Prolotherapy is a minimally invasive technique for relieving chronic musculoskeletal pain, by stimulating regeneration of ligament and tendon tissue, including capsular ligaments.

A combination of lidocaine (numbing local anesthetic) plus concentrated sterile sugar solution (dextrose) is injected into the ligament or tendon fibers where they attatch to the bones next to the painful joint.

The lidocaine makes the pain go away temporarily, which tells the doctor that the injections are in the right place.

The concentrated glucose irritates the cells enough to trigger a repair of the damaged ligament or tendon.  Over several weeks, your body will replace the worn-out ligament with new collagen fibers, and the painful joint becomes pain free.

The inital treament serves as a therapeutic trial, allowing patients themselves to determine if further treatments are desirable.  The more chronic the pain/problem, the more likely it will require multiple treatments to succeed.

Perineural Injection Therapy (PIT) and Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Hydrodissection for Chronic pain not associated with arthritis

Pain that originates in the malfunction of a peripheral nerve can often be dramatically relieved with a simple, safe and effective treatment in the office at the time of evaluation.

Symptoms such as muscle cramping, pins-and-needles sensation, numbness or reduced sensitivity to touch may indicate a malfunctioning of the nerve that serves the area of the problem.  Sometimes the area will be extremely sensitive to being touched, with pain from contact with garments or with movements.

Peripheral nerve pain usually is not felt in the joints, but instead in the areas between joints.  It may occur after injury (for example, a whiplash injury of neck and shoulders and ribcage) or from disease (diabetes) or from inactivity and poor muscle tone.  Even cases where peripheral nerve malfunction has been present for many years will often respond promptly to proper treatment.

If the examination confirms or suggests neuropathic pain of these types, a simple office treatment can produce immediate relief in many cases, with lasting results.  No side effects or drug interactions are associated.  Patients often report restored sensation from previously numb areas, and immediate relief from very distressing atypical syndromes.

There are many treatment options that Dr. Phillippi offers for neuropathic pain that are safe, effective, and often covered by insurance.