Neural Prolotherapy

Neural Prolotherapy is a revolutionary approach to treating chronic and neuropathic pain using the recently discovered effect of Dextrose (glucose) calming chronically irritated nerve cells. This technique is cheaper, safer and arguably more effective than any existing technique for treating nerve pain.

Neural Prolotherapy can be performed in different ways.

  1. Perineural Injection Treatment (PIT) utilises small injections of 5% Dextrose in water (D5W) under the skin to calm underlying nerve pain.

  2. Dextrose hydrodissection also utilises injections of D5W but these injections are done directly around nerves under ultrasound guidance.

Neural Prolotherapy can restore normal nerve function, reduce pain, and promote long-term healing. This treatment is particularly beneficial for patients suffering from neuropathic pain, musculoskeletal injuries, and persistent post-surgical pain.

How Does Neural Prolotherapy Work?

Pain, especially chronic pain, is usually associated with irritated and/or inflamed nerves. When nerve endings become inflamed due to injury, repetitive strain, or underlying conditions, they can become hypersensitive, leading to amplified and persistent pain.

Neural Prolotherapy involves injecting a mild Dextrose (glucose) solution near these irritated nerves. 

This has been shown to:

  1. Calm nerve inflammation by reducing the release of pain-generating molecules such as substance P and CGRP and reducing activation of the TRPV1 receptor

  2. Restore normal nerve signalling, which will reduces pain and associated dysfunction

  3. Facilitate tissue healing, improving circulation and cellular repair mechanisms.

This provides immediate and long-term pain relief, often reducing discomfort after just one session, with progressively increasing improvements after a series of treatments.

Unlike steroid injections, which primarily suppress inflammation, Neural Prolotherapy works to correct the underlying cause of pain, making it a safer and more sustainable option for many patients.

Conditions Treated with Neural Prolotherapy

Neural Prolotherapy is effective for a wide range of conditions, including but not limited to:

  1. Chronic nerve pain (neuropathic pain, nerve entrapment syndromes)

  2. Persistent post-surgical pain 

  3. Joint pain and osteoarthritis 

  4. Tendinitis and tendinopathies

  5. Post-traumatic pain syndromes

  6. Carpal tunnel syndrome and other peripheral nerve entrapment conditions

  7. Migraines and occipital neuralgia caused by nerve irritation

The Neural Prolotherapy Treatment Process

1. Comprehensive Assessment

Before treatment, a detailed assessment is conducted, including a medical history review, physical examination, and, if necessary, imaging or nerve conduction studies.

2. Targeted Injections

Using a fine needle, a D5W solution is injected just either beneath the skin and/or along the affected nerve pathways. The injections are typically placed in a precise pattern along tender points along the nerve.

3. Immediate and Long-Term Relief

Many patients experience immediate pain relief following their first session. The duration of pain relief is generally short after the first treatment but the duration of improvement will increase with each subsequent treatment (roughly doubling or tripling in duration from the previous session) . Optimal results typically require a series of treatments, most commonly ranging from 4-8 sessions. The number of treatments required depends on the severity and chronicity of the condition as well as that particular persons response. Approximately 70-80% of patients have significant improvement over the treatment course. Of these responders, some patients respond very quickly with each treatment, while others sometimes are a bit slower to respond but still have good results but may require more treatments. Generally the longer the pain/injury has been present the slower it tends to respond, however, sometimes even people with very chronic injuries do respond quickly. Over the first 3-4 treatments we will get a feel for how a given a given person is progressing.

Benefits of Neural Prolotherapy

Non-Surgical and Minimally Invasive: No incisions or prolonged recovery time.

Safe and Natural: Uses Dextrose, a naturally occurring sugar, to stimulate healing without the risks of corticosteroids or long-term medications. Many nerve treatments, such as traditional steroid injections with strong local anaesthetic carry much higher risks as these substances can be toxic to nerves and can create complications in surrounding tissues. This is not a concern for Dextrose as glucose is a natural energy source for the body and does not create tissue damage.

Immediate Pain Reduction: Many patients report instant improvements in pain and mobility. This improvement is usually relatively short lived initially but the improvement will progressively build with each treatment with the end goal of complete healing and permanent effect.

Long-Lasting Results: Addresses the underlying cause of nerve irritation rather than merely masking symptoms and facilitates long term healing.

Is Neural Prolotherapy Right for You?

If you have been struggling with chronic pain, nerve-related discomfort, or musculoskeletal injuries that have not responded well to conventional treatments, Neural Prolotherapy may offer a safe, effective, and drug-free alternative.

During your consultation, we will assess your specific condition and develop a personalized treatment plan to help restore your mobility and improve your quality of life.

Schedule Your Consultation to take the next step toward lasting pain relief. 

For a detailed breakdown of how Neural Prolotherapy works including scientifically referenced articles, please see the Health Professionals section of our website