The pros and cons of Prolotherapy/Regenerative Medicine.
What can Prolo/Regenerative Medicine do and what can it not do?
To start with, no single approach can solve all problems. Prolo cannot address bone fractures, total tears of connective tissue structures and true nerve impingement (accompanied by weakness). However if the primary symptom is pain, I would suggest that your first visit should be a connective tissue specialist as ligaments and tendon insertions are by far the biggest pain generators in the musculoskeletal system.
Yes, the injections can be sore and the symptoms may be aggravated for a few days after the shots. Most people will accept this short-term discomfort once they understand that this may very well be the only way to solve the long-term problem.
If your primary complaint is weakness, your first visit should be to get an MRI and see a good Neurosurgeon.
It does take time. Prolo is not magic. In all likeliness it will take 6 to 10 sessions to solve the problem. To be sure, many patients experience improvement in 3 or 4 sessions but this is not to be expected. I cannot predict how a given person is going to respond. Rather, I ask my patients to rate their pain at each visit and simply observe what transpires. Regenerative Medicine is about healing and healing takes time. The good news is once the affected structure is repaired, it is likely that the healing will be permanent, and the pain will be gone.
It is true that in some cases the healing may not be complete and/or the patient may re-injure an area or still have some pain. As in life, Nothing in medicine is 100%. If I can get a patient 80% relief of a condition and return them to active living, I consider that a success.
How to find a doctor who does regenerative medicine.
Unfortunately there is currently only about two or three hundred connective tissue specialist in the U.S. It is of prime importance that you find an experienced Doctor. Key questions are how long the doctor has been doing it and who they trained with. You want somebody who does these injections all the time, someone who can correctly diagnose the structure(s) involved and can inject them safely and properly.
I personally got my training through a group called the Hackett-Hemwall foundation, associated with the University of Wisconsin. I was part of the medical team that went down to Honduras to help the local people with various musculoskeletal conditions. As far as I’m concerned I had some of the best teachers in the world and having them show me in a hands-on fashion how to do the various shots was invaluable. In the end, doing these injections requires an in-depth knowledge of anatomy and a feel. This cannot be acquired without proper supervised training.
For more information:
Watch out for updates and new articles. If you have registered your email with us, you are on our email list and will receive new material as it rolls out. If you have friends who may be interested, tell them to visit ProloMD.com and sign up for the free service.
Sign up for free seminars: If you are in the Sarasota/Tampa area attend one of Dr. Walter’s free seminars, which are held monthly. Call (941) 955-4325 to sign up.
Consultation with Dr. Walter: If you would like to consult Dr. Walter, either in person, by phone or online by SKYPE please call (941) 955-4325 (HEAL) to arrange.