Testimonials About Prolotherapy
Dear Dr. Walter,
Prolotherapy is a “Godsend”. I am so pleased with the improvement in my shoulder after only two months of Prolotherapy treatment with you.
When I came to see you I couldn’t lift my arm more than shoulder height and could barely sleep with the continuously throbbing pain. After six treatments with you I am very nearly 100% mobile and the discomfort has all but disappeared. Just unbelievable!
Thank you, Dr. Walter, and please also thank Suzanna for her invaluable assistance.
What a blessing.
John E., Sarasota
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Dr. Walter,
I want to let you know how well Prolotherapy has worked for my knee problems. In February of 2010 I began to have chronic knee pain in my left knee. The pain was under the kneecap and toward the inside of the knee consistent with pain one might expect from cartilage damage. I had had cartilage removed from that knee 40 years ago. An X-ray of the knee confirmed some bone on bone contact. The pain continued to increase in frequency and intensity through March. I had to resort to using a pillow at night to adjust the position of my knee to minimize discomfort during sleeping hours. I could still play tennis, but the pain was definitely noticeable before and after playing.
I explored the possibilities for treatment including knee replacement. Two tennis-playing friends who had similar problems with their knees had had successful results after you treated them with Prolotherapy. I was impressed and decided that this avenue of therapy was definitely worth a try. Knee replacement is strictly a last resort and involves considerable expense, time for recovery, and pain.
I received my first set of injections to the knee in April and this was followed by 2 succeeding injections over a 3 week period. The pain I was experiencing was virtually gone 24-48 hours after the first injection. The pain had totally disappeared after the second injection and I needed no further injections after the third injection. I attribute this rapid response to the fact that I went immediately to Prolotherapy while my knee was still relatively healthy. This seems to countermand the usual advice one gets from orthopedic surgeons who advise that one should wait until the knee is so bad that you cannot stand the pain anymore. Then they will replace the knee.
I have been pain free and playing tennis 5 days a week since my last treatment one month ago. This course of therapy should be considered by patients with similar problems regardless of whether insurance covers the expense or not. In my estimation the cost is insignificant compared to the risk and potential complications of knee replacement surgery.
Fred F., Sarasota
______________________________________________________________
Dr. Walter,
It has been a year that I’ve been free of back and leg pain, all due to you, who I call my “miracle doctor”. Everyone should know about you and have a “miracle doctor” to call upon.
Joan R., Sarasota, FL
Dear Dr. Walter,
I want to thank you for curing my tennis elbow and letting me get back to the game I enjoy so much. I have been singing your praises to all that will listen.
Susan C., Bradenton, FL
Dear Dr. Walter,
I am so excited this morning and wanted to tell you about it!
After 12 years and three spinal surgeries (two lumbar and one cervical) I was left exactly where I started, without relief. Well I had my second prolotherapy session yesterday and when I woke up at 3 AM I immediately thought something was different. I did not have pain in my back or down the leg. At first I thought I had gone to heaven and then realized that I was still here. I got out of bed and walked around just to be sure and srill no pain. I am now at work and have NOT yet taken a pain killer.
I just had to share my happiness with you this morning. Thank you! You are truly a blessing in my life.
Jeanne S., Sarasota, FL
Dear Dr. Walter,
After five years of constant pain and lack of function I have been blessed to find you. Prolotherapy has been an answer to prayer. I had looked everywhere for help.
Dr. I had been in pain for five years. My lower back was so bad that the slightest movement or even sneeze could bring me to my knees! (Hey that rhymes!). My whole day was enveloped in monitoring my every move so as not to end up flat on my back! Nights of heating pads and days of anti-inflammatory medicine and muscle relaxers are no longer! I had my first painfree night of sleep two days after my first treatment. Eight weeks later I’m writing you because I feel so much better. I’m beginning to think about that word that we don’t hear much anymore- I’m talking about the word “cure”. I hardly dare say it because it’s almost too good to be true.
