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OUR PUBLISHED
RESEARCH
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BEING A PATIENT |
 NECK
PAIN STUDY
Dextrose Prolotherapy for unresolved Neck Pain
TMJ
STUDY
92% of Prolotherapy patients in this study saw
reduction in symptoms by over 50% |
 Ross
Hauser, M.D.
I became fascinated with pain during my
Physical Medicine residency. I began accumulating articles on bizarre
pain syndromes and obtained quite a collection. What struck me most was
the magnitude of the pain problem. It seemed as though everyone either
had pain themselves or knew someone who was suffering from chronic pain.
I also saw the lack of significant pain relief by modern treatments such
as surgery, physical therapy,
and anti-inflammatory
medications.
It appeared that the longer people had pain, the less likely such
treatments were going to help cure their chronic pain. Pain clinics and
pain programs do help some people, but have a poor cure rate. Pain
programs teach people to live with their pain. The psychological aspect
of the pain is addressed, but in many cases the cause is not determined.
Caring Medical & Rehabilitation
Services, S.C. (CMRS) specializes in treating chronic pain and
sports injuries, utilizing the comprehensive Hackett-Hemwall
Prolotherapy technique. In conjunction
with Prolotherapy, we founded The Hauser Diet™ Natural Medicine Program
to maximize wellness and healing, and for those desiring to achieve
optimal weight and energy.
Located in beautiful Oak Park, Illinois, a nearby suburb of Chicago and
established in 1991 by Ross Hauser, M.D., and Marion Hauser, M.S.,R.D.,
Caring Medical has developed into one of the largest Prolotherapy and
Natural Medicine Clinics in the US. We are comprised of an experienced
team of professionals who are very passionate about our work here at
Caring Medical.
Our
patients come because
of our skill in treating chronic pain and immune system
problems without reliance on pharmaceuticals or invasive techniques.
Most of the patients we see at the first visit have a long
history of chronic pain and medical problems.
Our philosophy is not to suppress symptoms with medications, but rather,
to seek out the root cause of a patient's complaints and seek a
permanent solution. Learn more about us
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Prolotherapy and Knee Pain |
 Prolotherapy
and Knee
Pain
In our opinion, before letting an arthroscope touch you, it
is imperative to have an
evaluation by a physician familiar with
Prolotherapy (a
non-surgical alternative.)
Knee Injury and Cortisone
In our
opinion, the quickest
way for an patient or athlete to lose strength at the
ligament-bone junction
(fibro-osseous
junction) is to inject
cortisone
to that area. Cortisone and
other
steroid injections
ALL have the same detrimental effects on articular
cartilage.
Baker's Cyst and
Prolotherapy
A cyst is a fluid filled sac in any location of the body.
One of the more common areas where cysts occur is the back
of the knee. These cysts are called popliteal cysts or
Baker's cysts. Typically, damage within the knee
causes swelling and the fluid is pumped from the knee to
this fluid filled sac. This creates swelling and
sometimes pain in the back of the knee. This may cause
problems achieving full bending or full straightening of the
knee.
Knee
Braces
It is a familiar locker
room ritual. The taping of ankles and knees to provide support and limit
movement of an existing injury. Despite numerous medical studies confirming the
ineffectiveness of taping, and in some cases, actually contributing to further
injury, most continue to do it. |
ACUTE MENISCAL TEAR
FROM HIGH HEELS
I recently saw a patient who I had seen two weeks before for acute severe knee
pain. At that time the patient was unable to walk because weight-bearing on her
left knee was impossible due to severe pain, which she graded an 8 out of a
maximum ten point scale.
ACUTE MENISCAL
TEAR
Recently I did the first follow up session for a patient I had initially
seen two weeks before for acute severe knee pain.
At that time the patient was unable to walk because weight bearing on her
left knee was impossible due to severe pain, which she graded an 8 out of a
maximum ten point scale.
Meniscal Injury
and Prolotherapy
By knowing the function of the meniscus, it is possible to predict what will
happen when meniscal tissue is shaved or removed. Since it provides some of the
nutrition to the articular cartilage,
its removal will aid in the demise of the cartilage. If the
cartilage is damaged, then the pressures on the bone will be
too great and arthritis will soon follow.
Bucket Handle Meniscus
Tear
The lateral and medial menisci sit between the femur and
tibia bones. They are the shock absorbers in the knee. As
such do you think it is a good idea to have them removed?
MENISCUS BLOG |
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Prolotherapy and Knee
Replacement
This is not too
difficult to figure out just from the figures of the number of people needing
joint replacement surgery as directly correlated to the number of people who
are developing arthritis, which is directly related to the number of people
who have received
cortisone injections,
arthroscopy,
RICE treatment, and
anti-inflammatory
medications over the past 40 years.
Cruciate Ligaments of the Knee: ACL, MCL and PCL
These are
one of the best publicized of knee injuries. There is
actually a very good reason for this. While cruciate
ligament tears are not the most common knee injury, they
very commonly do not heal well.
Estrogen and ACL Injuries
If estrogen directly inhibits
collagen
growth, then the more estrogens in a female's system the
more athletic injuries she should incur at certain times of
the month.
ACL TREATMENT OPTIONS
"The
MRI
says I have a complete tear,
I guess I need surgery"
Maybe not.
ACL Injury and Hormones
Though males and females have the same musculoskeletal
structures, there are some unique differences that actually
make female athletes more prone to injury.
Ligament and Tendon Laxities
Most athletic injuries involve strains and sprains to tendons and
ligaments,
respectively. A tendon attaches a muscle to the bone and
involves movement of the joint.
