Neural Prolotherapy is a simple and very effective treatment for pain. It uses dextrose injection around cutaneous nerves that relieves neurogenic pain and inflammation. It is so safe that it is worth a try in all pain conditions. Neural Prolotherapy (NPT) resolves 80% of all pain as 80% of all pain is neuropathic or from neurogenic inflammation. Treating this inflammation with injections of 5% dextrose or mannitol near the damaged or inflamed nerves extinguishes the pain and inflammation immediately and is diagnostic for neuropathic pain and neurogenic inflammation.
The procedure involves identifying the source of pain by clinical examination and investigations.
Procedure :
NPT is an out patient procedure and takes about 20 minutes. The patient is prepped for the procedure by disinfecting the affected area with an antiseptic. Under image or ultrasound guidance, the Physician identifies the affected nerves and injects dextrose or mannitol around it to desensitise it. This alleviates the pain pathway leading to reduced pain.
Some patients may need multiple injections to get relieved of their symptoms.
Post procedure :
The patient can go back home on the same day.
They may feel some irritation at the injected site which can be managed with analgesics.
The patient may have to wait upto 4 days for pain relief.
Side effects :
It includes
- Local irritation
- Redness and swelling
- Incomplete pain relief
NPT is easily the most important advancement in pain treatment and diagnosis in a long time. NPT has the potential to become the standard for treatment for pain syndromes in physician offices, pain clinics, and emergency rooms.