Curing Pain with Prolotherapy / Non-Surgical Joint Reconstruction

Prolotherapy (proliferative therapy), also known as Reconstructive Injection Therapy (RIT) or Sclerotherapy, is a recognized orthopedic procedure to non-surgically reconstruct joints, ligaments, and tendons weakened by trauma or arthritis.  Prolotherapy works by placing precise injections into the damaged area to stimulate cytokines or cell signals, enabling the immune system to naturally repair the damage.

Joints weakened when ligaments and tendons are stretched, torn, or fragmented, become hypermobile and painful. Traditional approaches with anti-inflammatory drugs and surgery often fail to restore joint function and relieve pain permanently. Prolotherapy has the unique ability to directly address the cause of instability and repair the weakened sites, resulting in permanent stabilization of the joint - all without surgery.

Both Dr. Magaziner and Dr. Greenberg are experienced and skilled in Prolotherapy treatments. Dr. Greenberg performs over 4,000 procedures per year, with some of his notable patients being Simon Gagne, left wing for the Philadelphia Flyers, past Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, MD, Mark Simoneau, former starting linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles and Mike Carey, linebacker for the Oakland Raiders.  

Dr. Greenberg's expertise and leadership in the field of non-surgical joint reconstruction has lead him innovate treatments to correct pelvic tilts and leg length discrepancies, headaches, sacroliliac/lumbar disorders, and neurological complications of head injuries.  Dr. Greenberg has trained physicians from around the world in his techniques and is often featured on the news with his medical breakthroughs in chronic pain treatment.  He is driven by having cured his own headaches and back pain resultant of being struck by a drunk driver.

In March of 2007, Dr. Magaziner completed his second medical mission to Honduras where he helped treat hundreds of chronic pain patients with the use of  Prolotherapy under the auspices of the Hackett-Hemwall Foundation. Dr. Magaziner has functioned as one of the foundation’s esteemed clinical instructors, his expertise in treating chronic pain resulting from injuries and chronic arthritis having proved especially valuable in this endeavor.

Prolotherapy has a wide range of applications and can be used to relieve a broad spectrum of conditions, including:

How Effective is Prolotherapy? 

The success of prolotherapy depends on a number of variables, including the patient's history and ability to heal.  Some 85-95% of patients suffering from low back pain, for instance, experienced remission when treated with prolotherapy. In comparison, the Journal of Bone and Joint Therapy reports only a 52% improvement in patients treated with disc surgery. 

Are Prolotherapy Treatments Painful? 

Patients can have prolotherapy without the need for anesthesia. The pain of an injection will vary depending on the structure to be treated and the choice of solution involved. Because prolotherapy uses inflammation to heal the body, it may result in mild swelling and stiffness, which can be treated with pain relievers such as Tylenol.

---

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

By Tim Panaccio
CSNPhilly.com
 
Flyers left wing Simon Gagne skated – gingerly – Tuesday morning at Skate Zone for the first time since injuring his right groin late August.

He hopes to be skating this weekend when the Flyers open their full training camp.  Rookies and prospects took the ice Tuesday for two hours of developmental drills.

“I’m pretty happy the way things went today,” Gagne said of his 30-minute skate, in which he also shot pucks but did not open his stride. “Everything was fine. It was the first step and just one easy practice.”

Coach John Stevens was encouraged.

“He’ll push a little more and hopefully, get back on the ice with his teammates at the end of the 20 weeks and see where he’s at,” Stevens said. “We’re certainly optimistic about the way he felt today.”

Gagne pulled his right groin on Aug. 24 in Calgary doing sprints during Team Canada’s Olympic orientation camp. He had undergone surgery last May 28 to remove a bone spur and adhesions in his right hip.

Two days after the groin pull in Calgary, Gagne received an injection of his own blood – PRP or platelet rich plasma – into his right groin and right hip to speed the recovery. It requires placing the blood in a centrifuge and rotating it at high speed to separate red blood cells from the plasma itself.
 
“Platelet Rich Plasma is injected into the affected area to promote quicker healing; it is not blood doping,” said general manager Paul Holmgren. 
 
According to Scott Greenberg, MD from the Magaziner Center for Wellness in Cherry Hill, who has treated Gagne before, these injections stimulate cytokines, or cell signals, enabling the immune system to naturally repair damaged tissue.

Gagne is the first Flyer to receive this kind of treatment. The Eagles, Gagne said, utilize PRP treatments, as well. Those treatments take two to three weeks to see results.

“I’ve heard about [the treatment] in the past and I think it’s something we will see more of in the future,” Gagne said. “No medication, no drugs. Just your blood. They take it and [re-inject it to the affected area].”

“It wasn’t too bad,” Gagne said of the procedure. “The [injection] closest to the bone hurt the most. Hopefully, it’s going to work. I heard a lot of great things about it.”

Gagne admitted being nervous on the ice to see how the groin has progressed.

“The first step was to skate by myself and from there we will decide what is best for me,” Gagne said. “It might be smart to do more skating by myself and maybe by Thursday to jump in with the guys and scrimmage or practice. Just step-by-step. There was a huge difference from the way things were going this summer.”

Gagne hopes to be skating Sunday morning when the Flyer veterans hit the ice. He also wants to play in four of the club’s seven preseason games to assure he’s fully healthy.