MCL
This
ligament
on the medial aspect of the knee, the medial collateral ligament (MCL),
is a commonly injured ligament. It is a broad thick band about four to six
inches long. It has deep and superficial layers. This ligament is vulnerable to
blows to the knee from the outside, which often occur in contact sports.
Prolotherapy Regenerates Knee Cartilage
all the surgery in the world
cannot cause the new growth of healthy tendon and ligament
tissue; at best, the pain may be alleviated, but for all the
expense, risk, and trauma, the underlying cause
of pain may never be addressed. Prolotherapy is a safe, simple,
inexpensive, effective, and proven cure for chronic pain.
CARTILAGE
TRANSPLANT SURGERY
Over my years of treating many knees, I have seen hundreds upon hundreds
of people get Prolotherapy instead of
knee replacement surgery
or
arthroscopic
surgery. Do you realize that the amount of people in the United States
who get arthroscopic surgery and/or knee replacement and other knee
surgeries is about 1 million? Yes, one million people per year get
knee surgeries in the United States!
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Prolotherapy, Diet and A Golfer's Knee
JJ, a 46 year old female competitive league golfer, was
first seen at Caring Medical in late 2006. She was 5’6”, 211
pounds with good muscle mass. She complained of her knees
“giving out” along with having bilateral medial weakness,
joint stiffness, pain and recurring edema with most leg
exercises.
Prolotherapy
and Pes Anserinus Tendons
The most common cause of knee pain is not
ligament injury. (We realize
that this is shocking, since we have been explaining in past newsletters that ligaments are normally the cause of
chronic pain.)
The most common cause of
chronic knee pain is weakness in the pes anserinus tendons.
Knee Cap Patella Disorders
&
Prolotherapy
When there is a problem with
this part of the knee it manifests as pain in the front of the knee after
strong exertion (running, walking, or stair climbing.) This may be due to
erosion of the
cartilage on the under side of the patella, poor tracking of
the patella in its groove on the front of the knee, or an inflamed
tendon on
the lower edge of the patella.
Knee Injuries in the Older Athlete
Knee injury and pain is also quite common in the older athlete. Pain can be due
to
osteoarthritis of the knee joint, arthritis behind the
patella (kneecap),
sprain of the
ligaments on the inner and outer part of the knee (medial and
lateral collateral ligaments), and weakness of ligaments inside the knee
(anterior and
posterior cruciate ligaments).
Swimmer's Knee Injuries
A study on the incidence of injuries to
various parts of the musculoskeletal system
of swimmers, and noticed that a high
percentage of breaststroke swimmers
complained of pain in the medial knee.
Prolotherapy
&
the Surgical Repaired Knee
During an initial consultation, I explain to patients that
Prolotherapy
stimulates the body to repair painful areas. and
can help many conditions, including a knee that has been
through surgery.
Never Have Knee
Surgery Based on an MRI
Recently I saw an athlete who had been on a world championship national
volleyball team years ago, and remains active in the sport.
He complained about an unstable left knee since a minor mishap several
months ago while playing basketball, and he also had a history of
arthroscopic surgery on that same knee.
PROLOTHERAPY
AND
ARTIFICIAL KNEES
Yes,
Prolotherapy can help people with artificial knees and hips,
assuming the knees and hips are aligned in the proper position. Most of
the pain after an artificial knee or
hip relates to the structures around the joint.
Healing Knee
Injuries Without Surgery
Prolotherapy, in my opinion, is the best way to avoid surgery! It can promote the repair of torn
cruciate ligaments, torn medial collateral ligaments, injured
meniscus and
chondromalacia.
Surgical Alternatives for the Knee Ligament
The complications of orthopedic surgery on knee
ligaments are significant and
frequent. The ligament grafts are profoundly weakened about eight weeks after
surgery. At this time their strength is about 10 percent of its initial
strength! It is only 50 percent of initial strength after one year. In two to
three years the grafts are at their strongest, and then, less than their initial
strength.(1) Compare this to one study where ligament strength was measured
after a six-week period of doing
Prolotherapy
on knee ligaments.
KNEE ARTHROSCOPY FOR
OSTEOARTHRITIS
OF THE KNEE
Recently I looked
over several articles in newspapers and a nice clinical review article,
all explaining how arthroscopy for knee arthritis is on the rise despite
the lack of evidence that it helps get rid of pain. Most of the knee
patients we see at Caring Medical have had knee arthroscopy and from what
I can tell it accelerates the arthritic process. We feel a better
approach would be to repair the arthritic process with Prolotherapy.
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Prolotherapy
and Ankle Pain |
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 Twisted
Ankle
Acute ankle sprains are typically treated by
immobilization, presumably to help the injured ligaments heal. Nothing could be further from the truth. Immobilization is the quickest way to cause a dramatic decline in ligament function and strength. Anti-inflammatory medications are often given after an acute injury, but should definitely be avoided during this time. Anti-inflammatory medication may actually prevent the body's own healing process from occurring.
Chronic
Ankle Pain in a Female Athlete
Jenny had multiple signs, or symptoms, that confirmed this diagnosis
such as non-healing sports injury with no overt trauma causing the original
pain; multiple tender points in other parts of her body especially about the
knees and hips; dry skin; brittle nails and hair; menstrual problems; improper
diet for her metabolism; and finally, her taking synthetic estradiol.
Ankle Sprains
Ankle
sprains are a common and often aggravating injury.
Although most sprains are
generally minor and heal quickly, a recent study conducted at the orthopedic
department of the University of Basel Switzerland showed that in 20% to 40%
of patients, sprains lead to chronic ankle instability, and that 70% to 80%
of this patient subset eventually develops
osteoarthritis in the affected
ankle.
