Sugar Injections Resolve Chronic Neck Pain

Chronic Neck Pain

Researchers writing in Practical Pain Management say that simple dextrose (sugar) injections improved pain symptoms and quality of life in chronic neck pain sufferers.

The researchers studied 98 patients who had suffered with chronic neck pain for a near average of five years and who during that time had visited with an average of three physicians/pain specialists without satisfactory resolving of their pain.

Physicians then performed Prolotherapy, a series of injections of a dextrose (sugar) solution into the neck. In Prolotherapy dextrose is used as an irritant to stimulate the immune system to rebuild and repair damaged ligaments, tendons, and other connective tissue that hold the muscles and bones of the neck in place.

Lead researcher and physician, Ross Hauser, M.D., writes, "The results of this study showed that patients had a statistically significant decline in their level of pain, stiffness and crunching sensation with Prolotherapy. This included clients who were told by their M.D.(s) that there were no other treatment options or that surgery was their only answer for their chronic pain. More than 83% of patients showed improvements in walking ability, exercise ability, anxiety, depression and overall disability with Prolotherapy. Ninety percent of patients who were on medications at the start of Prolotherapy were able to cut their pain medication usage by 50% or more. Additional pain management care was able to be lessened by 50% or more in 75% of cases with Prolotherapy. Ninety-eight percent of patients stated their pain was better with Prolotherapy. Ninety-seven percent of patients said Prolotherapy changed their life for the better."