related to exercise or activities and is secondary to a disease or infection such as: hypothyroidism, osteomalacia, magnesium deficiency, pyomyositis, lupus, fibromyalgia, among other myopathies (muscle diseases).

The most common traumatic injuries are contusions, wounds, muscle tears, sprains, cramps, and stiffness (Delayed onset muscle soreness).

For prevention, it is recommended to improve our posture, avoid carrying a lot of weight, stretch before any physical activity, and stay hydrated.

It is important to go to the doctor after any injury, especially if the pain is intense, if there is redness in the area, if there is difficulty in movement, presence of inflammation or a hematoma.

Diagnosis is made in consultation with both a history and physical examination. It is important to identify the cause, as well as the type and location of the pain. It can be a clinical diagnosis, but sometimes imaging studies such as an ultrasound or a magnetic resonance imaging can be used to complement it. If a non-musculoskeletal cause is suspected, other more invasive studies can be performed.

The treatment will depend on the patient and the type of injury, in minor injuries we could add a pharmacological treatment with an analgesic and rest, as well as bandaging and the application of cold/heat. Muscle massages can also be included for muscle relaxation and to help relieve pain.

In case of persistent or serious injuries, more invasive therapies can be carried out, such as prolotherapy, which by several injections of an irritating solution creates an inflammatory reaction that regenerates the damaged tissue, favoring the reduction of pain.

In the presence of any injury or muscle pain, you should go to the doctor for a complete evaluation, in this way any complication can be ruled out and timely treatment can be provided.