Ankle Fusion
It
is common for Prolotherapists to see people with continued pain
complaints after surgery. This is a very common occurrence in our office
in Oak Park, Illinois. Often overlooked causes of this post-surgery pain
are that the surgery itself may cause
ligament injury or the surgery may
not repair the ligament injury. When performing surgery, the ligaments
are stretched and pulled in order to gain access to the joint.
Golf,
Prolotherapy and Weak Ankles
Golfing could be
defined, in a mechanical sense, as a coordinated movement between the upper
body (torso, arms, and shoulders) and the lower body (feet, legs, and lower
back). The most basic objective in this sport is control. Control the body
segments, and you can control the physical impact and the end trajectory of
the spherical object with dimples (the ball).
Chronic Lateral Ankle
Instability
Most Ligament injuries do not totally heal. Even if the pain resolves, the
ligament
will not be as strong as it was prior to the injury. Since ligaments stabilize
the joints, ligament injury then produces a loose joint. If the ligament never
heals, chronic joint looseness or
instability results.
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Prolotherapy and
Shoulder Pain |
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Frozen
Shoulder
A frozen shoulder is also treatable with
Prolotherapy, but healing occurs over a longer period of time. The term adhesive capsulitis refers to scar tissue that forms inside the joint due to lack of movement. If a joint is not moved through its full range of motion every day, scar tissue will form inside the joint.
Prolotherapy and
Shoulder
Injuries
Shoulder injuries and pain are
quite common in golfers, swimmers, and tennis players.
Shoulder pain may be
due to acute
bursitis, also known as an inflammation of the gel-like cushion
in the shoulder. This results in extreme pain in the upper arm and shoulder
region. Pain may even extend down the arm and can be quite severe. These
patients find it almost impossible to lie on the shoulder.
Shoulder
Arthritis
Arthritis does not affect
the shoulder joint as often as it does large weight-bearing joints, such as
the hip and knee. With the shoulder, there is usually a history of injury or
trauma to the shoulder or previous surgery.
Shoulder Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis of the shoulder is characterized by the destruction of the
protective
cartilage in the joint with painful and restricted motion. There is usually a history of trauma to the
shoulder or previous surgery. While plain x-rays can confirm the presence of
osteoarthritis in the shoulder, the most common unseen culprit to the
development of arthritis is chronic ligamentous laxity.
Is There a
Place for Arthroscopy?
Arthroscopy is useful to
repair complete
ligament and
tendon tears and also to shave bone like under
the acromion when a person has an impingement syndrome in the shoulder when it
doesn’t heal completely with
Prolotherapy. The number of arthroscopies ever
recommended at
Caring
Medical can probably be counted on one's hands. The
number of arthroscopies that have been prevented is in the hundreds.
Rotator
Cuff Tendonitis / Impingement Syndrome
Rotator cuff tendonitis occurs
when the small muscles of the Rotator
Cuff, the
supraspinatus, infraspinatus,
teres minor, and subscapularis, become strained causing weakness of these
structures and subsequent tendonitis.
Rotator
Cuff and Shoulder Pain
The
most common cause of chronic shoulder pain is not shoulder instability but supraspinatus tendon weakness, also known as rotator cuff tendonitis. If full
range of movement in the shoulder is compromised, the supraspinatus tendon
works harder to provide the motion support needed.
SUPRASPINATOUS TENDINOSIS
I commonly see an
MRI
report that a patient brings in that is
showing tendinosis. For someone who has tendinosis of a
rotator cuff tendon,
such as the supraspinatous tendon, or other tendons such as the Achilles tendon, the questions to ask are these...
Shoulder
Dislocation
Shoulder dislocation occurs when a patient falls
on an outstretched hand or when an anterior force to the
shoulder occurs when the shoulder is abducted and externally
rotated.
Shoulder Separations
The most common means of injury to the
AC joint is a direct blow downward on the top, or point, of the shoulder.
SLAP Lesions and Prolotherapy
It is common for patients to walk into Caring Medical and say that their orthopedist told them that surgery was their only option.
Patients are commonly told that surgery in the only option for such conditions as Meniscal Injury, advanced
Osteoarthritis, labral tears of the hip and shoulder, and especially if they have a SLAP
lesion.
SNAPPING
SCAPULA SYNDROME
Snapping scapula syndrome, also known as scapulocostal syndrome or
scapulothoracic syndrome, is characterized by a grating, grinding,
popping or snapping sensation of the scapula onto the back side of the
ribs or thoracic area of the spine.
SHOULDER
PAIN BLOG |
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Prolotherapy,
Elbow Pain,
Wrist Pain |
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Elbow
Pain and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
 Eighty percent of chronic
elbow pain is due to a sprain of the
annular ligament, a ligament rarely examined by a family physician or an orthopedic surgeon. Nearly all of our patients with chronic elbow pain tell us their doctors told them they have
tennis elbow
(lateral epicondylitis) and not a
sprain of the annular
ligament.
Elbow Ligament Injury
One of the most common sports injuries that is seen at
Caring
Medical in Oak Park, Illinois is elbow
ligament laxity.
By laxity, I mean, the ligament is no longer able to
stabilize the elbow.
Ulnar Collateral Ligament
The ulnar collateral ligament
supports the inside of the elbow
and is a reason for most
chronic medial elbow pains.
the UCL is responsible for holding the ulnar bone to the distal end of the humerus. This enables the arm to flex, pivoting at the elbow.
