One shot may be effective, but multiple Prolotherapy shots are key to success.

Stating that conservative treatments should be tried before surgery for knee osteoarthritis, doctors in Tehran set out to see how Prolotherapy fared against hyaluronic acid injections. In this double blind trial, 100 patients aged 40-70 received either five weekly hyaluronic acid injections or three bimonthly injections of dextrose Prolotherapy. The results showed that both treatments showed significant improvements in knee osteoarthritis and concluded that “dextrose Prolotherapy could be as effective as hyaluronic acid injections for the treatment of knee pain die to osteoarthritis.” (1)

Hyaluronic Acid Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis

Although they are both injection treatments, hyaluronic acid and dextrose Prolotherapy are two very different therapies. Hyaluronic acid is a substance naturally found in the body that provides cushion and lubrication to the joints. It has a number of uses, one of which is its use in joint pain. The studies are mixed on its effectiveness but many believe it to help with osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic Acid may have short-term relief due to the cushion and lubrication it provides, but it does not address the root cause of the problem: cartilage degeneration associated with osteoarthritis.

Comprehensive Prolotherapy for Knee Osteoarthritis

What’s interesting in this study is that just one dextrose Prolotherapy injection was used at each treatment. Comprehensive Prolotherapy uses multiple injections, approximately 30, at each treatment to ensure the sufficient amount of inflammation to usher in healing factors to lay down and regenerate new cartilage and heal. The inflammation surely provides short-term cushion, but it creates long-term healing as new cartilage is grown and the degeneration of the knee stops.

We agree with this study in that conservative treatments must be tried before knee surgery is performed. Knee surgery risks are too high and positive outcomes are too low. We also agree with the study in that Prolotherapy is an effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis, but we would go even further to say that it must be done comprehensively, with multiple injections, done by an experienced Prolotherapist. Prolotherapy is more effective that hyaluronic acid injections and it also tends to be less expensive. So when faced with knee pain, knee injury, or knee osteoarthritis, the choice is clear. Prolotherapy offers a conservative, cost-effective, effective and permanent cure.

1. Hashemi SM, et al. Intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections vs. dextrose prolotherapy in the treatment of osteoarthritic knee pain. Tehran University Medical Journal. 2012;70(2):119-125.