Q. I’ve heard about a therapy in which a sugar solution (no steroids) is injected into an injured joint. The theory is that it irritates the joint into repairing itself or something. Is there anything to support this approach?
A. You are describing prolotherapy, a treatment that was pioneered in the 1930s. It involves the injection of dextrose (sugar), glycerin or other substances such as platelet-rich plasma or stem cells into the affected area. Prolotherapy injections are thought to stimulate healing.
Recent research supports this approach in osteoarthritis. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin recruited 90 people with knee pain. They were randomly assigned to receive injections of dextrose or saline (as a placebo control) or to do specified physical therapy exercises (Annals of Family Medicine, May/June, 2013).
Injections were administered at least three times in five months and the volunteers were assessed at one year. Those who had been given dextrose injections had significantly more improvement in their knee pain than those in the other treatment groups. To learn more about prolotherapy or to find an expert in this treatment, you might consult the American Association of Orthopaedic Medicine (aaomed.org).
