Neural prolotherapy - chronic nerve pain treated with injections
Perineural injection therapy (PIT, aka neural prolotherapy or percutaneous neuroplasty) goes by many names, but the therapy stems from a simple but very under-utilized injection therapy. It has been most exclusively developed by Dr. John Lyftogt MD in New Zealand, which is why it is not yet well known in the US - though is practiced by progressive doctors all over the world.
At its basis, this therapy works from the very well known idea that nerves are a main issue in chronic pain. If you think about it, how do you (or your brain) even know about pain? If it weren't for nerves (mis)signaling, you would not perceive pain at all.
In chronic conditions, especially following trauma or surgery, nerves fire when they shouldn't. Nerves are sensitive, and extremely prone to inflammation. When nerves are impinged (pinched, constricted or otherwise squashed), they react very severely and become inflamed, angry nerves, furthering the chronic pain picture.
What can be done?
Medications for chronic nerve pain have very poor efficacy rates (research shows only 23% of people respond at all to Neurontin, a very popular nerve pain drug), with likelihood of adverse side effects often being more common than a positive response to the drug at all. Also, if someone does respond favorably to the medication, it can take weeks to kick in, and will cost hundreds of dollars for the rest of one's life. No thank you.
So what options are there for immediate resolution of nerve pain, targeting exactly where the pain occurs, with no body-wide side effects or adverse conditions? I'm not aware of any other besides PIT.
It works right at the source, reducing nerve inflammation by targeting the problem area, not medicating our brains into thinking we don't have pain, or feel so drugged up we don't even care. Good medicine is that which is effective, safe and uses a dose of common sense to really get at the root of a problem. Which is why I am such a fan of PIT and use it clinically.
What conditions can this help?
PIT is commonly used for peripheral pain syndromes, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and other peripheral neuropathy syndromes. If there is a chronic area of pain, chances are it involved nerve inflammation and PIT can be considered a treatment option.
If you have pain, numbness, tingling, weakness or any other altered sensation or function in your body, see if PIT is right for you by seeing Dr. Angela for consultation and treatment, if indicated.