Tennis
Elbow, Golfer's Elbow Prolotherapy
The anatomical
structures involved in tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and golfer's elbow
(medial epicondylitis) are structures located very close to the skin. Thus,
being so close to the skin, traditional treatments such as physical therapy,
heat, ultrasound, and massage should very quickly resolve the problems by
greatly increasing the metabolic rate in the muscle attachments at these
sites. However, because these conditions do not recover quickly, this tells us
that the muscles are not the problem, but rather, the underlying
ligaments.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
It can be estimated that 5 million people have Carpal Tunnel
Syndrome and that some 37 million people suffer from chronic wrist pain.
The
Use of Elbow Braces
To think that putting
a band around the elbow could do anything to help a physical condition is
ludicrous. Wearing a brace actually has the potential to harm the injured
area due to the compression exerted by the brace and by changing the
biomechanics of motion from the compressive force.
Wrist Injury and Prolotherapy
The wrist is one of the most complicated areas of the
musculoskeletal system.
Elbow Pain and Prolotherapy
Another common cause of chronic elbow pain is an
ulnar collateral ligament
sprain. This
ligament supports the inside of the elbow. It is responsible for holding
the ulnar bone to the distal end of the
humerus. In other words
it enables the arm to flex, pivoting at the elbow.
Tennis
Elbow, Golfer's Elbow "Tommy John Surgery"
Some doctors will nearly always give a surgical option for
the condition of elbow instability.
Typically, the "Tommy John" surgery is offered. This involves taking a tendon from the wrist (palmaris longus
tendon) and grafting this on the lateral or medial elbow,
depending on which side is unstable.
Annular Ligament, The
Any kind of throwing motion, whether in javelin,
baseball (especially the curve ball), bowling, or even lesser-known sports like
hurling, puts tremendous force on this ligament.
Bilateral elbow tendinosis
Cynthia is a 45 year old formerly active woman who came to Caring
Medical on April 18, 2006 with complaints of bilateral forearm and
elbow pain. The pain in
the left elbow was present since July 2004 and in the right
elbow since February 2003.
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Platelet Rich Plasma
Prolotherapy |
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Platelet Rich Plasma
Case History
Platelet Rich Plasma Turns the Tide
Prolotherapy - Platelet Rich Plasma
Solution
PRP and bilateral elbow tendinosis
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Pain
Killers |
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 Why it is Crucial for the Chronic Pain Patient to Stop Using
Narcotics
One of the most
heart-wrenching experiences any human being can experience
is watching a loved one die. I am going to tell you this
story so that you know we fully understand the power of
narcotic medications.
Can
I Take Anti-Inflammatories With Prolotherapy?
Anti-inflammatory medicine, like Motrin,
Advil, aspirin, Clinoril, Volteran, Prednisone, and
cortisone, all inhibit
the healing process of soft tissues. The long term
detrimental effects far outweigh the temporary positive
effect of decreased pain.
PROLOTHERAPY
- VIOXX AND BEXTRA
Most folks who were taking Vioxx and Bextra for
chronic pain and
arthritis have been switched to other anti-inflammatories including
Celebrex. Let's think about it folks...Vioxx and Bextra were taken off
of the market because they were killing people is switching to another
anti-inflammatory which works in basically the same manner a good idea?
What
About Prescription Narcotics?
Our mentor, Dr. Hemwall
prescribed analgesics like Tylenol with codeine to ease stiffness and pain after Prolotherapy treatment. We occasionally use codeine, but we more commonly use
Tylenol or Ultram (which do not decrease
inflammation), or natural analgesics
like bromelain or natural muscle relaxers such as magnesium.
Getting
Off Of Narcotics
Traditional pain
management in this country typically involves suppressing the symptoms of pain
with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
medications (NSAIDS) and narcotics.
Myths About Pain and Swelling
10 Myths about pain and swelling
Depo-Medrol - Prolotherapy
PROLOTHERAPY-NEURONTIN, ELAVIL FOR SLEEP
When a person
is wracked with
chronic pain, especially when
insomnia and
burning pain is involved, physicians will try and alleviate the
pain by prescribing medications such as Elavil and Neurontin.
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Prolotherapy and Rib Pain |
Slipping
Rib Syndrome
In many cases a rib slips out of place because the
ligaments that hold the
ribs to the sternum, the sternocostal ligaments, have been weakend. Without muscles to
hold the ribs in place, weakened ligaments allow slipping of the rib. This in
turn causes
further stretching of the ligament, producing severe
pain.
Prolotherapy for Rib Pain
Most people don't realize that a person has
cartilage
in their sternal (breast bone). This cartilage is where the ribs connect to
the sternum. For people with chronic musculoskeletal chest pain that is
reproducible by pressing on the painful spot, most of the time this spot is
where the ribs connect to the sternum.
Thoracic Outlet Syndome
The symptoms of TOS include: pain in the neck, shoulder, and arm; coldness in the hand; and numbness in the arm and hand. However, in severe cases of compression of the subclavian vessels, Raynaud’s phenomenon,
claudication, thrombosis, and edema can occur in the involved extremity.
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Why Prolotherapy May Not Be Working For You
We get many emails asking why Prolotherapy may not be working, here
are 10 reasons.
Why Prolotherapy Results May Not Be Seen Immediately
Prolotherapy
in its ability to cure
chronic pain
is completely dependent on the Prolotherapist treating completely the injured structures. This means that all the injured structures are treated with a strong enough solution to heal the area in a reasonable period of time.
What
Do You Mean the Prolotherapy Worked?
A patient came in for his sixth
Prolotherapy visit.
