Prolotherapy is a non-surgical injection treatment for joints, ligaments and tendons that keep hurting long after an injury should have healed. At Advanced Physical Medicine in St. Clair Shores, Dr. Stephen Wilson and our team use ultrasound-guided prolotherapy to help the body repair worn or loose tissue so you can move with less pain, without surgery or long-term pain pills.
Prolotherapy (short for proliferative therapy) is a regenerative medicine treatment. A concentrated dextrose (sugar-based) or saline solution is injected into the spot where a ligament, tendon, joint or spinal disc has started to break down. The solution acts as a mild irritant. Your body answers with extra blood flow to the area, and that blood carries the nutrients and repair cells that rebuild the injured tissue.
Ligaments and tendons have a poor blood supply, so small tears and overstretching often heal slowly or not at all. A ligament that has healed loose lets the joint move more than it should, which strains the muscles around it and keeps pain coming back. This is common after sprains, sports injuries, car accidents and years of wear on the knees, shoulders, hips and lower back. Prolotherapy targets that weak tissue directly instead of only numbing the pain.
Each injection sets off a short, controlled healing response. Over the following weeks the body lays down new collagen, the fibers that make ligaments and tendons strong. As the tissue thickens and tightens, the joint becomes more stable and the pain signals that came from the loose or torn tissue settle down. Because the effect builds with each round, prolotherapy is given as a series rather than a single shot.
Prolotherapy is used for chronic pain that comes from weakened connective tissue, especially when rest, medication and therapy have not been enough.
Knee, hip and shoulder pain from early arthritis or old injuries, including knee pain that limits walking or stairs.
Chronic low back pain and sacroiliac (SI) joint pain linked to stretched ligaments, plus tendon problems such as tennis elbow and rotator cuff strain.
Treatment takes place in our St. Clair Shores office. After an exam and a review of your imaging, the provider locates the damaged tissue with ultrasound, cleans the skin and injects the dextrose solution at several points along the ligament or tendon. A visit usually takes under 30 minutes. Most patients need 3 to 5 treatments, spaced about 6 weeks apart, so each round has time to build new tissue.
Expect soreness, stiffness or mild swelling for a few days after each session; that is the healing response doing its job. Most people return to normal daily activities the same or next day. Ice can ease discomfort. Avoid anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen while you are in a treatment series, since they can blunt the healing response, and ease back into exercise as your provider advises.
Prolotherapy is not instant relief. Many patients notice steadier joints and less pain after the second or third round, with improvement continuing for months as the tissue strengthens. Because the repaired tissue is your own, results can last for years. Pairing prolotherapy with physical therapy to strengthen the surrounding muscles gives the best long-term outcome.
Prolotherapy is generally safe because the solution is simple dextrose or saline. Common side effects are temporary pain, stiffness, bruising or swelling at the injection sites. Infection, nerve irritation or an allergic reaction to the numbing medicine are rare. Ultrasound guidance and a full review of your health history keep these risks low, and we go over them with you before treatment.
You may be a good candidate if you have joint, ligament or tendon pain that has lasted three months or more, a joint that feels unstable or gives way, or pain that keeps returning after rest, therapy or cortisone shots. Prolotherapy is not the right fit for an acute fracture, an active infection, or a joint that has already lost most of its cartilage. Dr. Wilson will review your history, examine the joint and use diagnostic testing if needed before recommending it.
Patients choose prolotherapy because it works on the cause of the pain instead of covering it up.
Stimulates new collagen so loose ligaments and worn tendons become stronger and more stable.
No incisions, no general anesthesia and no long recovery; you walk out the same day.
As tissue heals, many patients rely less on pain pills and repeated cortisone shots.
Because your own tissue is rebuilt, relief can last long after the treatment series ends.
Prolotherapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are both regenerative injections. Prolotherapy stimulates your healing cells to come to the injured area; PRP concentrates your own platelets and injects them directly, which is a stronger stimulus, so PRP usually needs only 1 to 2 treatments compared with 3 to 5 for prolotherapy. We also offer physical therapy, MLS laser therapy, trigger point injections and knee gel injections, and often combine them.
Regenerative treatments at our office range from $500 to $3,500 per treatment, depending on the therapy, the area treated and the number of sessions. Your exact price for prolotherapy is set at your consultation once we know how many areas and rounds you need.
We accept most commercial insurance plans. Regenerative injections are often treated as elective by insurers, so coverage can be limited; our front desk checks your plan before your visit. To schedule, we need your date of birth, address, primary care doctor, and whether the injury is work- or auto-related.
Advanced Physical Medicine has served St. Clair Shores and the eastside for more than 25 years. Our team is led by Dr. Stephen Wilson, a double board-certified physician who focuses on non-surgical care that restores function rather than just managing symptoms.
Every new patient starts with a thorough 1-hour intake, and almost all injections are ultrasound-guided for accuracy. Call us and a person picks up, usually within 3 rings.
Most patients feel the first change after the second or third treatment, roughly 6 to 12 weeks into the series. Improvement keeps building for several months as new tissue forms.
Yes. That is its main purpose. The healing response lays down new collagen, which thickens and tightens a stretched ligament and makes the joint more stable.
You will feel the needle and some pressure, and the area is usually sore for a few days afterward. We use a local anesthetic and ultrasound guidance to keep each injection quick and precise.
The average is 3 to 5 treatments spaced about 6 weeks apart. Your provider will adjust the plan based on how your pain and joint stability respond.
If a joint, ligament or tendon has been hurting for months, find out whether prolotherapy can help it heal. Schedule a consultation at our St. Clair Shores office.
