Prolotherapy is different for everyone, both the treatment and healing process. On average, patients will need about 4-6 treatments every 4-6 weeks. Some patients require only 1-2 treatments to reach complete healing, which are typically younger patients or those who have sought Prolotherapy right away after an injury. Others may require more treatments due to the severity and extent of the injuries.
No two bodies, or immune systems, are exactly alike, which also means the healing process, although similar, will differ depending on the patient.
As you know, having received Prolotherapy, you typically feel sore for a couple of days after treatment. The process of Prolotherapy requires injections to go through some muscles to get to the ligaments and tendons. Just think about when you get a shot at your primary physician’s office, your arm might feel a little sore for a few days after your visit – the same goes for Prolotherapy.
A patient’s overall health status plays a role in their healing – eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, living an active lifestyle, reducing stress, and eliminating cigarette smoking will help accelerate the healing process. A healthy and nutritious diet leads to a healthy body. The foods we eat give our bodies the building blocks we need to heal, so a healthy, balanced, real food diet is an important part of healing.
Most of our patients can go back to work within the same or next day. We encourage you to get back into your normal routine as soon as possible. However, if you had an area treated that might become aggravated by your job, your Prolotherapy provider may have asked you to make certain adjustments. One of the key adjustments that we ask our patients to make is to their computer workstations. We must keep looking up!
Movement is essential; however, it is vital to get moving after receiving Prolotherapy treatments. Surely, we do not recommend that you run a marathon and complete a cross fit exercise immediately after treatment, however, we do not want you to be a couch potato either! We aim to get you back into your active lifestyle as quickly as possible, just skip out on the heavy workouts for the first few days while you notice inflammation in the treatment area. Your provider may also recommend specific exercises or to work out with a personal trainer or physical therapist. Sometimes due to the extent or duration of your injury you need assistance with strengthening muscles that may have weakened and stretch those that have gotten too tight due to underlying ligament weakness which was treated with your Prolotherapy.
Remember, Prolotherapy is 50% us and 50% you. We want to see you succeed and overcome chronic, disabling pain. Please continue to discuss your treatment and healing process with your Caring Medical providers, as the more they know, the better they can help you succeed!
