Frequently Asked Questions

How many treatments does it take to heal?

The average number of treatments for Prolotherapy  is three to six.  Dr. Douglas sometimes uses both prolotherapy and platelet rich plasma for the same area to maximize healing and recovery time. Typically, she does prolotherapy once or twice before doing a PRP injection.  Various factors including diet, sleep, age, severity of damage, hormone balance, nutritional support and general health impact the number of treatments needed.  Dr. Douglas consults with each patient to create an individualized treatment plan. 

Do the treatments hurt?

Sometimes there is a degree of pain associated with the injections, however a local anesthetic is used to minimize pain.  Most patients state that the pain of the injection is less than the joint pain they have lived with every day prior to receiving treatment. 

Who can benefit from regenerative injections?

If you suffer from chronic spine or joint pain there is a high likelihood that regenerative joint therapies will alleviate the pain.  There is no way of determining if theraputic injections will help without an evaluation by Dr. Douglas.  Commonly, high-tech diagnosis machines, such as MRIs, are poor indicators of the root cause of pain.  Dr. Douglas uses functional movement analysis to pinpoint joint instability.  In addition, palpitation of tender areas is an effective tool to diagnose the cause of pain.  Also, muscle tightenss is a good inicator of ligament instability.  If an area of the neck or back is tight, chances are the ligaments in that same area are loose.   The muscles are tightening to compensate for the ligaments which are no longer "pulling their weight"  If you do have an MRI scan or X-ray, you can fax the report to us before your appointment.  

Are treatments covered by insurance?

Regenerative injection therapies are not covered by any health insurance plan.  This is more of a political issue than a medical issue. They are covered by auto insurance and  workers compensation plans.  

Why haven't I heard about these treatments before now?

Few doctors throughout the nation specialize in spine and joint care who are not surgeons. Most people are under the assumption that surgery is the only way to fix joint pain when all other conservative treatments fail and regenerative joint therapies are not profitable for drug companies or surgeons.

What if my doctor told me that the only option is surgery?

Only a physician who is trained and experienced in regenerative joint therapies can attest to the effectiveness of prolotherapy or PRP.  Dr. Douglas is happy to discuss alternative solutions with you and your physician.