Prolotherapy and Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) in Indianapolis

Who is Prolotherapy For?

Prolotherapy and PRP treatments are appropriate if you are:

• Seeking safe alternative to surgery and pain medication

• Dealing with chronic pain, such as back pain or neck pain

• Recovering from a sports injury involving tendons or ligaments

• Living with joint pain due to arthritis

• Experiencing problems even after surgery

The following conditions are responsive to prolotherapy:

• Neck Pain

• Back Pain

• Knee Pain

• Hip Pain

• Shoulder Pain

• Spine Injury

• Tennis Elbow

• Wrist and hand pain

• Ankle and foot pain

What is Prolotherapy?

Prolotherapy, which stands for proliferative therapy, is a non-surgical treatment for joint and ligament repair and reconstruction. Through a series of injections into the area surrounding a weakened or damaged joint or ligament, prolotherapy stimulates the body’s natural healing response.

Prolotherapy injections repair a damaged area by rebuilding collagen and laying down new connective tissue. Performed right in our Indianapolis office, prolotherapy has been shown to be a safe alternative to knee, shoulder, and SI joint surgery, can reduce dependency on medication, and eliminate chronic pain.

Prolotherapy injections work by causing an inflammatory response by introducing a harmless foreign substance into the body. Innately, the body’s response is to heal the area. There are three different substances that can be used for prolotherapy like injections:

• Dextrose prolotherapy, the original form of prolotherapy first used in the 1930s

• Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy, uses healing factors extracted from your own blood sample

• Bone Marrow Concentrate Stem Cells, uses much more potent stem cells to rebuild tissue and cartilage

For simple strains and sprains, a traditional dextrose prolotherapy injection will suffice in strengthening ligaments and tendons. For more advanced injuries such as advanced tissue and ligament tears, PRP therapy may offer a higher probability of success. Dr. Dan will advise you which injection therapy is right for your condition. Schedule your appointment here →

Why Choose Prolotherapy Treatments?

When you damage a ligament or tendon, you want it to heal quickly before the damage leads to a long-term problem. Traditional approaches to recovery typically involve surgery and anti-inflammatory medications. But surgery always carries risks of failure, sometimes as high as 50 percent in cases of back and spine surgery.

Prolotherapy is a conservative treatment and offers an alternative to surgery and medication. When combined with proper rehabilitation and osteopathic manipulation, prolotherapy can naturally and completely restore function and mobility of damaged joints and ligaments. Prolotherapy treatments can help you:

• Avoid costly surgery

• Rebuild tissue naturally

• Eliminate dependency on pain medications

• Restore full range of motion in joints

• Permanently remove chronic pain

How Does Prolotherapy Work?

Prolotherapy injections into a painful area or unstable joint space cause new tissue irritation in the area. This creates a controlled inflammatory response and jumpstart your body’s healing process at the site of injection.

While the prolotherapy injection site becomes inflamed and begins to swell, your body is busy repairing the targeted area. During this process, your body lays down new tissue over the unstable or torn ligaments and tendons responsible for creating pain and instability. The tissue is naturally and permanently strengthened. Schedule your appointment here →

Prolotherapy Causes Healthy Inflammation

When there is no inflammation, there is no healing. Inflammation is what occurs when your body is repairing and healing itself. Although inflammation is largely shunned and misunderstood, it is an important process to understand.

Prolotherapy is especially useful in areas with poor blood flow. Your blood is a critical part of your healing process, carrying the cells and proteins necessary for rebuilding and repairing damaged areas. When you injure an area which has a naturally poor blood supply, such as the rotator cuff, the inflammatory process often diminishes before it can completely heal and repair the area.

Prolotherapy and PRP can prolong or restart the inflammatory process and allow for more complete healing in areas with poor blood supply.

When Does Prolotherapy NOT Work?

Prolotherapy and PRP injections should not be used in isolation and should be part of a comprehensive treatment plan. We've found that just receiving prolotherapy and PRP injections without manipulation, diet modification, and acupuncture isn’t likely to yield the best results.

When undergoing PRP or prolotherapy treatment, we recommend combining it with osteopathic manipulation and proper rehabilitation. This ensures proper movement in the joints as you develop new tension and fascia in your soft tissues.

Combining prolotherapy with natural treatments like acupuncture for pain control and the removal of trigger points is a great addition to your treatment plan. Good nutrition which supports vitamin D levels is also an important element during treatment.

On the Day of Your Appointment

To best identify the source of your pain, you will be asked a number of questions, followed by a thorough medical exam. To confirm any findings, you may receive a diagnostic injection to numb the area believed to be responsible for your pain. If the selected area is causing your pain, the pain should lift immediately. Dr. Dan will then work with you to prescribe an ideal treatment which may include 2-5 visits spread over the coming weeks.

Treatment Info:

How much does it cost?
Prolotherapy treatments start at $450 per injection. PRP treatments start at $800 per treatment.

How many sessions will I need?
On average, our patients require between 2-5 visits over a period of 2-3 months to achieve satisfactory results with prolotherapy. PRP typically requires less treatments.

Will I experience any pain?
You may experience mild to moderate discomfort over the 72 hours following each treatment. Our numbing medicine should prevent discomfort during the procedure itself.

Where are you located?
We are located in Carmel. If you're traveling from out of town to see us, we'd be more than happy to assist with travel and accommodations.