Prolotherapy - in Chronic Low Back Ache

"Prolotherapy, also known as 'sclerotherapy,' is a controversial treatment that has been the subject of much skepticism by traditional medicine. It consists of a series of intraligamentous and intratendinous injections of irritant solutions administered near trigger points to treat chronic pain. Although it has a strong foothold in the alternative and osteopathic medical communities, its efficacy has not been supported in clinical trials. Proponents of the therapy suggest that laxity in the ligaments and tendons around the joints causes pain by inducing muscles to contract and irritate nerve endings. Repeated injections with irritant solutions is believed to produce new collagen deposition, which is intended to support the injured or loosened ligaments, creating a more stable and strong muscle base, thus alleviating pain and disability. There are 3 classes of proliferant solutions: chemical irritants (eg, phenol, guaiacol, tannic acid, and pumice flour), osmotic agents (eg, hypertonic dextrose, zinc sulfate, and glycerin), and chemotactic agents (eg, sodium morrhuate, a fatty acid derivative of cod liver oil). Prolotherapy protocols usually include co-interventions to enhance the effectiveness of the injections."