In the News!
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New York Times: "Injections to Kick-Start Tissue Repair" August 7, 2007.
"Unlike injections of corticosteroids, which also suppress inflammation and provide only temporary relief for a chronic condition, prolotherapy injections given over the course of several months are meant to provide a permanent benefit. In effect, prolotherapy tricks the body into initiating a healing response."
Newsweek Coverpage: "The War on Pain" June 4th, 2007 Issue. Military to start using prolotherapy to treat soldiers coming home from Iraq.
Breakthrough Self - Healing Treatments by Jovana Lara "After failing several treatments, Brogan found Dr. Allan Mishra, a clinical assistant professor Stanford University Medical Center, who uses platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to heal injuries. "
NFL Running Back Heals Quicker Than Doctors Predicted
"The (Tampa Bay Bucs) are fortunate Pittman fulfilled his promise to heal quicker than team doctors predicted. He credits the swift recovery from a severe right ankle sprain to aggressive rehab and the work of Dr. Ross Hauser of Chicago, a specialist in prolotherapy. During the procedure, a dextrose solution (similar to sugar) is injected into the joint, which increases blood flow to the area and stimulates the tissue to repair itself."
Thanks to a special therapy, Michael Pittman is expected to return from a severely sprained right ankle quicker than doctors predicted. He is expected to play Sunday.
This is a big step because currently, professional athletes are not telling their teams that they are doing prolotherapy.
According to their contracts, they are not allowed to get medical care outside the care of the team's orthopaedic surgeons. Therefore, most players doing prolotherapy don't tell anyone they are doing it. The players who have come out to the press have been told their careers are over and there is nothing that can be done. `Pittman is in the height of his career...
A Pitchers Career is Reconstructed: "The Sacramento Sacbee", June 16th, 2007. After one of the worlds foremost orthopedic surgeons and Los Angeles Angels team surgeon Dr. Yocum told Matt Riley he should retire because he didn't want to perform a 3rd elbow surgery, the promising professional baseball pitcher turned to prolotherapy. "Since having the injections (knock on wood) I haven't had any pain. I am throwing 91-95 MPH," said Riley.
Union Tribune: "Stumbling Orioles Fire Embattled Perlozzo" June 19, 2007. Baltimore Orioles infielder Chris Gomez states that prolotherapy eradicated his knees. Gomez credits prolotherapy for keeping him in the game.
Journal Watch: "Do Epidural Steroid Injections Effectively Treat Radicular Pain?", April 17, 2007. New guidelines issued by the American Academy of Neurology call into question the increasingly common epidural injections as a lower back pain therapy. The group argues that epidural steroid injections usually do not help patients "buy time" to avoid surgery and are only able to relieve back pain between two and six weeks after injection.
"While some pain relief is a positive result in and of itself, the extent of leg and back pain relief from epidural steroid injections, on the average, fell short of the values typically viewed as clinically meaningful," Armon said. "[But] the use of epidural steroid injections to treat chronic back pain is increasing over time, despite limited quality data. Recent figures show 1999 Medicare Part B claims for lumbar epidural steroid injections were $49.9 million for 40.4 million covered individuals."
"The authors conclude that, in general, epidural steroid injections for radicular lumbosacral pain 'does not impact average impairment of function, need for surgery or provide long-term pain relief beyond three months.' In addition, they found insufficient evidence to recommend either cervical epidural steroid injections or radiographic guidance of injections."
Insurance companies are learning what the general public already knows. Injections of steroids or cortisone provide only temporary or no relief. But, they do provide a procedure code that has provided 49.9 Million dollars to the doctors giving them.
Book, Prolo Your Pain Away: "Prolotherapy definitely extended my NHL career eight years and gave me complete relief of my back pain," said Stan Mikita, National Hockey League Hall of Famer.
"After only two prolotherapy treatments from Dr. Hauser and Dr. Hemwall, the migraine headaches that plagued me for years are completely gone," said Kendall Gill, NBA Guard, New Jersey Nets.
"I wouldn't be skiing now if it weren't for prolotherapy."
-Bode Miller, in a February 2006 ESPN interview
Bode Miller, World Champion Skier, won two world championships after receiving prolotherapy for chronic knee pain. Previous knee surgeries failed to correct Miller's damaged joints and relieve his pain. In the summer of 2006, Miller received prolotherapy treatment and was able to return to his sport in top condition and pain free.
The next article discusses Dr. Gunnar Brolinson, United States Ski Team physician, who actively uses prolotherapy for the treatment of some of our country's best athletes.
Gunner Brolinson, DO - U.S. Ski Team Physician, Head Team Physician - Virginia Tech Athletics
Above is a picture of Gunnar Brolinson, D.O. (U.S. Ski Team Physician) performing prolotherapy on a knee. Dr. Brolinson wrote an article June 10, 2005 "Prolotherapy: Cutting Edge Therapy for Chronic Injuries?" on prolotherapy and the above picture was taken from that article. You can click here to read the article.
Gunner Brolinson, DO
Current Academic
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Clinical Research : |
Head Team Physician, Virginia Tech Athletics |
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Director of Osteopathic Family Practice Residency Training Program at Carilion Health System |
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Post Doctoral Clinical Research Fellow, VCOM |
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Team Physician, U.S. Ski Team |
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Board Certified in Family Practice |
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