Prolotherapy – Lidocaine and Sugar Injections to Cure Headaches

ABC’s Lisa Thomas-Laury reports that there is a new headache relief without pills being tested.

Dr. Greenberg uses a solution called prolotherapy where he injects a combination of anesthetic called lidocaine and dextrose (a sugar) into areas in Jamie’s neck and shoulder where  ligaments or tendons could be damaged.

“We see damage in the cervical joints, and also in the back of the head where all the muscles go up and insert into the back of the skull,” said Dr. Greenberg.

Ligaments, tendons, and cartilage have poor blood supplies, so when they are injured, they can be slow to heal.

The injections, given every 3 to 4 weeks reduce inflammation and jump-start the healing .The dextrose causes the release of growth factors out of the tissues.

Prolotherapy has been around for decades, but was used largely for sports injuries in the past.

Dr. Greenberg became a believer in prolotherapy after giving himself the shots in a last-ditch effort to relieve headaches that he suffered long after a car accident.

The pain nearly derailed his medical career, but today, he leads a full and active life.

“I bike ride. I play hockey. I work out. I work all day long, and I don’t get headaches,” he said.

Unlike steroid injections, which provide only temporary relief for some pain, prolotherapy injections, given over a period of several months, usually provide permanent relief.

Dr. Greenberg says the length of treatment depends on the extent of the injury, but treatment can be started even years after the initial injury.

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