Prolotherapy also known as nonsurgical ligament reconstruction
Prolotherapy is a treatment for chronic pain
Prolotherapy is helpful for what conditions?
The treatment is useful for many different types of musculoskeletal pain, including arthritis, back pain, neck pain, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, unresolved whiplash injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic tendonitis, partially torn tendons, ligaments and cartilage, degenerated or herniated discs, TMJ and sciatica.
What is prolotherapy?
First, it is important to understand what the word prolotherapy itself means. "Prolo" is short for proliferation, because the treatment causes the proliferation (growth, formation) of new ligament tissue in areas where it has become weak. Hippocrates performed a form of Prolotherapy 2500 years ago when an athlete’s shoulder instability was treated by a red-hot needle, initiating healing through inflammation and strengthening of the capsule of the shoulder. Injections of irritant solutions were performed in the late 1800’s to repair hernias and in the early 1900’s for jaw pain due to tempormandibular (jaw) joint laxity. George Hackett, MD developed the technique of Prolotherapy in the 1940’s, and it has been researched extensively. Current treatment approaches have proven to be very safe, effective, and long-lasting, even permanent in most cases.
Prolotherapy allegedly stimulates the body to repair painful areas including pain associated with the back, the neck, joints throughout the body, arthritis, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, sciatica, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ). Most chronic musculoskeletal pain is due to weakness of ligaments and tendons. Joints often develop instability with weakening of the internal cartilage surfaces, and these are often improved by intra-articular (inside the joint) injections of dextrose and other irritant solutions.
Prolotherapy involves the injection of an irritant solution into the area where the ligaments have either been weakened or damaged through injury or strain. There are many solutions including Dextrose (Corn syrup, essentially sugar), Lidocaine (a local commonly used anesthetic), Phenol (an alcohol), Glycerine, or Cod Liver Oil extract. The injection is given at the point where the ligament or tendon connects to the bone. Many points may require injection. The injection causes the body to heal itself through the process of inflammation and repair.

If you can put a finger on the pain, you can solve it most of the time• Recurrent swelling or fullness involving a joint or muscular region • Popping, clicking, grinding, or catching sensations with movement • A sensation of the “leg giving way” with associated back pain • Temporary benefit from chiropractic manipulation or manual mobilization that fails to ultimately resolve the pain • Distinct tender points and “jump signs” along the bone at tendon or ligament attachments • Numbness, tingling, aching, or burning, referred into an upper or lower extremity • Recurrent headache, face pain, jaw pain, ear pain • Chest pain with tenderness along the rib attachments on the spine or along the front of the chest • Spine pain that does not respond to surgery, or whose origin is not clear or consistent based on extensive studies.

Prolotherapy.org is a source for extensive articles, diagrams and other resources related to prolotherapy
American Association of Orthopaedic Medicine is a non-profit organization that promotes nonsurgical treatments including prolotherapy.