Soreness
After Prolotherapy
A patient is generally sore for a
couple of days after
Prolotherapy. This is because the
Prolotherapy injections have to go
through some muscles to get to the
ligaments and
tendons.
How
To Optimize Response To Prolotherapy
In my opinion there are many ways to effectively optimize the success of
Prolotherapy
in patients suffering from
chronic pain. The following is a
guideline:
A PROLOTHERAPY NIGHTMARE
A patient had significant lower back injury
because she fell off of a horse. She tried numerous treatments without help. She
finally heard about Prolotherapy she thought about coming to visit
us in Oak Park, Illinois but decided to go to someone closer.
How Much Inflammation
Should Prolotherapy Create?
There are actually two answers to this. The first one is
obvious. You need enough inflammation to heal. Someone can heal after Prolotherapy with only a minimal
inflammatory discomfort and someone else
may have the whole area very tender, stiff and inflamed.
What's The Proof That The Prolotherapy Is Working?
This is a common question asked by people just about to receive Prolotherapy for
the first time. Typically there are several variables that are looked at to make
sure the
Prolotherapy is achieving the
results the person desires.
When Prolotherapy
Doesn't Work?
The key to Prolotherapy is
twofold: you must have a Prolotherapy-Responsive Ailment (PRA), in
other words, a pain that Prolotherapy is effective at treating and you
must get a sufficient
inflammatory response to the area to stimulate repair through the
process of Prolotherapy.
Not All
Prolotherapists Are Created Equal
Not all Prolotherapists are created
equal and the proof is some of the things our patients have told us and what we have heard from other physicians:
Obesity and
Prolotherapy
When a person is overweight it puts extra strain on the
joints, obviously. What this means is that the
ligaments in an overweight
person have to be stronger than in a normal weight person to support the
person.
Natural
Medicine Techniques For Prolotherapy
Two case histories
below explain many factors that contribute to the vicious cycle of
chronic pain, non-healing injuries, and
connective
tissue deficiency.
P2G
The Prolotherapy solution P2G includes phenol, glycerin, and glucose.
I Can't Have
Injections!
It is really interesting how people respond to the injections of
Prolotherapy. You’ll probably be surprised to know that over 95% of
the patients at our office use nothing to get through the procedure.
Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Massage therapy
Let me start by saying that
Prolotherapy is often used in
conjunction with
physical therapy,
chiropractic care (excluding
high velocity manipulation) and massage therapy. When physical therapy, chiropractic care and massage therapy is no longer
resolving the problem, it is then that Prolotherapy is a great alternative
treatment.
Can
Stress Stop Prolotherapy From Working?
Take a picture of someone without pain, then
give them chronic pain and take a picture of them 4 years later, still with the
pain. Guess what you see? They looked like they aged at least 10 years in those
four years!
How can Prolotherapy be made ‘painless’?
For the last 15 years I have been using
various intravenous medications to help people get Prolotherapy over
large areas relatively pain free. |
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MAYO CLINIC
PROMOTES PROLOTHERAPY
MAYO CLINIC AND
PROLOTHERAPY
Neural Therapy
PROLOTHERAPY FOR POST-FRACTURE REHAB
Abdominal
Pain and Sports Hernia
SYNVISC and Prolotherapy
Not All Chiropractors Are Created Equal
Prolotherapy and Repetitive Injury
Prolotherapy and Fibromyalgia
Prolotherapy and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Chronic Pain
Trigeminal
neuralgia symptoms
Dysautonomic Polyneuropathy
What is the
Effect of Aging on Healing?
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Pseudogout
Hand and Finger Injuries
Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Trigger Points
Overmanipulation Syndrome
Estradiol Inhibits Healing |
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Watch Ross Hauser,
M.D. |
 Are
You A Candidate?
Dr. Ross Hauser, explains if someone is a candidate for Prolotherapy
Watch
Video |
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Back Pain Articles |
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Arachnoiditis
Arachnoiditis is
typically diagnosed in someone who has undergone back surgery and still suffers
severe back pain that radiates down the legs and often to the feet. The pain has
a persistent burning, stinging, or aching quality. The diagnosis is occasionally
made when similar symptoms are felt in the neck, arms, or the mid back with
radiation into the chest. This pain is typically unresponsive to
pain medications and muscle relaxants.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
It is an accepted fact in the
medical literature that an individual who presents with four out of the
following five symptoms, without having any trauma to the lower back, has an
80 percent chance of having the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis
 Low Back
Pain and Prolotherapy
The first step in
determining
ligament laxity or instability in the lower back is by physical
examination. The examination involves maneuvering the patient into various
stretched positions. If weak ligaments exist, the stressor maneuver will cause
pain. Do this simple test at home:
Scoliosis and
Prolotherapy
Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of the spine of 11
degrees or more. An estimated 500,000 adults in the United States have
scoliosis. Scoliosis is usually discovered during adolescence and is called
idiopathic scoliosis, a fancy term meaning the doctor has no idea what caused
the scolios.
Degenerative Disc Disease
When talking back pain, it is
important to talk about the intervertebral disc. It is not commonly known that
the intervertebral disc undergoes the most dramatic age-related changes of all
connective tissue. By the third decade of life, much of the distinction
between the annulus fibrosis (outside of the disc) and the nucleus pulposus
(jelly middle) is lost, as the latter is progressively replaced with
fibrocartilaginous tissue.
Degenerative Disc Disease
&
the Athlete
Degenerative disc disease (DDD). This is a common form of
osteoarthritis in the
back. A degenerated disc is one that has lost some water and as a result loses
height and flattens. When the disc is of normal height, the
ligaments
that hold the spine
together remain at normal length.