Dr. Walter, you are what so many claim but are not. You sir are a healer and there are far too few of you nowadays. Thank you Dr. Walter for being so innovative and thank you for my new found freedom and life.
Kevin B., Bradenton, FL
I am very happy I found Dr. Walter. I am pain free after having my back, neck and hip worked on. I would recommend Prolotherapy to anyone with pain. Do not wait. It needs to be done as soon as possible. It has been four years since I had my Prolo. No pain, no problems-Great results.
Julia W., Sarasota, FL
Dear Dr. Walter,
I wanted to let you know how much my Prolotherapy has changed my life. I guess I should first tell you that I am a 52 year old mother of three children and am a Director of Nursing and Assistant Administrator of a home health registry. Prior to this job I worked as a nurse supervisor in a variety of settings including intensive care, rehabilitation and home health. I got my bachelors degree in nursing at St Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois.
I’ve always had a fairly active life and enjoyed a variety of sports. I taught my three boys basketball, baseball, football, fishing, skating, poor, and tennis. I am a very independent person and always managed to be able to solve any difficult problem that I encountered. I taught my boys that they could accomplish anything they put their mind to if they tried their very best.
About five years ago I noticed an increasing pain in my thumbs and knees. My knees were extremely painful when I got in and out of a car, walked up bleachers, walked on grass or uneven surfaces, or knelt down. I was unable to run and it was getting difficult to even stand up from a sitting position.
My thumbs were worse. It was painful for me to open a door knob, hold a glass with one hand, turn a key, hold a book or newspaper and turn the pages, open a jar, open or close a zip lock bag, write with a pencil/pen or tear any paper or plastic container open. My grasp was weak and I often dropped things. I was in constant pain and it was often difficult to sleep. I used ibuprofen to help manage the pain. I did not want to use narcotics. It was getting difficulty for me to work as a nurse. I put off going to a doctor due to financial considerations.
Finally, in March of 2005, I went to a local rheumatologist who said I had arthritis, and should continue on ibuprofen and Glucosamine Condroitin, and suggested a topical ointment, Osteon, which could possibly decrease my pain. There was nothing else he could do for me.
In April of 2005, I went to a local orthopedic who took x-rays. He told me that my knees could be significantly improved if I went to physical therapy and strengthened my quadriceps but “there was no hope for my thumbs.” He fitted me with two large splints that immobilized my thumbs and wrists and instructed me that when my pain became unbearable I could have surgery on my thumbs. I joined a gym and strengthened my legs. My knees improved by about 90%. I could do everything except run. My thumbs became worse.
In July of 2005, I was diagnosed with gastritis and my upper GI showed dried blood in my stomach. I was told by a gastroenterologist that my internal bleeding was caused by my use of ibuprofen and from now on I should only use Tylenol for pain.
Nursing became extremely difficult and I felt that I could not do it safely. My fine coordination was not good. I dropped things and my grip was not strong. I dropped a pan of boiling water on myself and seriously scalded my hands. I did more management and less actual nursing.
However, it was very difficult and painful to pull charts and records from the file cabinet, write, or even use paperclips. I became very discouraged and worried about my financial future.
In July of 2006, I went to an orthopedic hand specialist in Chicago, for a second opinion. He did more x-rays of my hands, gave me cortisone injections in my right thumb and recommended I receive further cortisone injections to control the pain. He believed that thumb surgery is not a good option, as it would leave me with a significantly decreased use of my hands. He said I was too young to have my thumbs partially disabled. He added that ones ‘ thumbs are what differentiated the human from other mammals and therefore only when “the pain in my thumbs became so painful that I wanted to chew off my hands, should I receive thumb surgery.” The cortisone injections did not decrease the pain and I was aware that cortisone accelerates the joint degeneration. I became very disheartened and my goal was to be able to work 4-5 more years until my youngest son graduated from high school. I seemed to have lost any other personal goals.
