Regenerative Medicine for Chronic Pain

Regenerative Medicine includes Prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma therapy, or PRP.

These are methods used to repair injured and weak structures.  Prolotherapy was started by Dr. Hackett, a surgeon, in the early 1950’s, who figured out that pain is often due to ligament and tendon WEAKNESS and sometimes loss or damage to cartilage, in and around joints.

The “prolo” in prolotherapy comes from the term “proliferation”, because the treatment jumpstarts natural healing, causing the body to “proliferate”, or lay down new, healthy cells.  This is done by injecting a solution of several ingredients into the painful area. PRP is a more advanced form of prolotherapy and uses concentrated platelets from the patient’s own blood, causing a mass influx of growth factors, making it stronger than regular prolotherapy. This is used by many professional athletes who want improved and faster healing.

Problems treated with Prolotherapy and PRP include low back pain, neck pain, headaches, plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, shoulder pain, rotator cuff problems, Dequervain’s syndrome, arthritis, and meniscus cartilage injury of the knees.

Prolotherapy or PRP is a perfect choice when you have continued pain after proper rest and healing time, joint instability, popping or clicking, pain improved with a supporting wrap or brace, or MRI findings that cannot explain the pain.

In one study, 88.5% of those receiving prolotherapy showed improvement.  New studies using ultrasound show that the tissue IS HEALING, but the most important proof is in the volumes of success stories by satisfied and pain-free individuals.

I have 15 years of experience with prolotherapy and PRP in the treatment of chronic pain and appointments are readily available at my Grandville office.

UPDATE: Dr. Ann Auburn has now been teaching and providing prolotherapy and PRP for over 25 years, with experience treating nearly every joint in the body. (edited on 05/31/2024)