Degenerative Disc Disease
&
Sports
So you have been diagnosed with degenerated discs. Join the
club. Yes, even yours truly had an
MRI.
What a horrific experience.
I
had a pinched nerve in my neck and the flu both at the same
time. The MRI technician placed me in the exact position that
caused the radiating pain down my arm.
Spinal Stenosis and Prolotherapy
People generally question us when
we tell them that
Prolotherapy can help relieve the pain of spinal stenosis,
yet, the answer to their questions can be found in the following five facts.
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Spinal
Cord Stimulators
“Can I get
Prolotherapy
if I have a spinal cord stimulator?” This is a question I
get asked once or twice a year.
Mal-rotation C1 vertebrae Prolotherapy
Numerous patients over the
years have come in with what I term “C1 Syndrome.” I am
sure it is called something else in chiropractic and
osteopathic literature, but regardless of the name, it is a
condition caused by mal-rotation of the C1 vertebrae.
MRIs,
Herniated Discs, Prolotherapy
It is prudent for a patient to consider why he or she is
getting an MRI. If a patient wants to get surgery then go ahead and get an
MRI. There is almost no other reason to get one. MRI’s cannot tell a person
what is causing their pain, it only confirms what is known
by the history and physical examination.
Radiofrequency
denervation
Radiofrequency denervation of nerves for
low back pain is becoming
more and more of an accepted treatment. In my experience very few people
receive long term relief with this therapy. In addition, this therapy makes
absolutely no sense to me. Let's see if it makes sense to you.
Acute Lumbar Disc Herniation
Here at CMRS
we often find ourselves going against conventional wisdom in
our therapeutic recommendations. Our explanation for this is
that we really care for patients and dig diligently for the
right answers, and we are not bound by establishment
blinders and the need for conformity to an established but
arbitrary and often ineffective standard of orthodox care.
BACK PAIN-WHAT'S THE DIAGNOSIS?
People are confused because doctors, most commonly orthopedic surgeons, give them diagnoses that they do not understand. In one study, 51 surgeons were asked to give the four most common diagnoses used for patients with
low back pain
and a total of 50 different terms were used.
Facet Syndrome
Chronic
low back pain
is the most common complaint seen at pain clinics. Typically
people with chronic low back pain show degenerative changes
in their vertebrae on x-rays. When the pain is primarily
located at a specific attachment of two vertebrae, which is
the facet joint, the person is said to have facet syndrome.
Loose Ligaments
and Back Pain
When back pain is due to loose
ligaments, a very characteristic behavior of pain is
observed. A patient with
loose ligaments of the
lumbar spine or
pelvis will experience recurring dysfunctions at the intervertebral
joint (degenerative
disc and possible nerve compression), at the facet joints
(locking in flexion or extension), and at the
sacroiliac joints. In
other words, the low back pain can be due to an unstable disc
problem, facet joint locking, or sacroiliac dysfunction.
Women, Back Pain and
Hormones
During pregnancy, a woman's body secretes a hormone called relaxin which causes
ligaments to loosen in preperation for birth.
Ligament laxity is normal during
pregnancy.
ARTIFICIAL SPINAL DISK
The
11-02-2004 edition of The Wall Street Journal ran an article
on Johnson and Johnson’s newly approved artificial spinal
disk. Once an adequate number of surgeons is trained (it is
a very technically difficult operation), the procedure will
be offered as the new alternative to fusion operations in
the treatment of degenerative disc disease.
Sacroiliac Pain
I never
get tired of hearing from patients who have experienced
alleviation of their
chronic pain
by receiving
Prolotherapy.
On a follow up with a particular patient, the patient told our staff he felt
so much better that he wouldn't need to be coming back into the office
anytime soon.
Tarlov Cysts
The key to deciding about treatment of these cysts is to be
certain the cyst is the cause of the symptoms. Before
deciding on intervention the symptoms should be serious
enough that their treatment is indicated.
The problem with getting properly diagnosed:
SI strain
I just saw a
35 year old man who had low back pain for the past 6 years. Physical therapy
had failed to help him at all. When he saw an orthopedist he specifically
showed the doctor the location of his pain (over the right sacroiliac
joint), and described the clicking and popping sensation that he frequently
experienced in the same area. The doctor told him "there is nothing
there"!!!
SPINAL
DISC PROBLEMS
Why I believe disc
degeneration has very little
to do with chronic low back pain
The
Role of Back Surgery
Except in a life-threatening situation or impending neurologic injury, back surgery should always be considered a last resort and done only after all conservative treatments have been exhausted.
Prolotherapy
After
Back Surgery
Many people only become aware of
Prolotherapy
after they have undergone a
surgical procedure for back pain. Although the pain may not be as severe as it
was before the surgery, most people continue to experience significant back pain
after surgery. Why? Because the
back surgery
involved removing supporting
structures, such as a lamina,
facet, or disc, thus weakening surrounding
segments.
Prolotherapy
&
Spinal Fusion
When
Patient R was 50 years old, he
was a pretty active guy. One summer, he was doing his regular
Saturday yard work when he lifted a bale of pine straw from the bed of his new
pick-up truck. As he straightened up, he felt a pop in his lower back
and immediate pain.
Failed Back Surgery Prolotherapy
Patients often have chronic
low back pain persisting after surgery and are put into the category of people
with "failed
back surgery syndrome." It is easy to find reasons why
a
back surgery patient would still have pain after the surgery. During
surgery, for example, a discectomy (removal of the disc), the surgeon must
spread some muscles and cut some of the
ligaments in order to perform the
surgery. The surgery itself can cause ligamentous laxity and instability of
the spine.
