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Low back pain and sacroiliac (SI) pain
Ligaments connect bones to each other, like the vertebrae to each other and the sacrum to the pelvis. The sacrum is the part of the spine below the fifth and last lumbar vertebrae and above the coccyx. The uppermost portion of our pelvis is called the ilium. The area that connects these structures is called the sacroiliac joint (SI): sacro from the sacrum, iliac from the ilium. There is an expansive mesh of ligaments that make up this sacroiliac joint which is frequently injured. A problem here can affect the groin, pubis, hips and lower lumbar areas as well.
A SUCCESS STORY: From one of the Caring Medical staff – Joe the male nurse.
One of my own injuries that was successfully treated with Prolotherapy perfectly illustrates the point made in the above paragraph. I have been one of Dr. Hauser’s nurses for nearly six years and have had several areas treated. My worst injury began as a left hamstring injury incurred from increasing my pace on a training run. The original point of injury was where the hamstring attaches to the ischial tuberosity (IT), the bottom most part of the pelvis, the bone you sit down on. As with most people, I tried rest, heat, stretching, not stretching, nothing seemed to help. Even me, a person with access to a great Prolotherapy doctor, put off the injection treatment to see if I could heal it on my own. Can you blame me? Nurses don’t like shots either. The problem was my IT hurt on my left so while driving I leaned on my right. After a month of doing this, can you guess what happened? That’s right; the pain was now traveling up into my left SI joint, and was beginning to affect my sleep. The abnormal motion of sitting just on my right buttock caused an imbalance in my SI joint. Because I was educated in the mechanics of the pelvic ligaments, I knew that if left unchecked, my IT and SI problem could eventually cause a problem in my lumbar ligaments. So two months after my original injury, it was time to get up on the Prolotherapy table and take my medicine! After the soreness from the treatment wore off in a few days, I estimated my pain as 40% less. I needed three more treatments spaced about four weeks apart to completely resolve my problem.
To learn more about Prolotherapy research or to Contact Dr. Hauser at 708-848-7789
Prolotherapy Under C-Arm Fluoroscopy
A free full access article discussing Prolotherapy Under C-Arm Fluoroscopy is now available at the Journal of Prolotherapy.
Fluoroscopy is a real time x-ray that helps the physican guide the Prolotherapy injection to an exact spot.
Here is an abstract from the article
Interventional pain management traditionally has focused on the use of C-arm fluoroscopy to inject the spine. Fluoroscopy is a real time X-ray designed to allow the physician to guide a needle into a specific location. While Prolotherapy has been performed without the use of imaging guidance, our training in pain management lent itself to using this technology for certain Prolotherapy techniques.
Like many physicians practicing regenerative medicine, our interest in Prolotherapy began because of our general dissatisfaction with the results of injecting steroids. In addition, we were also concerned about the body of literature that demonstrated that injecting high dose steroids could lead to problems in the joint. This phenomenon, known as apoptosis, means that these medications can shut down all normal repair and maintenance functions in the joint for months, ultimately leading to a less swollen, but more degenerated joint.3 In addition, high dose corticosteroids have also been shown to cause other issues such as systemic side effects and even catastrophic illnesses such as osteonecrosis.
Interventional pain management traditionally has focused on the use of C-arm fluoroscopy to inject the spine. Fluoroscopy is a real time X-ray designed to allow the physician to guide a needle into a specific location. While Prolotherapy has been performed without the use of imaging guidance, our training in pain management lent itself to using this technology for certain Prolotherapy techniques.
Like many physicians practicing regenerative medicine, our interest in Prolotherapy began because of our general dissatisfaction with the results of injecting steroids. In addition, we were also concerned about the body of literature that demonstrated that injecting high dose steroids (milligram range) could lead to problems in the joint. This phenomenon, known as apoptosis, means that these medications can shut down all normal repair and maintenance functions in the joint for months, ultimately leading to a less swollen, but more degenerated joint. In addition, high dose corticosteroids have also been shown to cause other issues such as systemic side effects and even catastrophic illnesses such as osteonecrosis.
The remainder of this article and more prolotherapy research can be found at Prolotherapy Under C-Arm Fluoroscopy. For more Prolotherapy information or to find Prolotherapy doctors.
