Illustration of effective treatment locations

"...this is only a partial list! The best way to determine if prolotherapy can help is to register for an evaluation with Dr. Thomashefsky."

Partial list of treatable conditions

It is important to understand that this is only a partial list! The best way to determine if prolotherapy can help is to register for an evaluation with Dr. Thomashefsky or other trained prolotherapist.

• Lower Back Pain
  Low back pain can be due to relaxation or looseness in the ligaments surrounding the lower vertebral segments and/or in the sacroiliac joint. This is often not a pinched nerve. Prolotherapy can help to tighten the ligaments and stabilize the lower back.
  
  
• Neck Pain
  In a whiplash injury from an automobile accident or a fall, ligaments can be torn and not heal back to their normal length and strength. The neck gets "out of adjustment". Then, muscles go into spasm to support the loose vertebrae. The patient experiences a chronic low grade, nagging pain and muscle tightness. Prolotherapy can help tighten the ligaments and allow the muscles to relax.
  
  
• Shoulder Pain
  Shoulder pain, especially rotator cuff strains, tears or dislocations, can easily be treated by prolotherapy. This strengthens the tendinous or ligamentous attachments to improve the function of the shoulder joint and decrease pain.
  
  
• Wrist Pain
  Wrist ligaments can be torn. The wrist is very much like the ankle. If one sprains the ankle or sprains the wrist and the ligaments don't heal back to their normal length and strength, joint dysfunction will result. People will have trouble with grip and with the strength of their wrist and hand. Prolotherapy can help to restore the normal function of the wrist joint.
  
  
• Knee Pain
  
  
• Hip Pain
  Hip arthritis is quite common. What comes first is a relaxation of the ligaments around the hip, allowing too much "rock and roll" in the joint. The joint wears away more quickly. Prolotherapy, especially with the addition of Glucosamine and other growth factors can help grow new hip ligaments and cartilage.
  
  
• Foot Pain
  
  
• Sciatica
  Sciatica is due to a pinched nerve from a herniated disc or a bone spur. This may require surgery. Often, however, relaxation of the lumbar ligaments allow too much motion in the lumbar segments, which can "tweak" the nerve and cause pain down the leg. This can very easily be treated by prolotherapy to tighten the ligaments and stabilize the vertebral segments.
  
  
• Tennis Elbow/Tendonitis
  In the first six weeks of an overuse injury, like tennis elbow or tendinitis, Cortisone can be used to decrease inflammation. After six weeks, however, the process turns from an inflammatory process to a "degeneration" of the tendon attachment known as "tendinosis". This cannot be successfully treated with Cortisone. Cortisone may reduce pain for a week or two and then the pain will return. Tendinosis can easily be treated by prolotherapy to strengthen and tighten the tendon attachment.
  
• TMJ
  Temporomandibular joint dysfunction is the same as any other joint dysfunction. When ligaments are torn either from an injury or from an automobile accident, the joint can be loose. The looseness allows too much "rock and roll" in the joint, allowing the cartilage to wear away resulting in arthritis in the jaw joints (TMJ). Prolotherapy can help tighten the TMJ ligaments to restore normal function to that joint. Sometimes, however, after an automobile accident the cartilage in the TMJ joint is disrupted. An MRI scan may need to be done to evaluate the joint function.
  
  
• Sprains
  
  
• Strains
  
  
• Whiplash from falls or automobile accidents
  Whiplash is tearing of the muscle and ligament attachments. Whiplash does not refer to a fracture. After a whiplash, eighty percent of people are completely pain free in three months. "Mother Nature" is done healing these muscle and ligament tears after three months. If the patient continues to have dysfunction in their joints (neck, low back, shoulder, etc. from a whiplash) there will be no more growth and chronic pain will continue. These tears can be easily treated with prolotherapy. About 80% of people get at least 80-100% better after a course of prolotherapy.
  
  
• Headaches
  Headaches are very often due to muscle tension. The high neck ligaments are loose when those joints are unstable. The muscles will tighten causing tightness up into the crown of the head and temples. This muscle spasm results from the instability in the neck. This can be treated with prolotherapy to restore joint function to the vertebral joints of the upper neck.
  
  
• Painful joints
  
  
• Torn ligaments and cartilage
  
  
• Degenerative arthritis

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Allen Thomashefsky, M.D., P.C.: allen@drtom.net
64 3rd Street, Ashland, OR 97520, (541) 488-5667
2320 Bath Sreet, Suite 313, Santa Barbara, CA 93105, (805) 962-2662