SPINAL FUSION & FOOT DROP
A patient came to
Caring Medical with a long history of back pain complaints.
He had a discectomy and subsequent
spinal fusion.
He has
had to wear an AFO (ankle foot orthosis) because of foot drop in the year
following spinal fusion.
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Prolotherapy
and Hip Pain |
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Snapping
Hip Syndrome
This is the injury that has
plagued Joan Benoit Samuelson, the famous track star. Snapping Hip Syndrome is
a clinical entity that causes pain and snapping in the hip joint. There are
several known causes, the most common being the
iliotibial band snapping over
the
greater trochanter (at the top of your thigh bone). It can also be caused
by snapping of the iliopsoas tendon over the iliopectineal line (in general
the
pubic area of the hip bone), the iliofemoral
ligaments over the
femoral head (where the thigh bone connects to the hip bone), as well as other places
on the hip bone.
Iliotibial Band Injury
Another common athletic injury to the
tendons of the knee is a strained
iliotibial band. This causes pain on the outside of the knee just below the
joint line. It is caused by strong exertion of the muscle during the sport or
during training.
Ischial Tuberosity / Hip and Buttocks Pain
When you
have pain on the bottom of the buttock, especially when sitting and running,
this could be indicative of ischial tuberosity pain. Sometimes a doctor will
examine this area, find it to be tender to palpation, and give you a diagnosis
of ischial
bursitis.
 Hip Replacement
and Prolotherapy
The hip joint joins the leg to the pelvis. Unfortunately, for most people, both legs are not exactly the same. They may look the same, but from a bio-mechanical standpoint, they are not the same. One leg may be rotated either in or out, or one leg may be shorter than the other. The latter is especially common if one leg was broken during childhood. Because the hip joint connects the leg to the pelvis, the hip joint will sustain the brunt of any bio-mechanical abnormality that may occur. If one leg is shorter than the other, the hip joints will be stressed because the leg length discrepancy causes an abnormal gait (manner of walking).
Pain After
Dislocation
The hip joint is a a very stable joint, made that way in part by massive
ligaments. Therefore the amount of forces required to dislocate a hip is great
and usually found in car accidents, falls from high places, and sports injuries.
Hip
Pain and Prolotherapy
The
hip joint joins the leg to the pelvis. Unfortunately, for most people, both legs
are not exactly the same. They may look the same, but from a bio-mechanical
standpoint, they are not the same. One leg may be rotated either in or out, or
one leg may be shorter than the other. The latter is especially common if one
leg was broken during childhood. Because the hip joint connects the leg to the
pelvis, the hip joint will sustain the brunt of any
bio-mechanical abnormality that may occur. If one leg is shorter
than the other, the hip joints will be stressed because the leg length
discrepancy causes an abnormal gait (manner of walking).
Hip, Groin Pain and
Prolotherapy
Chronic groin pain is easily treated with
Prolotherapy because there are multiple
ligament laxities that cause groin pain. This diagnosis is accomplished by the physician having a listening ear and a strong thumb (TO PALPITATE THE PAINFUL AREA.). An interesting case will illustrate this point.
Pubic Symphysis Pain
Pain of
the public symphysis area is often overlooked and blamed on
abdominal muscles
and
adductor muscles which attach in this area with the diagnosis of abdominal
muscle pull or adductor tendonitis.
Hip Labral Tear
Though the operation is typically successful, there are some
patients who want an alternative to hip arthroscopic surgery
for labral tears. I believe the best alternative treatment
to hip arthroscopy is Prolotherapy.
While there are no formal studies on hip labral tears
treated with Prolotherapy, I have been treating labral tears
with Prolotherapy for fifteen years. I always give the
client the option of arthroscopy, some choose it but most do
not. I think there is something innate in people that they
do not want to undergo general anesthesia if they don’t have
to.
HIP PAIN BLOG |
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Prolotherapy and
Foot Pain |
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 Morton's
Neuroma & Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
It is quite common for people with the diagnosis of a neuroma, or nerve
entrapment, to undergo multiple surgeries attempting to alleviate the
entrapment. One individual came to us at
Caring
Medical with a history of 15
surgeries! This occurs primarily because most physicians incorrectly believe
numbness is equated with a pinched nerve.
Ligaments and tendon weakness in the
limb also cause chronic numbness in an extremity.
The Achilles Tendon and Heel Spurs
The Achilles tendon is the largest
tendon of the human body and is one of the
most commonly injured tendons in sports. It is the tendon responsible for
plantar flexing of the foot, which is how athletes are able to spring off of
each step.
Poor Foot Biomechanics
Poor foot biomechanics may be responsible for a myriad of chronic complaints,
including pain in the feet, knees, lower back, and neck.
Chronic
Foot Problems Achilles Tendon
As we age, flat feet become more
common. This means that the foot has too much pronation (turning outward). As
the foot pronates excessively, a plantar fasciitis or even a heel spur can
occur. To prevent these injuries from occurring, proper footwear is essential
to support the arch through correct orthotics. Once
plantar fasciitis occurs,
Prolotherapy of the plantar fascia (strong attachments at the bottom of the
foot) can be quite helpful in eliminating this pain.
Arches of the Foot
Although skeletal structure is important to arch
support, without the
ligaments, the arches would
collapse. The
plantar ligaments (ligaments on
the bottom of the foot), which are stronger and
larger than dorsal ligaments (ligaments on top
of the foot), tie the inferior edges of the
bones together. The most important ligament in
the maintenance of the medial longitudinal arch
is the plantar calcaneonavicular, or spring
ligament.