Cervical radiculopathy
The Journal of Prolotherapy has new free access articles on Prolotherapy research. In this new article recently released, a chiropractor, a physical therapist, and a prolotherapy doctor discuss effective treatments exhibited through case history
From the article abstract – The painful condition resulting from soft tissue damage and degenerative disc disease type changes causing pressure on a cervical nerve root is called cervical radiculopathy. It often produces agonizing neck pain, a burning sensation, along with numbness radiating down the arms, shoulder blades, and back, or up into the head.
Cervical radiculopathy refers to a pinching or inflammation of a cervical nerve at its exit point in the spine, called the neuroforamen. It is caused by lesions that narrow the space in the neuroforamen, including cervical disk herniations, but more commonly occurs with cervical spondylosis. This latter condition refers to a gradual wear and tear or age-related degenerative changes. Many of these changes can be diagnosed or identified on conventional X-rays and MRI’s and may include narrowing of the disc space, bulging of the contour of the disc, herniation of the disc, calcification of the disc, and vertebral margins that result in spurs. When the spurring significantly narrows around the nerve root exit passage or foramen it is referred to as neuroforaminal stenosis. These degenerative changes can lead to constant or episodic waves of pain. The symptoms of cervical radiculopathy typically include severe neck pain with radiation of the pain to the back of shoulder blade, shoulders, arm, or hand. Numbness or weakness in the arm can also be present. Read the entire article about cervical radiculopathy.
Patient information on Prolotherapy
Cervical Radiculopathy
The Journal of Prolotherapy is making more Prolotherapy Research available as free full access
As published in the journal and announced in the Getprolo Prolotherapy information newsletter, a group lead by Ross Hauser, M.D., examined the role of Prolotherapy and other non-operative treatments of Cervical Radiculopathy.
Cervical radiculopathy often produces agonizing neck pain, a burning sensation, along with numbness radiating down the arms, shoulder blades, and back, or up into the head.
The authors discuss cervical radiculopathy from the position of a Physiatrist, chiropractor, and physical therapist. Each author reviews case studies and techniques utilized in order to successfully treat patients presenting with cervical radiculopathy.
Read the the paper at the Journal of Prolotherapy
Chronic Pain and Brain Function
Patients with chronic pain often suffer from depression, have trouble concentrating and struggle to remain positive. Current research shows why – chronic pain has an adverse effect on the brain, but it can be reversed with pain relief.
“Treating chronic pain can restore normal brain function in humans.”
In a recent study in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers at McGill University in Montreal studied 18 people that had been suffering for six or more months from chronic low back pain. When compared to people with no chronic pain, they found that these people had decreased brain gray matter and impaired cognitive ability. Using an MRI, researchers observed thinner tissue and abnormal brain activity while subjects performed a cognitive attention-requiring task. In other words, chronic pain affected areas of the brain that deal with depression and impaired concentration, memory, mood, and social judgment.
Pain Relief and the Brain
Now here’s the interesting part: when the pain was relieved there was a reverse in the deterioration of the brain – the area of the brain (known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) was no longer thinner than the control group. Additionally, there was no abnormal activity observed by MRI when the chronic pain patients performed a cognitive task. In the three people that reported no pain relief from treatment, there was no regeneration of gray matter. This study suggests that chronic pain takes a toll on the brain, but with relief it can regenerate itself.
Effective Chronic Pain Treatment
Each subject in the study chose to have back surgery or facet joint injections for pain relief and were reexamined six months after treatment. Unfortunately we don’t believe that surgery and facet joint injections (involving cortisone) are effective treatments because they don’t always reach the root cause of the problem.
As for cortisone injections, they can do more harm than good and tend to have an adverse effect on bone and soft tissue healing. They limit the amount of calcium taken in by bone, thereby weakening the fibro-osseous junction that is usually the root cause of the pain. They also inhibit the release of growth hormone that is used to heal injuries; they inhibit the synthesis of proteins and collagen and have an overall weakening effect on joints.
In my opinion, the most effective way to treat chronic pain is through Prolotherapy injections. Prolotherapy treatjments stimulates the body to repair painful injured areas when the body’s natural healing process is not able to do the job on its own. Just as the brain is able to regenerate itself, injured joints can regenerate collagen and soft tissue through an inflammatory process. Prolotherapy is able to induce an inflammatory process to lead to healing, pain relief and ultimately better mental clarity, moods and more.
