Prolotherapy for Spinal Stenosis
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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.
1. Many people with spinal stenosis continue to have pain after the operation, even though the x-ray studies show the nerves have plenty of room. This must mean that something besides nerve impingement from bony overgrowth is the cause of the pain in these individuals.
2. Spinal fusion operation does help some individuals with spinal stenosis. Well how does that help your argument that Prolotherapy is a viable treatment option for this disease." Good question. Yes, the main operation for spinal stenosis is spinal fusion. Well perhaps the pain relief from spinal fusion operation isnt because the nerves have more room but the stability in the spine that occurs with the fusion operation. If the later is the case than surely Prolotherapy could do just about the same thing.
3. No pain at rest. If the spinal canal is so narrowed that the surgeon has to go in there and give the nerves more room, why doesnt the person have back pain (or neck pain) and leg pain (or arm pain) when just sitting or lying down. Surely the space in the canal is not bigger while in the lying down position, so why does the pain go away? Dont you see, people with so-called spinal stenosis have pain with activity which is somewhat diagnostic for ligamentous/vertebral instability. The conditions that Prolotherapy is very good at correcting.
4. Pain with activity. So called spinal stenosis patients have pain with activity. Typically ligament laxity and vertebral subluxations/instability give pain with activity. For that matter pelvic distortions and sacroiliac problems (laxity) give back and leg pain with activity. So the common conditions that respond to Prolotherapy could more justly account for the symptoms in most spinal stenosis patients.
5. The response to Prolotherapy. Thousands of patients with spinal stenosis have relieved their pain with Prolotherapy. It must be that the vertebral Ligament laxity is what is causing the pain and the bony overgrowth found on x-ray is in response to this. The treatment, thus, should be directed at the cause of the bony overgrowth, not at the arthritic changes themselves. Prolotherapy by strengthening the ligaments and preventing the vertebral instability helps relieve the chronic pain that so many have with spinal stenosis.
PROLO YOUR SPINAL STENOSIS PAIN AWAY!
When a person is over the age of 50 and they have degenerative arthritis in the neck or back as seen on MRI the diagnosis of spinal stenosis is commonly given. Since orthopedists and Neurosurgeons know the condition is caused by bone spur formation the only reasonable treatment must be surgery. One must question this logic when one considers the following:
The recommended surgical procedure for spinal stenosis is spinal fusion
The results of spinal fusion are often unsatisfactory
Very rarely after spinal fusion surgery does a person have no pain
Several years after spinal fusion surgery it is relatively common for pain intensity to increase
Prolotherapy for people with the diagnosis of spinal stenosis is very effective
How can strengthening the ligaments in the neck and the lower back with Prolotherapy help spinal stenosis if the condition is caused by bone spurs? In the mid 1990s C. Everett Koop, M.D., former surgeon general referred a friend of his with cervical spinal stenosis to us for Prolotherapy. The friend did some missionary work and in his golden years was suppose to be enjoying life. The problem was the only thing he was enjoying was severe neck pain with radiation down the left arm. He had seen a surgeon who recommended multi-level spinal fusion. He called up his buddy Dr. Koop who recommended Prolotherapy at Caring Medical.
The case sticks out because the person would travel from Ann Arbor, Michigan about four-five hours from Oak Park Illinois. As we tell all our new patients, we felt he would need between three to six visits to resolve his complaints. He came on his fourth visit and when asked how he was doing he exclaimed, I feel great! No more neck pain, no arm pain." Of course when asked, Why are you here then?" The response was, Didnt you say six visits?" We felt bad for him driving four-five hours to come to tell us he is fine. He didnt receive Prolotherapy. About two years ago we did see him for one visit because he had a slight return of his neck pain. This was resolved with one Prolotherapy treatment.
THE NEEDLE IS BETTER THAN THE BLADE FOR SPINAL STENOSIS
Spinal stenosis is an X-ray diagnosis. MRIs or X-rays can not diagnose a persons pain, only a health care clinician can, (preferably a natural medicine Prolotherapy doctor). The diagnosis of spinal stenosis is made by a radiologist when the canal where the spinal cord is housed is narrowed. The most common cause of this is degenerative arthritis. There are, of course, cases where this narrowing is serious and needs surgical intervention, but this is rare.
The method in which doctors typically deal with this degenerative arthritis is by surgical removal of it to give the nerves more room. Because the arthritis is in multi-segments, the spine would be unstable if all the surgeon did was remove the bone, thus the spinal fusion operation. Spinal fusion operation involves the removal of the degenerative arthritic bony/disc segments, followed by stabilization of the area with screws, bolts, nuts, plates, and a bone graft from the pelvis. Sometimes the areas in the neck and lower back to be fused have to be approached from the front. Yes, this can mean going into the abdomen and moving the intestines out of the way.
Spinal fusion operation is no comparison to Prolotherapy. Dr. John Merriman compared the two in 1962, if one can call it a comparison. He noted.
"Prolotherapy resolves the pain and discomfort of so-called 'spinal stenosis because it stimulates the structures that were stretched and torn which started the process in the first place."
Degenerative spinal arthritis whether it is called spondylolisthesis, spondylosis, spinal stenosis, degenerative arthritis, is almost always caused by ligament injury. The vertebrae are held together by multiple ligaments. Once these ligaments are weakened by injury or the natural aging process, more pressure is put on the discs. To help stabilize the area, muscles spasms result. Almost every person with the diagnosis of spinal stenosis will give the history of having a long history of muscle spasms in the neck or low back. Once the muscle spasms can no longer hold the vertebrae in place, osteophytes or bone spurs result. This overgrowth of bone is the bodys attempt to stabilize the vertebral segment. Prolotherapy given to the area(s) of vertebral instability resolves the pain and muscle spasm because it helps correct the underlying etiology of the condition. No doubt about it the needle is mightier than the scalpel.
MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT SPINAL STENOSIS
1. Does Prolotherapy help spinal stenosis?
It may not make your MRI look better, but in the hundreds and hundreds of cases we have treated it is about 90% effective at eliminating symptoms, many times for good.
2. How can Prolotherapy help if the bone spurs are still present?
Prolotherapy helps relieve spinal stenosis symptoms by strengthening the ligaments that attach to the vertebrae and the pelvis. Most of the time the symptoms of so-called spinal stenosis are from the vertebral or pelvic instability and once this is resolved so are the symptoms.
3. Dont you ever recommend surgery for spinal stenosis?
We can not honestly remember a case that came to Caring Medical where surgery was recommended. But in the rare instance when it was clear that the persons spinal cord was in jeopardy it would be recommend it.
4. What can a person do if Prolotherapy is not successful for spinal stenosis?
There have been instances where the person with Prolotherapy was not responding quickly. In these instances an aggressive natural medicine program including natural hormone replacement, supplements and nerve blocks were warranted. Sometimes osteophytes do encroach on nerves and in these instances nerve blocks are given in the office. These can be of the traditional and nontraditional variety. The most common substance that we use is Sarapin, an extract of the pitcher plant.
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