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Pain Relief for Pets Prolotherapy Gives Joints New Life
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by Julie Peterson
B
rian Engler, vasive, involving the Prolotherapy offers an of Drexel Hill, injection of a sugar effective alternative to Pennsylvania, solution directly into surgery in a significant the affected area. The was asked to provide hospice care for a senior number of partial ligament body’s inflammation Akita. Tadao was tears or persistent joint response kicks in, reunderweight, weak, sulting in regrowth of pain issues. arthritic and had been new fibers in ligaments ~Judith M. Shoemaker severely neglected. He and tendons. needed a place to live Prolotherapy has out his remaining days in comfort. Even been around a long time. It was used to though Tadao was unstable with severely treat lame animals around 1350 B.C. Back limited mobility, Engler believed that the old then, a hot poker was used to induce the dog had more than a little life left in him. inflammation response. In the 1930s, injec Engler’s veterinarian tried prolotion of an irritant solution at the site of the therapy injection treatments for Tadao’s injury became the new method, and has joint pain and he soon became more since been shown in scientific studies to comfortable and gradually more active. “By facilitate the repair and regrowth of conthe time we completed the treatments, he nective tissue, ligaments, tendons, cartilage was able to get up and down with ease and and other joint-stabilizing structures. started cruising around the kitchen looking Modern prolotherapy has remained for snacks on the counter,” says Engler. basically the same for the last 80 years, Prolotherapy, short for proliferative although the injected irritant solution is therapy, isn’t just for dogs. Any animal modified according to the veterinarian, with a joint can receive the regenerative the type of animal and the injury. Every injection therapy, which relieves pain by vet uses a slightly different prolotherapy strengthening ligaments and tendons “cocktail”, which typically includes 50 supporting the joint. It’s minimally inpercent dextrose and possibly several other
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