What is Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is short for “proliferation therapy,” a revolutionary, non-invasive rejuvenation technique that works by stimulating your body’s own natural healing mechanisms, forcing your skin, ligaments, tendons, and muscles to produce new healthy tissue that doesn’t show the effects of injury or the aging process. Prolotherapy has been used since the 1930s to treat orthopedic injuries and painful conditions such as arthritis, sciatica, and chronic back pain, and offers significant benefits over anti-inflammatory steroid injections, which have recently been shown to weaken tendons, ligaments, and joints. Prolotherapy involves injections of an inflammatory or irritating substance such as dextrose in order to stimulate the body to heal weak or painful tendons, ligaments, and joints. As regenerative medicine has advanced, Prolotherapy is at the forefront of treatments now available to restore body tissue without major surgery and the associated risks and downtime. Advanced Prolotherapy treatments harness the natural power of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or stem cells injections to transform your body and achieve faster healing. Many sports teams now have the team physician do PRP injections in the locker room in an effort to return the athletes to top condition faster.
Prolotherapy injections with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or Stem Cells are perfect for:
- Orthopedic pain from conditions such as arthritis and injury
- Improving skin’s tone and texture
- Tightening loose, sagging, baggy skin
- Softening lines and wrinkles
- Minimizing the appearance of pores and blemishes
- Treating erectile dysfunction in men (Priapus Shot)
- Treating urinary incontinence and orgasmic dysfunction in women (O-Shot)
The effectiveness of Prolotherapy treatment depends on the technique and skill of the physician performing the procedure as well as the over-all health of the patient. Dr. Stephen A. Rath at Fusion Med Spa, located in beautiful Ruidoso, New Mexico, is an expert in this powerful rejuvenation treatment and he understands his patient’s desire for a safe and highly effective method to erase signs of aging. The fact is, most patients simply do not need or want expensive, invasive surgery; Prolotherapy offers the same rejuvenated yet naturally-beautiful appearance you are looking for without the risks and downtime associated with invasive procedures.
Advanced Prolotherapy with PRP or Stem Cells
Prolotherapy with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) has been used successfully in orthopedics, dentistry, and reconstructive medicine for many years. Now the benefits are being used in facial rejuvenation, wound healing, and dermatology. Studies conducted decades ago show that when injected into the skin, activated PRP can stimulate new collagen growth, while newer studies show that Prolotherapy can soften sun damage and signs of aging.
PRP is a natural product found in the blood. A small amount of blood is drawn and spun in a centrifuge into separate components. The white and red cells are separated from the plasma, leaving a higher concentration of platelets in the plasma. Eight growth factors in the PRP are activated, and PRP is injected back into your skin, forming a matrix to stimulate collagen growth and skin repair. The PRP creates smoother skin and softens wrinkles, while enhancing the skin’s soft texture and smooth tone.
More recently, Prolotherapy has begun to utilize stem cell therapy as an alternative to PRP. Stem cells are a critical part of the body’s natural wound healing process because stem cells regenerate tissue. Non-embryonic adult stem cells are found in the highest concentrations in fatty tissue and bone marrow, where they remain dormant until activated as necessary. The regenerative capacity of adult stem cells has the potential to replace worn and damaged cells. When harnessed as part of Prolotherapy treatments, the injected stem cells are used to regenerate the body without general anesthesia.
Prolotherapy is a completely safe, hypoallergenic treatment that can be completed in a simple office visit. It is entirely non-invasive, and while most patients report minor pressure during the injection, it is easily controlled by local anaesthesia. As a board-certified anaesthesiologist, Dr. Rath will frequently use nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or an IV anaesthetic agent in patients that report lower pain tolerance or anxiety. Patients usually experience some degree of swelling or soreness in the treatment area, but most people are able to resume normal daily activities immediately. Most side effects disappear 3-10 days after the procedure depending on the extent of the procedure and your body’s healing response.
Results will begin to show in as little as a few days with most patients seeing dramatic changes within 3-4 weeks and continuing improvement for several months.
Contact Fusion Medical Spa
Dr. Rath understands the importance of individual customization when performing aesthetic enhancement treatments in a medical spa setting. He eschews the “cookie cutter” approach adopted by many med spas, and instead takes the necessary time to listen to your specific cosmetic and health-related goals before creating a treatment plan designed to safely and effectively fulfill those objectives.
If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of Prolotherapy with PRP or stem cells, and how it can restore the body in one office visit, please contact our office today. Dr. Rath and his professionally trained staff have created a warm, welcoming environment where you will feel relaxed and cared for.
We look forward to speaking with you and to scheduling your initial consultation with Dr. Rath.