Prolotherapy · Scottsdale, Arizona
What Is Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy (proliferative therapy) is a regenerative injection treatment that stimulates the body to repair and strengthen ligaments and tendons. A mild irritant solution — usually dextrose — is injected at weakened attachment points, triggering a localized healing response that lays down new collagen and tightens lax structures. The result: stabler joints and lasting pain relief.
Founder & Medical Director, Vita Sana Medical Center · Clinical Peptide Society member · 10+ years of clinical experience · Scottsdale, AZ
The science in plain terms
Ligaments have poor blood supply, so partial tears and stretching often heal incompletely — leaving joints subtly unstable. Instability overworks muscles, irritates nerves, and grinds cartilage: the recipe for chronic pain. Prolotherapy restarts healing exactly where it stalled, and the new collagen matures and contracts over weeks, restoring tension the joint was designed to have.
Prolotherapy has been practiced and refined for over 80 years. In Scottsdale, Dr. Luca Lioce, NMD of Vita Sana Medical Center uses it as a cornerstone of regenerative joint care alongside PRP and Prolozone.
Prolotherapy is best for
- Chronic joint pain with underlying laxity
- Ligament sprains that never fully resolved
- SI joint and low-back instability
- Tendon attachment pain (enthesopathy)
- Hypermobile, frequently "cracking" joints
Frequently Asked Questions
Is prolotherapy scientifically proven?
Clinical studies support prolotherapy for conditions like knee osteoarthritis, tendinopathy, and low-back pain, and it has decades of clinical practice behind it. An exam determines whether your problem is the kind that responds.
What is in the injection?
Typically a dextrose (sugar-water) solution with local anesthetic — simple, well tolerated, and non-pharmaceutical.
Prolotherapy vs. PRP — which do I need?
Prolotherapy strengthens loose ligaments; PRP delivers growth factors to degenerated tissue. Many joints benefit from both — the exam decides.
Prolotherapy Treatments at Vita Sana Medical Center
Explore the full Prolotherapy Treatments service — or book a consultation with Scottsdale’s leading regenerative medicine expert.
Vita Sana Medical Center · 4300 N. Miller Rd. Suite 144, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 · (480) 579-5290 · Serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa & Fountain Hills. Individual results vary; treatment requires medical evaluation.