Ingredients in the Prolotherapy injections

Some Prolotherapists use mild chemical irritants, such as phenol, guaiacol or tannic acid, to trigger the healing process. These substances attach themselves to the walls of the cells wherever they are injected and cause the irritation that stimulates the body's reactive healing process. Others prefer to use chemotactic agents, primarily sodium morrhuate, a fatty acid derived from cod liver oil.

Some Prolotherapists use the dramatic sounding "osmotic shock agents," which are actually simple compounds like dextrose and glycerine. These ingredients are the most commonly used in the arsenal of proliferants and are extremely safe and water-soluble. They are easily absorbed by the body after having their initial desired effect. They work by causing cells to lose water, leading to cellular dehydration and then inflammation with its subsequent stimulation of the healing cascade.

Besides these general differences in the injections, the specific combinations of chemicals and substances used are as varied as the "schools" of Prolotherapy using them.

Some practitioners add co-factors, such as the antioxidant mineral manganese, zinc sulfate, or a combination of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate which is believed to aid in the repair of arthritic joints. Some have preference for other co-factors believed to increase the efficacy of the compounds they are used with.

The above methods of Prolotherapy work in different ways to motivate the body to heal itself through a variety of natural responses—the end result is the same: To cure pain by building new tissue and stabilizing the joints.

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