Prolozone: How to get the most out of your treatment.

WHAT TO EXPECT AND POST-PROLOZONE INSTRUCTIONS

Each person’s experience is unique, personal and individual so we have to use generalizations here, but the following is what the majority of our patients report. Most people experience dramatic pain relief and improved mobility immediately after their first injection(s). There may also be a feeling of fullness, tightness or soreness in the area(s) treated for several hours (after anti-inflammatory) or up to 2 days (after proliferative with PRP). Occasionally, popping or locking may be more frequent in the first few days as well. After about 2-3 days, some degree (usually 25-75%) of lasting improvement in pain symptoms will be maintained, and continued improvement may be seen for up to 2 weeks (anti-inflammatory) or 4 weeks (proliferative). Improvements are additive as your tissues and cells become healthier. For example, 1st treatment 50% better + 2nd treatment 25% better = 75% better overall.

When CGF-PRP is used, a temporary increase in pain and stiffness can occur, though interestingly we have found that CGF-PRP has more immediate anti-inflammatory effects than regular PRP, which makes sense because of the increase in exosomes. This usually lasts about 1-2 days but in very rare cases can last up to 2 weeks. No one has ever reported a permanent increase in pain or dysfunction after receiving prolozone (with or without PRP) from Dr. Haas. Any discomfort after prolozone with CGF-PRP is part of a healthy healing response. Usually it is mild to moderate, but occasionally it can be “like a bad day before prolozone.” We have never heard that it was more painful than that. Avoid aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, Alleve and steroids during the first 48 hours. Tylenol, sublingual or topical homeopathics like arnica and supplements like curcumin are fine. Heat is encouraged. Ice should be avoided or kept to a minimal.

Again, everyone is unique and some people may notice relief for only one to a few days after their first or second treatment. Others may notice no immediate relief but may find a gradual or sudden drastic improvement up to 2 weeks after an anti-inflammatory treatment or 4 weeks after proliferative. Sometimes the quality or location of pain shifts, or old pain patterns may re-appear. This is good! Treating chronic injuries is analogous to "peeling layers off an onion." Any shift in symptoms, no matter how brief, is encouraging that further treatments will be effective.

During your series of prolozone treatments, the body is busy healing itself and it is critical that you do not overdo it! These are our post-procedure instructions: in order to facilitate the healing process, it is very important to avoid any activities that would have caused you to have pain of 6/10 even for an instant (0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain imaginable) OR would have left you sore/hurting for 15 minutes or more after you stopped that activity prior to your first injection. This means that if running caused your knee to hurt at 6/10 briefly or caused it to hurt for 15 minutes after you stopped running on the day you came in for your first prolozone shot, please wait until you have been pain-free for 2 weeks before attempting to run, and even then, start gradually and listen carefully to your body. Achieving and maintaining a healthy body is a marathon, not a sprint!

Pay careful attention to any changes that occur in the days and weeks following each treatment. Journaling or going through a mental checklist of symptoms and things you are now able to do may help you realize how much progress you are making, and reporting this information to Dr. Haas at each subsequent visit helps her further customize each treatment. Try to reduce your stress (a daily 30-minute "stress stroll" can work wonders for decreasing the stress hormone cortisol, or try a daily deep breathing exercise). Drink lots of filtered or spring water and support detoxification (infrared sauna, light exercise, increase intake of fiber-rich veggies, etc).

One last note: the physical body is only part of who we are. We are mental, emotional and energetic beings! Injured cells and tissues can harbor stuck emotions, so sometimes release and healing occurs on an emotional level during or after a prolozone treatment. Allow yourself this release by intending some quiet time to sit with the emotional discomfort and feel it unconditionally (without placing judgement on it or resorting to a mental story to explain it). Let go of your resistance and let go of any tears that want to flow. This process allows for integration of charged emotions and greater emotional freedom overall. For more information on this, check out: The Presence Process by Michael Brown

‡If there is an extensive mechanical component such as back fusion hardware, maintenance injections every 3-4 months may be required for continued pain relief. Sometimes it may take 2 or more treatments to notice significant lasting results. Occasionally, more than 6 treatments are likely to be needed to achieve the desired result. If progress is not going as expected, Dr. Haas may recommend adding AmnioFix or Stem Cells to your injection(s). After AmnioFix, one additional prolozone injection is usually recommended 4-6 weeks later. After Stem Cells, follow-up is as needed after 4-6 weeks. Severe hip degeneration (diagnosed by x-ray or MRI) typically responds less favorably to prolozone (compared to mild to moderate hip degeneration and other conditions listed).