Prolotherapy was the first non-surgical option we were researching as a possible treatment when Jasmine got diagnosed with a partial ACL tear. It was suggested to us by an Australian veterinarian, who has been using it to treat arthritis but felt that it might work in our case as well. After further research and consultations, we eventually decided to go with the stem cell regenerative therapy. Interestingly enough, we would have probably never found out about it if it wasn't for our research into prolotherapy.
Whether they share common roots or not, both prolotherapy and stem cell regenerative therapy employ your dog's own healing mechanism to treat injuries, pain, and chronic inflammation. One could say that stem cell regenerative therapy is a shortcut to what prolotherapy achieves indirectly. To understand how, let's take a look at the body's healing process.
Inflammation is body's response to injury. It serves two purposes. It is a body's attempt to remove a foreign object or pathogen, and it initiates regeneration of damaged tissue. Without inflammation, there would be no healing.
Prolotherapy employs targeted, controlled inflammation to stimulate healing where your dog's own healing ability fell short. A mild irritant solution is injected into the site of pain or injury. This triggers an inflammatory response that starts the healing process.
How do you fight fire by fire?
There are two types of inflammation. Acute and chronic. It is the chronic inflammation, such as arthritis, that is counter-productive. Acute inflammation, on the other hand, is a complex process in which body's resources are recruited to repair the damaged tissue.
Prolotherapy is not a new idea. First attempts to use injections of irritant solutions for therapeutic purpose date in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
Stem cells are at the root of any tissue regeneration. Prolotherapy triggers healing by means of inflammatory response. The inflammation recruits stem cells to start the process of repair.
Stem cell regenerative therapy delivers ready-for-action stem cells directly.
Both stem cell regenerative therapy and prolotherapy can be used to help dogs suffering from the same conditions, such as arthritis or orthopedic injuries.
I believe that regenerative stem cell therapy is superior to prolotherapy.
But I also believe in understanding all available options. If you cannot afford the stem cell therapy, or if your dog would respond poorly to anesthesia, prolotherapy might be an option to consider.
Prolotherapy is generally considered very safe, though some veterinarians warn against the danger of bone infection when treating joints. I believe that any procedure can go wrong when it is not done properly, and the competence of your veterinarian will play an important role. I know veterinarians who have been using prolotherapy to treat dogs and horses for many years, with no ill effects.
Further reading:
A non-surgical option for weak and damaged ligaments
http://www.animalacupuncture.net/Prolotherapy/
http://doc4pets.com/blog/
Stem Cells For Dogs? Oh yeah, baby.
Whether they share common roots or not, both prolotherapy and stem cell regenerative therapy employ your dog's own healing mechanism to treat injuries, pain, and chronic inflammation. One could say that stem cell regenerative therapy is a shortcut to what prolotherapy achieves indirectly. To understand how, let's take a look at the body's healing process.
Inflammation
Inflammation is body's response to injury. It serves two purposes. It is a body's attempt to remove a foreign object or pathogen, and it initiates regeneration of damaged tissue. Without inflammation, there would be no healing.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy employs targeted, controlled inflammation to stimulate healing where your dog's own healing ability fell short. A mild irritant solution is injected into the site of pain or injury. This triggers an inflammatory response that starts the healing process.
How does inflammation treat inflammation?
How do you fight fire by fire?
There are two types of inflammation. Acute and chronic. It is the chronic inflammation, such as arthritis, that is counter-productive. Acute inflammation, on the other hand, is a complex process in which body's resources are recruited to repair the damaged tissue.
Prolotherapy is not a new idea. First attempts to use injections of irritant solutions for therapeutic purpose date in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
Prolotherapy versus stem cell regenerative therapy
Stem cells are at the root of any tissue regeneration. Prolotherapy triggers healing by means of inflammatory response. The inflammation recruits stem cells to start the process of repair.
Stem cell regenerative therapy delivers ready-for-action stem cells directly.
Both stem cell regenerative therapy and prolotherapy can be used to help dogs suffering from the same conditions, such as arthritis or orthopedic injuries.
I believe that regenerative stem cell therapy is superior to prolotherapy.
But I also believe in understanding all available options. If you cannot afford the stem cell therapy, or if your dog would respond poorly to anesthesia, prolotherapy might be an option to consider.
Is prolotherapy safe?
Prolotherapy is generally considered very safe, though some veterinarians warn against the danger of bone infection when treating joints. I believe that any procedure can go wrong when it is not done properly, and the competence of your veterinarian will play an important role. I know veterinarians who have been using prolotherapy to treat dogs and horses for many years, with no ill effects.
Further reading:
A non-surgical option for weak and damaged ligaments
http://www.animalacupuncture.net/Prolotherapy/
http://doc4pets.com/blog/
Stem Cells For Dogs? Oh yeah, baby.
Stem cell therapy has revolutionized the ways treatments are done. Though there is a lot still left to be invented, I hope scientists find out the correct methods to cure diseases like cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and ATS etc.
ReplyDeleteDear Cathy
ReplyDeleteRight you are. Very exciting stuff. We cannot stop being amazed what the stem cell therapy did for Jasmine. She is now keeping up with her 4.5 year younger buddy.
Wow.. Just amazing! It's wonderful what they(science) are doing now.
ReplyDeleteProlotherapy has been around for a very long time. Stem cell regenerative therapy is relatively new, though it has been available for horses and dogs for some time now.
ReplyDeleteJasmine received her stem cells a year and a half ago, and we are very excited about the results.
Stem Cells for Dogs? Oh yeah, baby.