Prolotherapy Eliminated Pain From Degenerated Shoulder

Dick Randolph of Fairbanks, Alaska, is as active as anyone I know. This avid outdoorsman hikes miles into the wilderness to fish and hunt. He tears around on a snowmobile, chops wood at his remote cabin, and, believe it or not, soars through the skies on a paraglider.

At age 66, the only thing that ever slowed Dick down was shoulder pain. Small wonder: he'd been diagnosed with large, complete rotator cuff tears and joint degeneration in both shoulders. The constant soreness and restricted range of motion, which were exacerbated by paragliding, made him seriously consider the surgery his orthopedist had recommended. Until he read about prolotherapy in Health & Healing.

Prolotherapy involves injections of a mildly irritating solution into the joint space. This promotes a massive healing response that strengthens the ligaments and tendons responsible for stabilizing joints. Prolotherapy doesn't mask pain—it eradicates it. When the supporting structures hold the joint in proper alignment, pressure is taken off the nerves. Pain subsides, range of motion returns, and cartilage degeneration slows down.

Dick's first treatment helped so much (he could move his shoulder more freely than he had in years) that two months later he flew from Fairbanks to the clinic for his second treatment. From here it was on to Idaho for paragliding, which he now does with little or no pain.

— from Health & Healing by Julian Whitaker, MD