Q: How Do You Know if You are a candidate for Prolo?

A: Unfortunately stretched or loose ligaments and tendons do not show up on x-rays or MRIs. The most sensitive test to identify them is to have an experienced Prolotherapist examine the affected region and palpate the individual structures. We call this the ligament compression test. If the patient has the jump sign i.e. jumps when I push on the damaged structure and I more or less reproduce the symptoms there is a very high probability that I have identified the problem.

“Prolotherapy is a safe, effective, and elegant treatment that can permanently heal many causes of joint, neck
and back pain.” – M. Walter, M.D.

Q: How long does it take to improve?

A: It normally takes 6 to 10 sessions of Prolo to heal an affected region. Some patients notice a significant change in the first few sessions, some take 5 or 6 treatments before they feel the change. It is impossible to predict healing so I try not to set up expectations, rather I encourage the patient to simply observe any changes that transpire. Overall, we have about an 80% success rate to heal structures that I can identify as weakened.

Q: How often do you inject and how many injections do you do each time?

A: The number of injections depends on the area injected and the extent of the injury/connective tissue weakness. As far as frequency of injection every Prolotherapist develops their own protocol. Personally I will generally inject weekly for 4 or 5 sessions to try and get the patient to what I call “over the hump” i.e. where the patient experiences appreciable improvement. Once the patient feels better we can extend the time between sessions to allow mother nature to catch up with us and complete more of the healing. The success of prolo is totally dependant on hitting the right spot enough times. At every session the patient should be reexamined to reassess exactly where they need to be injected.

Q: Where can I find a good Prolotherapist?

A: There are a couple of good organizations out there. Perhaps the most useful site is GETPROLO.com which has doctors listed in most states. Another useful site is AAOM (aaomed.org) which list doctors in various regions.

Before you agree to Prolotherapy it’s important to ask doctors where they learned their Prolo and who they trained with. The effectiveness and safety of Prolotherapy is totally dependent on the knowledge and expertise of the doctor you choose.

At ProloMD we have patients visit us from all over the country for consultation and treatment. Call us at (941) 955-4325 for information. If you decide to visit us we would pleased to evaluate your problem. Bring all your MRI and consultation reports so I can review them at the time of consultation. In almost all cases I will be able to tell you right away if you are a good candidate for Prolo. If you are from out of town and would like to discuss your case before coming, we can arrange a phone consultation with Dr. Walter to help insure that you are a good candidate.

Q: Does insurance cover it?

A: Insurance may or may not cover the Prolo (Except for auto injury insurance which generally does cover the treatments). We generally charge a patient portion which can be reduced or refunded depending on if the insurance does cover it. Please call our billing manager at (941) 955-4325 for more information.