This process takes a week. The body then begins a process of repair and healing. This is accomplished by the addition of a unique cell called a f ibroblast which is deficient in the injured tissue. Fibroblasts increase in number at the sites of injection and over the course of four to six weeks secrete a substance called collagen which is a very strong and relatively inelastic substance. The new collagen makes the ligaments thicker, denser and stronger, providing more support to the joints.
Stability is increased as pain and muscle spasm decrease.
The newly formed tissue continues to mature for one and one-half years. So, in essence, prolotherapy strengthens ligaments and decreases pain by stimulating the body's own repair and healing mechanism to go into action. There is no masking of pain, tissues heal naturally and become stronger, without the formation of scar tissue. It is for this reason that prolotherapy gives long-lasting relief measured in months to years. Several treatments spaced apart by four to six weeks are usually required to get the full benefit from prolotherapy.