To learn more about Prolotherapy and chronic pain contact Ross Hauser, M.D. at 708-848-7789 or visit www.caringmedical.com.
Larn more about Prolotherapy research
Prolotherapy Treatment Options
What is the best Prolotherapy treatment route for chronic pain and/or injury. Is it Prolotherapy with dextrose, sodium morrhuate, minerals, hormones, PRP, and even stem cell therapy using bone marrow?
PRP Prolotherapy versus dextrose Prolotherapy:
A side-by-side comparison study has yet to be published, Ross Hauser, M.D. utilizes PRP Prolotherapy his office as well as dextrose Prolotherapy, and both certainly work well. Dr. Hauser has published a paper on the use of PRP Prolotherapy in knee patients with meniscus tears told they needed surgery who were able to resolve their injuries with PRP Prolotherapy instead of surgery.
Dr. Hauser says in his opinion that it is not necessary to use PRP Prolotherapy on all patients for all conditions. It has its place, but it is not needed for all patients. That would only add undue cost and time when dextrose Prolotherapy will work great for a wide array of conditions.
Dr. Hauser has a new video out on the subject that you can view below
Prolotherapy research – Knee Pain
The Journal of Prolotherapy is offering free online access to complete Prolotherapy research articles.
In this article
Researchers investigated the outcomes of patients undergoing Hackett-Hemwall dextrose Prolotherapy treatment for unresolved knee pain at a charity clinic in rural Illinois. Eighty patients were studied, representing a total of 119 knees, that were treated quarterly with Prolotherapy. On average, 15 months following their last Prolotherapy session, patients were contacted and asked numerous questions in regard to their levels of pain and a variety of physical and psychological symptoms, as well as activities of daily living, before and after their last Prolotherapy treatment.
The results of this study showed that patients had a statistically significant decline in their level of pain, stiffness, crunching sensation, and improvement in their range of motion with Prolotherapy.
More than 82% showed improvements in walking ability, medication usage, athletic ability, anxiety, depression, and overall disability with Prolotherapy.
Ninety-six percent of patients felt Prolotherapy improved their life overall. Conclusion: In this study, patients with unresolved knee pain, treated with dextrose Prolotherapy, showed improvements in many clinically relevant parameters and overall quality of life.
Read the entire Prolotherapy and knee pain study
Research article on Prolotherapy and Hip pain
This is a full access research article on Prolotherapy and Hip pain published at the Journal of Prolotherapy
A Retrospective Study on Hackett-Hemwall Dextrose Prolotherapy for Chronic Hip Pain at an Outpatient Charity Clinic in Rural Illinois
Ross A. Hauser, MD & Marion A. Hauser, MS, RD
Abstract
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Objective: To investigate the outcomes of patients undergoing Hackett-Hemwall dextrose Prolotherapy treatment for chronic hip pain.
Design: Sixty-one patients, representing 94 hips who had been in pain an average of 63 months, were treated quarterly with Hackett-Hemwall dextrose Prolotherapy. This included a subset of 20 patients who were told by their medical doctor(s) that there were no other treatment options for their pain and a subset of eight patients who were told by their doctor(s) that surgery was their only option. Patients were contacted an average of 19 months following their last Prolotherapy session and asked questions regarding their levels of pain, physical and psychological symptoms and activities of daily living, before and after their last Prolotherapy treatment.
Results: In these 94 hips, pain levels decreased from 7.0 to 2.4 after Prolotherapy; 89% experienced more than 50% of pain relief with Prolotherapy; more than 84% showed improvements in walking and exercise ability, anxiety, depression and overall disability; 54% were able to completely stop taking pain medications. The decrease in pain reached statistical significance at the p<.0001 for the 94 hips, including the subset of patients who were told there was no other treatment options for their pain and those who were told surgery was their only treatment option.
Conclusion: In this retrospective study on the use of Hackett-Hemwall dextrose Prolotherapy, patients who presented with over five years of unresolved hip pain were shown to improve their pain, stiffness, range of motion, and quality of life measures even 19 months subsequent to their last Prolotherapy session. This pilot study shows that Prolotherapy is a treatment that should be considered and further studied for people suffering with unresolved hip pain.
This article is available at the Journal of Prolotherapy
