Back pain is among the most common medical complaints in the United States and worldwide. Statistics from the World Health Organization indicate that lower back pain affects nearly 619 million people globally, and cases are only going to increase. Other studies show that up to 80 percent of U.S. adults will experience low back pain at some point in their lives, and at any given time, up to 26 percent of U.S. adults experience back pain.
Back pain can make you put your life on hold, preventing you from enjoying your favorite activities or even managing daily tasks. At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, we take a holistic approach to helping you treat your back pain, offering innovative and non-surgical treatment options that can help get you back in the game.
If back pain is preventing you from living your best life, prolotherapy may be one treatment option that can relieve pain and improve your quality of life. Contact our office today to make an appointment with a compassionate and skilled physician to discuss prolotherapy and other available treatment options.
What Is Prolotherapy?
Proliferation or prolotherapy is a non-surgical pain treatment that helps alleviate chronic pain while stimulating tissue repair. During prolotherapy, your doctor injects a natural, dextrose-based irritant into painful or damaged joints, ligaments, or tendons. Dextrose is a form of sugar that typically comes from corn or wheat. The dextrose solution irritates an injured or painful area. It may sound counterproductive, but by irritating the painful region, the body’s natural immune and healing response systems get triggered, sending platelets and other cells to stimulate tissue regeneration and repair damage.
When a physician can control the inflammatory response through prolotherapy, the body slowly but naturally starts to repair and regrow damaged tissues and reduce chronic pain. With time, the painful or injured site gets stronger. Many people experience less pain and improved mobility or function.
Prolotherapy for Back Pain
Prolotherapy can be an effective, non-surgical treatment option for those suffering from back pain, especially lower back pain. Depending on the cause of the pain, prolotherapy can help stabilize and strengthen the ligaments and other supporting structures of the spine. The dextrose-based irritant can be used in the ligaments, tendons, and joint spaces in the back to stimulate the body’s natural healing response. It may decrease pain in patients who haven’t found relief with other pain-relieving treatments.
In most cases, prolotherapy injections are administered in specific ligaments of the lower back or the sacroiliac joint. The iliolumbar, supraspinous, interspinous, lumbosacral, sacral, and sacroiliac ligaments are ligaments in the lower back that bear the brunt of daily stress and can easily get damaged by repetitive motions, overuse, or injury. The sacroiliac joint is another area commonly injured, where the sacrum, or bone at the base of the spine, meets the pelvis. The SI joint gives the spine and pelvis stability and support, and when injured, it can cause lower back pain and pain that radiates down the leg.
Targeted prolotherapy in these areas can target pain and discomfort, helping to speed healing, improve function, and increase mobility.
Common Causes of Back Pain
The back gives us strength, stability, and mobility. It bears tremendous weight and strain daily, which is why back injuries and chronic pain are so common. Whether brought on by injury, illness, or overuse, there are numerous ways to injure the back. Some of the most common causes of back pain in the U.S. include:
- Strain
- Sprain
- Arthritis
- Herniated discs
- Disc problems
- Spinal stenosis
- Sciatica
- Poor posture
- Nerve compression
- Bone fractures
- Inflammatory conditions
- Fibromyalgia
Back pain can be localized to one area or feel like a generalized ache. Signs of a back issue or injury can include:
- Pain
- Increased pain when lifting or bending
- Back that radiates down the legs
- Pain with numbness or tingling in the legs
- Stiffness or loss of mobility
- Weakness in the back, legs, or feet
Prolotherapy is a fantastic pain relief option for treating various musculoskeletal conditions affecting the joints, tendons, and ligaments of the back, especially conditions affecting ligament laxity.
What to Expect from a Prolotherapy Procedure
Although prolotherapy is non-invasive, patients may still feel uneasy about undergoing a new medical procedure. Individuals who have undergone other back pain relief procedures and have not found relief may be particularly concerned about the prolotherapy process.
At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, we start by taking a complete medical history, performing a thorough physical exam, and evaluating back pain relief options. We may also opt to administer imaging tests to fully understand a patient’s medical issues and determine if prolotherapy is an option. Our team wants patients to be part of the process and collaborate with patients to address their concerns and unique needs.
If prolotherapy is a viable option, please refrain from taking NSAIDs for at least a week before the treatment session. During the procedure, a dextrose solution is injected into the affected area. To achieve optimal results, patients may need successive sessions several weeks apart. The injection is administered under ultrasound guidance to ensure proper placement and precision.
The procedure can cause side effects such as localized pain, swelling, and mild discomfort. Most side effects are temporary and subside within a few days. Patients should avoid strenuous activities following treatment, but most people can resume normal activities shortly after receiving prolotherapy.
While prolotherapy can help boost the body’s healing ability, physical therapy can support mobility and functional gains, allowing a patient to build on the benefits of prolotherapy treatment.
Want to Know If Prolotherapy Can Help Treat Your Back Pain? Contact Us to Find Out
At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, we understand how back pain can slow you down. We also know how frustrating it feels when other pain relief options let you down. Our medical staff wants to work with you to find innovative pain relief options so you can get back to enjoying life and doing what you love.
Contact our office today and schedule an appointment to determine if prolotherapy is the treatment option you’ve been waiting for.