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For Neck Pain, Prolotherapy Is A
Great Alternative To Surgery In Most Cases
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After low back pain, neck pain is probably one of the most frequent problems we see in the office that Prolotherapy is often successful in healing.
How many times have you had a stiff neck? Some people have a stiff neck their entire life. It can occur from an injury, like a whiplash, or a fall on the head you had as a child that you can't remember, sports, a great golf swing or tennis serve, or simple aging.
Aside from having neck pain, patients may also complain of associated symptoms like headaches, jaw pain, irritable bowel syndrome, Barré-Lieou Syndrome with associated facial pain, ear pain, vertigo, tinnitus, loss of voice, or hoarseness. This is described more fully in my book, Prolotherapy, Living Pain Free.
One reason neck pain is so prevalent is that the weight of the head is disportionate to the strengh and size of the neck. Often times, laxity in the ligaments create pain down the arms, when most doctors think there is a radiculopathy, needing surgery.
I can't remember one instance that I have recommended neck surgery. And be careful if you have pain down an arm which has been diagnosed as coming from a herniated disc. Prolotherapy injection treatment has been successful in ending the neck pain and the arm pain, no matter what the diagnosis is. If you look at my book, you will see drawings of referral patterns from the neck ligaments up to the head causing headaches, or down an arm.
Case Study: One of my patients came to me seeking pain relief from headaches. His surgeon told him that he had a herniated disc on the right side of his neck, and that without surgery, he would have terrible headaches the rest of his life. The headaches, however, were on the left side of the bottom of his head. When I touched his head (the occiput) he jumped, letting me know the headaches were coming from a sprain of the muscle attachments to the bottom of his head, and not from a herniated disc on the other side. After Prolotherapy treatment, the intensity of his head and neck pain is greatly diminished, and he is no longer taking anti-inflammatory medications.
The moral of the story is to always do the most conservative treatment possible. Surgery is always a last resort when all else fails. And of course, if there is an emergency situation, surgery may be necessary immediately.
 About The Author: Doctor Marc Darrow is a leading Prolotherapy specialist in Los Angeles, California and founder of The Prolotherapy Institute. To learn more about Dr. Darrow's unique use of Prolotherapy for neck pain, please click here to schedule an appointment or call (310) 231-7000.
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