I've been going through Prolotherapy to treat a problem with my low back that I have been struggling with for years. The injections occur every 2-3 weeks, and I just had injection #6 two weeks ago.

In a nutshell, the theory behind Prolotherapy is to use the process of inflammation to encourage strong-tissue growth (some call it scar tissue, some say technically, it's not) for strengthening injured areas. This is done by injecting sugar water into weak or damaged soft-tissue areas to start inflammation. As someone stated in an earlier thread about Prolo, not everyone believes in it.

For me, there have been tangible events where I felt the benefits from the Prolo. Unfortunately, it hasn't been exactly a smooth ride.

One bummer about it is that it hurts. Sometimes, pretty bad. At first I thought, 'hey, there will be pain with or without Prolo,' but there is something about voluntarily walking into a procedure where this much discomfort for weeks on end is a given. It seems now that just by association I get a little depressed just by being in that waiting room.

Another bummer is that after the injections and during the inflammation (which lasts about 3 weeks for me), you can't use ice or any anti-inflammatory (advil, motrin, naproxen, ect) to treat pain because they reduce inflammation. For me, this means prescription Narcotics, paranoia about dependence, limited activities (can't drive, ect).

As far as pain goes, my experience has been this: once the pain from the last injections wear off, its time for the next set of injections. Yippie!

As for beneficial results, the last time I went to my Osteopath, my back was thrown out of alignment everywhere except where the injections have been. This was encouraging since the injections have all been in my low back's weakest spots and suggests that the area is being strengthened as result. However, when the pain is bad, I struggle trying to remember how I came to determine this was all going to be worth it.

It has been a roller coaster.