A New Approach Against Nerve Inflammation
Neuroprolotherapy is based on prolotherapy, a type of injection therapy used to treat pain in tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues. As with prolotherapy, this treatment uses a low dose of sugar serum and no medication. Neuroprolotherapy was introduced by Dr. John Lyftogt, a prolotherapist from New Zealand, who found that particularly inflamed nerves cause pain. Dr. Lyftogt discovered that injecting low doses of dextrose around inflamed superficial nerves could help reduce or eliminate nerve inflammation and called this procedure perineural injection.
Mechanism of Action of Neuroprolotherapy
Neuroprolotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment modality and has virtually no side effects. Treatment time is usually between 15-30 minutes and patients can return to their daily activities immediately after the injection. The treatment works in two main ways, by reducing nerve inflammation and by blocking specific receptors on the nerve endings that transmit pain messages.
Reducing Nerve Inflammation
Neuroprolotherapy aims to reduce inflammation in the nerve endings. Conventional painkillers and cortisone (steroid) injections usually only suppress this type of inflammation, not treat it. However, neuroprolotherapy treats, rather than suppresses, existing disease in the nerves. Once the inflammation begins to subside, pain is significantly reduced and patients are able to function better. This process can be repeated several times to achieve a complete and lasting result.
Blocking Pain Signals
In addition to reducing inflammation, neuroprolotherapy injections can also block specific receptors located on nerve endings responsible for receiving and transmitting pain signals. When these receptors are blocked, pain signals cannot reach the brain, resulting in the absence of pain perception. This mechanism makes neuroprolotherapy a fast and effective method for pain relief.