Vaginal Prolotherapy

What is Prolotherapy?

Prolotherapy is a type of Regenerative Injection Therapy. It is a specialized technique aimed at tightening up and stabilizing ligaments and tendons that have become compromised or overstretched. Traditional Prolotherapy, as I apply it, involves injections of a hyperosmotic solution, which causes a local inflammatory reaction to these compromised ligaments/tendons where they insert onto bone. Ligaments and tendons notoriously have a poor blood supply and heal slowly. By giving the body a second inflammatory response, it stimulated the patient’s own immune system, giving the area another chance at healing. It can also be beneficial for stimulating collagen growth, and it is for this application that I use it.

Prolotherapy treatment involves injections of chemical irritant solutions into the area around such ligaments. These solutions are believed to cause tissue to proliferate (grow), increasing the strength and thickness of ligaments.

Regenerative injection treatment—Prolotherapy—for Chronic Vaginal Pain
When chronic vaginal pain cannot be resolved, ligament laxity may be the culprit. Ligament laxity can occur after a sudden injury to the low back or pelvic floor or after childbirth. During pregnancy, a hormone called relaxin is released inside the body to help relax the ligaments along the pelvic floor to better allow the baby to pass through the birth canal. It is not unheard of for women to be left with chronic vaginal or pelvic floor pain after childbirth that is related to loose ligaments.

For chronic vaginal pain due to ligament or tendon weakness, Prolotherapy is an effective treatment option. Prolotherapy is a regeneration injection therapy (RIT) that stimulates the body to repair injured tissues and painful areas. Thus, the pain radiating into the vagina and other pelvic floor areas can be eliminated.

Dr. Comeaux is a gynecologist who includes Prolotherapy, Stem Cell therapy, and Platelet Rich Plasma in her treatment plans. In our office, we have success treating a lot of pain in the pelvic and vaginal region in women. Our Comprehensive Prolotherapy approach may respond to one treatment, but may need more, given at least one month apart. For an athlete or new mom, this type of treatment is ideal because it does not require needing to take medications and allows the woman to remain active, and encourages motion and exercise, between treatments.

The Prolotherapy treatment regimens suggested here are based on the experience of Dr. Comeaux, and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not apply to every case or condition. A person using these recommendations without the aid of a personal physician does so at their own risk. It is essential to have your condition evaluated by your own healthcare provider.

How often do you recommend treatments?

Prolotherapy is generally done about every four weeks, for three-six rounds of treatment. I find that I need far fewer treatments with Platelet Rich Plasma, as one treatment works as well as roughly three Prolotherapy treatments. Stem cell treatments vary, but they are the most potent so we also need far less.

What is the success rate of Prolotherapy?

That depends completely on the patient, their cellular milieu (how healthy they are overall), the nature of the issue (new, old, or severe, etc) and which treatment we choose to inject for the patient. I don’t often have a patient who does not respond, and overall, most do improve to some degree. Many get great results when they combine this with other modalities.

Does insurance pay for Prolotherapy?

Unfortunately they do not. Prolotherapy is considered investigational by Medicare so is therefore not covered by private insurance companies.

To schedule an Age Management consult or a rejuvenation procedure, call (281) 367-4700 or e-mail us directly at vitadoc2@gmail.com.