Prolozone Facts & Resources
Do you suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee, back or neck pain from disc herniation, or shoulder pain from rotator cuff injuries? See how prolozone injections offered by our team can help reduce your pain.
What is Prolozone?
Prolozone is an injection therapy and regenerative technique that uses ozone to stimulate the regrowth of cartilage in the damaged joint. Prolotherapy is derived from the Latin word “proli” which means to proliferate, regenerate, and rebuild. Prolozone is an advancement over prolotherapy which uses sugar as an irritant to promote repair. Prolozone uses ozone to promote repair. Prolozone has one key advantage over its predecessor prolotherapy in the ozone is a gas, so once in the joint space, it goes everywhere. This makes prolozone is much easier to administer.
Once in the joint ozone supplies two things the joint requires to start the healing process: oxygen and energy. Once inside the joint ozone converts to oxygen releasing energy into the joint which stimulates dormant cartilage producing cells to start healing the damaged tissue.
How is Prolozone different than Cortisone (Steroid) and shots?
What is in the Prolozone solution?
Our solution contains a blend of procaine, and other provider selected ingredients such as B-vitamins, anti-inflammatory medicine, and a mixture of ozone/oxygen gas. Ozone is a naturally-occurring gas composed of three atoms of oxygen (O3). Ozone is oxygen in an unstable form. The ozone we use is over 95% oxygen with some ozone. When ozone is injected into the joint It releases energy and reverts back to oxygen. The energy released promotes a healing response in the area. We can also add PRP solution, stem cells or exosomes, or amnionic fluid derived growth factors to speed the regeneration of the joints.
Cortisone shots are anti-inflammatory steroids, which actually slow healing and can damage the joint. They are often effective short term pain relief, but repeated use can further deteriorate the joint. Steroid shots do nothing to repair the joint.
How does Prolozone reduce Pain and Regenerate Tissues?
Prolozone involves the injection of nutrients and ozone around painful nerves, joints, tendons, and ligaments. It works by stimulating the body’s immune system at the cellular level. It increases the amount of oxygen to the area, which reduces pain and boosts the body’s healing ability. Prolozone also stimulates the production of collagen and cartilage and repairs damaged ligaments and joints. The damaged cartilage regrows re-establishing the normal connective tissue within the joint.
We can combine prolozone therapy with our back pain IV therapy designed to calm down inflamed nerves. The combination is especially effective in dealing with more severe back pain.
What Conditions do you Treat with Prolozone?
The most common ailments treated with Prolozone at NW Integrative Medicine include shoulder pain from rotator cuff injuries, osteoarthritis of the knee, and back or neck pain from disc herniation or osteoarthritis of the spine. It is also excellent for many other types of musculoskeletal or joint pain, including carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, and virtually any sports injury. Specific pain conditions include:
- Neck Pain
- Headaches
- TMJ Syndrome
- Whiplash
- Degenerated discs
- Herniated Discs
- Rotator Cuff Tears
- Tennis Elbow
- Golfer’s Elbow
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Hip Pain
- Knee Pain
- Torn Meniscus
- Low Back Pain
- Hip pain
- Sciatica
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Bone on Bone Conditions
- Sports Injuries
- Post Surgical Pain
- Prosthetic Joints
- Osteoarthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD)
We consider Prolozone to be the best treatment for joint and back pain because it addresses the underlying cause of the pain. In most cases, prolozone treatment can be used to avoid joint replacement.
Back Pain and Prolozone:
Prolozone is often most effective for the treatment of chronic back pain. Cuban studies showed 80% of back pain patients treated with prolozone had improvement. Prolozone has been effective in quickly relieving back pain even in patients with a long history of back pain. Unlike epidural injections which are given directly in the lining of the spinal cord, prolozone treatments are given in the facet joints, which are off to the side, eliminating most of the risk of the side effects associated with epidural type injections. Most patients only require one or two treatments to obtain relief.
What to Expect:
We offer a free consult, so you can discuss your situation with our providers. At this visit, we will review your medical records and explain the procedure to you, costs, and expectations. The response to treatment varies from individual to individual and depends upon one’s healing ability and level of injury.
Prolozone requires multiple treatments for weight-bearing joints. Prolozone injections are typically repeated every 4 weeks until the pain is gone. This typically takes 4 to 6 treatments for weight-bearing joints. About 75% of patients become pain-free. And in weight-bearing joints booster treatment may be needed after 6 months due to continued wear and tear.
Does my Insurance cover Prolozone Therapy?
No, most health insurance carriers do not currently cover prolozone injections.