I was not able to do any actual nursing and the office work was very painful. After work when I got home the pain was so bad it was difficulty for me even to write my bills. Buttoning, brushing my teeth and hair, pulling up my pants, snapping my bra, tying my shoes, and doing light housekeeping were extremely painful. The pain never went away and was often severe. I called my sister in Chicago and asked her that if I couldn’t last till my youngest graduated from high school, could I live with her and her husband.
In November 2006, I went back to my local orthopedic surgeon for another cortisone injection. However, he did not believe that cortisone injections would help. He said I should schedule surgery in two months, after Christmas. He felt that the pain was interfering with my daily activities enough to warrant surgery. I was confused about whether or not I should have surgery. I just knew my pain was constant and I was having more and more difficulties at work and doing normal activities at home. I was unsure which avenue of treatment would “do the least damage.”
In early 2007, I went to a new local rheumatologist. He said that he would not recommend cortisone injections but he could prescribe some medications that would manage my pain. He strongly discouraged surgery on my thumb stating that I was too young to lose the use of my thumbs. He strongly recommended that I first see a hand occupational therapist. The therapist told me that I should not squeeze a ball and to avoid using my pinch because I had only so many “pinches” left. She made casts for both hands. Both my thumbs were immobilized but I could use the rest of my fingers. The use of my hand was limited with the casts on, but for the first time in a very long time my pain was minimal and sometimes entirely gone. She had never heard of Prolotherapy.
During the time I was receiving occupational therapy, a friend told me about a treatment called Prolotherapy. She and her husband had received it in Chicago and had great results. She begged me to look into it. I called her doctor’s office. They said they could help me but I would have to go to the Chicago area every month and insurance would probably not cover it. They said that the only other office that they could recommend was a doctor in (I think) Kentucky. This was not on option that I could afford.
I called the Mayo clinic in Florida. They did Prolotherapy on the back but not on the hand. I obtained a list off of the internet of all Prolotherapy doctors practicing in Florida. I called all six of them. Most of the doctor’s offices stated they either didn’t do hands or they did not take the time to answer my questions. Your receptionist, Carol, spoke at length with me about how Prolo had helped her thumbs. She explained how her symptoms were similar to mine, what the Prolotherapy treatment was like, and the degree her thumbs improved. I decided to drive to 3 ½ hours to your office for treatments. I always arrived at your office very tired and with my hands hurting. Your entire staff was always very welcoming and warm. Your assistant, Jennifer, was very knowledgeable and supportive. You taught me my pain was due to a ligament injury. You explained to me that if it was done correctly there were no side effects. Everything you instructed me to do was opposite what the other medical personnel had told me. You taught me to squeeze a ball and put heat on the injection sites. Most importantly, you and Jennifer insisted that there was hope.
The changes were very subtle at first. I would suddenly realize, for instance, that my hands no longer hurt when it rained. I realized that I could hold a glass with one hand. If my hands did hurt after doing an activity, the pain was minimal and it would go away within an hour. One day, I realized I never went to bed with pain anymore. When I got home from work my thumbs didn’t hurt. I dropped things a lot less and my coordination was improved. Getting dressed or brushing my teeth hurt very little. I started turning my car key with my right hand again and driving was no longer painful. My thumbs are continuing to improve.
Almost as important I noticed that I cared about myself again. I bought new clothing, started wearing makeup again, went on a vacation and had goals again. I hadn’t realized that I had lost all my personal dreams.
I apologize for the length of this letter but I wanted you to know how your kindness and expertise gave me back my future. I also want others with my condition to know that there is hope. If you have any patients with wrist conditions please feel free to have any client call me with questions concerning how this treatment helped me. Also, please believe me when I tell you that I never would have driven 3 ½ hours to receive a treatment that my insurance did not cover, while losing a half day’s pay and paying for all of that gas if my improvement had not been so significant.
Thank you Dr. Walter and God bless you
Kathleen C., Fort Lauderdale, FL