FLAT FEET
Recently I saw a 58 year old woman for follow up
consultation in regards to her natural hormone replacement
therapy. She had started coming in about 6 months ago. She
told me that she had "flat feet" and that she had quite a
bit of pain, primarily across the tops of both feet and at
the inner side of the arch.
Flat Foot Pain and Posterior Tibial Tendon Injuries
There are many causes
of flat feet. Two of the more common are genetic - you were born
with it. Acquired flat footedness, on the other hand, usually
means your posterior tibial tendon is worn out and not
supporting your arch. Often, but not always, a flat foot can be
painful and achy. Usually, but not always, posterior tibial
tendon injuries, can be painful. Very painful!
The Painful Big Toe
It may seem odd that a treatment that stabilizes joints would help loosen up a
rigid joint. Hallux rigidus is a condition characterized by bone spurs in
the first metatarsophalangeal joint. In other words the big toe does not flex or
extend very well. It is rigid. The usual traditional treatment offered to the
patient is often a joint replacement. Another treatment option is Prolotherapy.
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Plantar FasciitiS/HEEL SPURS
BLOG |
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Prolotherapy and
Head and Neck Pain |
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Headaches Have a Neck Component
Ask
a person who has chronic
headaches-any kind of
headache-from
migraines,
tension, muscular, to cluster headaches-they will inevitably say that either
before, during, or after the headache they experienced
neck pain. What most
people do not realize is that the
ligaments in the neck refer pain to the head.
This is the reason why most headaches have a neck component.
 CERVICAL 'RADICULOPATHY'
About once every two weeks a patient comes in worried because they
believe they have a pinched nerve in the neck. Typically they have had
an MRI which some some degenerative arthritis and degenerated discs in
the neck and they have tingling in the arm and hand. So is this cervical radiculopathy or is this just a referral
ligament pain pattern from the upper thoracic area. How do you tell?
Torticollis
"Please help me. I don’t
know what happened but now I’m stuck in a position where my head always faces
to the right. It interrupts my
sleep and has made my life miserable. The doctors
have done lots of tests and say my problem is in my head. Can you help?" Sincerely, Mrs. Turned to the Right
Migraines and Prolotherapy
Current traditional drugs for migraine
headaches, such as
Ergotamine,
Fiorinal,
Codeine, and the other medications, provide only temporary relief.
Prolotherapy,
BOTOX®, and Headaches
Modern medicine has resorted to injecting a known toxin into the muscles of the
face/neck/head to help patients get rid of
headaches. Their headaches may diminish but the
paralysis caused by the botulism toxin weakens the muscles.
Three Types of Headaches
The symptoms of
headaches are so
prevalent that many physicians dismiss headache patients and label them
as emotional or stressed out, which leaves them in even more despair.
A good example of this is Marion, who started getting migraine headaches
shortly after marrying me! On her one and only visit to the HMO physician, she
received a quickly scribbled out prescription for Propranolol, though he
wanted to give her an antidepressant.
TMJ Syndrome and Prolotherapy
A commonly forgotten
area in regards to
headache and
neck pain is the temporomandibular joint. The
temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the physical connection where the jaw meets the
skull.
Barre-Lieou
Syndrome
Early
in his
Prolotherapy
practice, back in the 1950s, Dr.
Gustav Hemwall noted some
interesting phenomena occurring after
Prolotherapy injections. His patients'
neck pain and
headaches were relieved with Prolotherapy and to his surprise
their dizziness, headaches, nausea, blurred vision, and
tinnitus (ringing in
the ears) were also alleviated.
PROLOTHERAPY AN ALTERNATIVE TO NECK SURGERY
I recently saw a patient who had suffered for at least ten years
with
neck pain
and was told it was time to consider surgery. The
doctor (surgeon) wanted to do a multi-level fusion, but the patient
wanted to look at alternatives including
Prolotherapy.
C5
Articles relating to C5
 Natural Medicine and
Prolotherapy Tinnitus, Neck Stiffness
OS, a 52 year old
male, first came to Caring Medical in April of 2007. He was
suffering with tinnitus
for the last four years. His “buzzing” in the ears was
accompanied by neck stiffness. This all began after a period
of professional and personal stress, and he remembers
sleeping in an awkward position around the same time. OS
intermittently had
chiropractic adjustments which would lessen the
severity of his symptoms for a time, but they would never
completely go away. Caffeine would worsen his condition.
Prolotherapy, Neural Therapy
and Diet Typing
PP, a 35-year old male opera singer, came from out of the country to
Caring Medical seeking
help for bilateral
jaw pain
which extended from the styloid processes of the skull near the ears
down his jaw and into the neck.
NECK PAIN BLOG DISCUSSIONS |
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Ligament
and Tendon Injury |
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Benign Congenital Hypermobility
An often overlooked but
extremely important reason for chronic body pain is benign congenital
hypermobility (BCH) Generalized joint hypermobility (loose joints in the entire
body) due to ligamentous laxity occurs in about five percent of the population.
Ligament Injury and Referred Pain Patterns
The chief
principle of
Prolotherapy
is that it treats the root cause of
chronic pain
and sports injuries—ligament
and tendon weakness. The chief symptom of ligament and/or tendon injury
is pain.
Ligament Injury
We think
many athletes and people suffering from
chronic pain do not heal
their initial injuries because of improper treatment. This improper
treatment generally takes the form of one or all of the following
recommendations: rest, ice,
immobilization, | | |
