What Is Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is a regenerative injection-based treatment designed to address a root cause of chronic pain: ligament and tendon instability.
Rather than focusing only on muscles or symptoms, prolotherapy works by stimulating the body’s natural healing response in the connective tissues that stabilize joints. When these tissues become weakened, overstretched, or damaged, the entire system surrounding a joint is affected — including nerves, muscles, and movement patterns throughout the body.
The Hidden Problem: Joint Instability
Most people think pain comes from:
• muscles
• discs
• joints “wearing out”
But in many chronic pain cases, the underlying issue is ligament or tendon laxity — meaning the tissue that holds bones together is no longer providing enough stability.
This can happen due to:
• acute injury (sprains, falls, sports injuries)
• repetitive strain or overuse
• poor posture or movement habits
• aging and connective tissue degeneration
• hormonal changes (especially affecting collagen)
• previous surgeries
• unresolved injuries that never fully healed
When ligaments lose tension, bones no longer move in a precise, stable way.
What Happens Next: The Nervous System Steps In
The body is highly intelligent. When a joint becomes unstable, the nervous system senses this immediately.
Here’s what happens:
1. Joint instability is detected
Specialized nerve endings in ligaments and joint capsules (mechanoreceptors) sense excessive or abnormal movement.
2. Nerves increase signaling
The nervous system interprets this instability as a threat.
3. Muscles are recruited to compensate
Muscles surrounding the joint — and often far beyond it — are activated to try to create stability that the ligaments are no longer providing.
4. Chronic tension develops
These muscles were never meant to be primary stabilizers. Over time they become:
• tight
• overworked
• painful
• prone to trigger points and fatigue
5. Pain and dysfunction spread
Because nerves and muscles work in chains, instability in one joint can create problems elsewhere in the body.
This is why pain often appears far from the original source.
Common Examples of Compensation
Shoulder Instability
When shoulder ligaments are lax:
-
nerves recruit the rotator cuff, deltoid, traps, neck, and chest muscles
-
neck tension, headaches, arm pain, or upper back discomfort may develop
-
posture shifts to protect the joint, creating further imbalance
Sacrum / SI (Sacroiliac) Joint Instability
• L5 nerve irritation can contribute to leg pain and may influence pelvic organ function, including the prostate or uterus.
• L4 nerve involvement may affect the large intestine and play a role in lower-leg weakness.
• Dysfunction in the lower lumbar region (L4–L5) can lead to sciatica-like symptoms radiating into the leg.
• Weakness in lifting the foot or toes (dorsiflexion) can alter gait mechanics.
• Altered gait increases the risk of tripping and falling, potentially leading to hip, wrist, hand, or head injuries.
• These symptoms are often driven by ligament instability, causing nerves to recruit muscles to compensate for lost joint stability.
Knee Instability
When knee ligaments are compromised:
-
quadriceps, hamstrings, IT band, and calf muscles are recruited
-
pain may appear above or below the knee
-
hip and ankle mechanics often change
-
walking, squatting, or climbing stairs becomes problematic
Why Muscle-Based Treatments Often Fall Short
Many conventional treatments focus on:
• stretching tight muscles
• strengthening weak muscles
• massage or release techniques
• pain medications
While these can provide temporary relief, they often fail to address the underlying instability.
As long as ligaments remain loose:
• nerves will continue to recruit muscles
• tension will return
• pain patterns will repeat
This is why some people feel better briefly — only to have symptoms come back.
How Prolotherapy Works
Prolotherapy targets the problem at its source.
The process:
• A natural solution is injected into specific ligaments or tendon attachments.
• This creates a controlled inflammatory response.
• The body responds by:
• increasing blood flow
• stimulating collagen production
• strengthening and tightening connective tissue
Over time, the treated ligaments become stronger and more stable.
What Changes When Stability Is Restored
As ligaments regain integrity:
• Joint movement becomes more precise
• Abnormal nerve signaling decreases
• Muscles are no longer over-recruited
• Chronic tension begins to resolve
• The nervous system relaxes
• Pain patterns unwind naturally
In other words, the body no longer needs to compensate.
This allows muscles to return to their proper role: movement, not constant protection.
A Different Way of Thinking About Pain
Prolotherapy is based on a simple but powerful principle:
Pain is often a signal of instability — not weakness, not damage, and not something to suppress.
By restoring structural integrity where it’s missing, prolotherapy helps the body reorganize itself from the inside out.
Who May Benefit from Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is commonly used for:
• chronic joint pain
• unresolved sports injuries
• neck and back pain
• SI joint dysfunction
• shoulder instability
• knee pain
• tendon and ligament injuries
• pain that has not responded to other treatments
Each case is unique, and treatment is tailored to the individual’s anatomy and history.
Schedule a Consultation
If this approach resonates, we invite you to take the next step. Call Dr. Aaron Nickamin at East Meets West Preventative Medicine to schedule a prolotherapy consultation. A personalized evaluation can help determine whether prolotherapy is right for you—and put you on a path toward restored stability, calmer nerves, and lasting relief.