Advanced Regenerative Pain Management: Beyond Pills

Regenerative therapies are aimed at repairing damage to joint and soft tissue structures such as tendon tears, ligament sprains, cartilage degeneration, and muscle strains. A variety of injection therapies directed at the site of injury have been developed and evaluated for safety and efficacy. These include Prolotherapy, Prolozone therapy, Neural therapy, Peri-neural injections, and Hyaluronic acid joint injections. Depending on the injury or degenerative condition, one or more of these therapies may be indicated. The main therapies applied at the Natural Family Health Clinic are Prolozone, Peri-neural therapy, and Hyaluronic acid injections due to a long history of effectiveness and a high degree of tolerance to these therapies (they are minimally painful to the patient).

Prolozone is an injectable pain management therapy developed by Dr. Frank Shallenberger, a renowned anti-aging Doctor and “the father” of modern ozone therapy in North America. Prolozone is effective for all forms of musculo-skeletal and joint pain including chronic neck, back, knee, hip, and shoulder pain, plantar fasciitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and rotator cuff injuries. According to Dr. Shallenberger, because prolozone corrects the underlying pathology of the disorder, there is a 75% chance the chronic pain will be resolved completely. Research supports this conclusion.

Prolozone involves the targeted injection of a homeopathic/procaine/vitamin-mineral healing solution followed by ozone. Ozone is an oxygen gas produced by an ozone generator that effectively oxygenates tissues, both sterilizing them and enhancing the oxygen utilization of the tissue. It is the most highly active form of oxygen in the universe and provides energy to our cells. This oxygenation is very healing as well as neutralizing to the pain in an area. Poor circulation often leads to poor oxygen concentration in and around joints. Ozone increases oxygen levels considerably leading to joint and tissue regeneration. Generally, 3-5 Prolozone treatments are required to completely resolve pain, injuries, and stimulate regeneration of worn-out joints. These occur at a schedule of once every 2 weeks to once a month. This therapy is extremely safe, well supported by over 50 years of research, and most often is well tolerated. It is often administered to patients waiting for joint replacements and can prevent the need for urgent surgery.

Dr. John Lyftogt from New Zealand has developed an elegant, minimally invasive, and extremely effective pain management technique using a simple glucose solution. This technique, coined Peri-neural injection therapy (PIT), employs tiny injections of a 5% Dextrose (glucose) solution just under the skin at specific sites which correspond to nerve impingement sites. Often these sites also correspond to acupuncture points. By bathing the nerves with fluid and energy they can repair and function optimally. And, it has been discovered, that when the nerves are functioning optimally, the joint, muscle, ligament, tendon, bursa, and fascia tissues are also able to heal and regenerate efficiently.

These injections are not deep or painful; often the patient feels only minimal discomfort. Pain relief can be immediate and long lasting. Generally, 4-6 treatments at one per week are required to completely resolve chronic pain, however, every person is unique and the response is therefore variable. Research shows that 80-90% of all pain is responsive to glucose.

How can such as simple technique be so effective? The principal mechanism of action of the 5% Dextrose solution is to block the receptor in the nerve (TRPV-1 or Capsaicin receptor) which is the body’s main regulator of pain and inflammation. Resetting the receptors in the nerves allows for healing to deeper structures (joint cartilage for example). Therefore, not only is this therapy pain relieving but it is also regenerative.

Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in your knee joint to provide cushioning and lubrication. With osteoarthritis, the amount of this fluid can decrease, and the fluid can become thinner. For this reason, doctors may recommend an injection of hyaluronic acid, especially when steroid injections and other therapies do not provide significant relief. For injection purposes, hyaluronic acid is administered weekly for 3-5 weeks and generally provides long-term relief from knee pain. This treatment regimen can be repeated in 6 months if needed.

Hyaluronic acid injections, also known as viscosupplementation, are mostly used to treat osteoarthritis but have been used to treat knees affected by rheumatoid arthritis as well. The benefits appear to last for about five to six months. Different versions of this kind of treatment exist and some require multiple injections over several weeks. Treatment can be repeated after a six-month waiting period.

Beyond just providing extra cushion and lubrication, the injection may also work by:

If you are suffering from pain, are tired of taking pain killers, and want to improve the ability of your body to do the things you love without suffering, contact our clinic for to find out which therapies are best suited to your personal needs.

You can reach the Natural Family Health Clinic at 250-497-6681.

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