Prolotherapy - A little bit of sugar

What is it?

Prolotherapy is therapy technique where an irritant (such as a dextrose formula) is injected in to the soft tissue surrounding a painful joint or region of the back, with the goal of stimulating the body’s natural processes to strengthen the ligaments in the region. This method has been used since the early 1900’s, and the patients who seem to gain the most benefit from the injections are those with intact, though injured or strained ligaments. Through stronger ligaments and lessened inflammation, the pain generally subsides.

Our Experience

We recommend prolotherapy for dogs and cats where a minor soft tissue injury exists that is causing the animal discomfort - “sprains and strains”. It is one of the quickest fixes that we have in the clinic for simple soft tissue injuries. Your companion will typically receive treatment every 1-2 weeks for 3 to 5 treatments.  Prolotherapy can be painful for the animal as the area is usually inflamed and tender, and the dextrose injection can be uncomfortable. Tenderness may increase for up to 72 hours. If your companion shows an improvement in the 3-6 days following the injection, the next injection will be scheduled.

Which animals are a good candidate?

• Older animals with a lower activity level who have soft tissue injuries

• Animals with a slight limp or loss of mobility, where a surgery is not an option

• Performance dogs looking for a tune-up after a trial