Neural Prolotherapy (NPT)

A new approach in Regenerative Orthopedic Medicine and injury

treatment

Neural Prolotherapy is a very effective treatment for many injuries and ongoing joint, tendon, ligament and muscle pain. NPT was developed by the clinical observations of Dr. John Lyftogt MRNZCGP in New Zealand. NPT should not be confused with “German” Neural Therapy injection or with Prolotherapy. It is similar to those therapies in that it treats related conditions and pain, but it targets different causative factors. NPT treats neurogenic inflammation and thus treats nerves as a cause of joint and muscle pain.

How Does It Work?

Neural prolotherapy does not target tendons, ligaments or joints, but instead treats nerves associated with areas of pain. After seeing dramatic results many people wonder how after only a few treatments it can cause such a significant and often immediate decline in pain.

Dr. Lyftgot’s working hypothesis is that glucose injected into affected points, assists in the repair of connective tissue in the subcutaneous nerves (nerves under the skin). These skin nerves are known to be responsible for painful conditions generally identified as ‘neuralgias’ or ‘peripheral neuropathic pain’.

There is compelling scientific evidence that these small nerves are responsible for inflammation of the connective tissue and surrounding areas. Additionally, inflammation of nerves is known to be related to osteoarthritis.

This ‘neurogenic inflammation’ is different than common inflammation in that it does not respond to anti-inflammatory medication or cortisone shots. From a large body of case series and clinical observations on more than three thousand patients it is clear that Neural Prolotherapy effectively reverses ‘neurogenic inflammation’ and resolves neuralgia and joint pains.

Treatment Protocol

Treatment typically involves 4-6 sessions of micro-injections just under the skin with a very small needle. Occasionally some patients require more than 6-8 treatments, however this is less common. One treatment may take 10-20 minutes and although 4-6 treatments are usually required, many patients will experience significant relief after their first treatment. Usually this relief only lasts a few hours or days, but it does indicate that neural-prolotherapy will have a lasting effect after a course of treatment. After the treatment patients may have some brief tenderness at the injection site or bruising may develop. Physical activity is not restricted post- injection, and patients may return to their usual activities right away. Most patients tolerate the minimal discomfort associated with the injections without a problem. However, the occasional patient who is needle phobic or quite pain sensitive may not be a good candidate.

Naturopathic Use of Neural Prolotherapy

In a naturopathic practice NPT, prolotherapy, and neural therapy are often used in conjunction with each other to resolve chronic pain conditions. Other treatments such as PRP, MSC, spinal/joint adjustments, acupuncture, trigger point injections and biological and nutritional therapies are also used as required. Each patient is unique and the best treatment should be used at each stage of the healing process.

Fee Schedule for Neural Prolotherapy

In order to be comprehensive when doing a neural prolotherapy treatment a full office visit is required. It is necessary to book other appointments if there are other issues you wish to have addressed.

The fee depends on the amount of treatment done during one office visit. It is based on the number of injections, time required and volume of solution used.