Regenerative injections for pain that won't quit

Prolotherapy stimulates your body's own repair process to strengthen damaged ligaments and tendons, a non-surgical answer for chronic injuries that other treatments haven't fixed.

  • Non-surgical, minimal downtime
  • Strengthens tissue rather than masking pain
  • Improvement usually within 1 to 3 treatments
JS Podiatry podiatrist administering a prolotherapy injection to a patient's ankle

Why prolotherapy instead of a cortisone shot?

Steroid injection

Addresses the inflammation only. Weakens ligaments and tendons over time, and delays bone healing, relief now, at a structural cost.

Prolotherapy

Strengthens soft tissue and assists repair. The treated area becomes stronger and more stable, which is why it's considered regenerative medicine.

Read the full comparison on the blog →

Four steps from chronic to stable

  1. 01

    Assess

    History and careful palpation around the injury map exactly where the weakened tissue is, and where the injections should go.

  2. 02

    Inject

    A dextrose and local-anaesthetic solution: the anaesthetic relieves pain immediately, the glucose triggers your body's own repair response.

  3. 03

    Strengthen

    Usually four appointments, two weeks apart. Improvement typically shows within one to three treatments as tissue rebuilds.

  4. 04

    Maintain

    For some conditions, like midfoot arthritis, maintenance sessions every three to six months keep the gains.

Made for ligaments that gave up early

Prolotherapy earns its place against:

After each session: expect dull soreness for a day or three, skip strenuous exercise for two days, keep gentle movement up, and hold off the anti-inflammatories and ice, which work against the healing the injection just started.

A podiatrist delivering an injection to the foot in the East Perth clinic

Been round the houses with this one?

Prolotherapy usually comes up after the usual things have been worked through, which means most people arrive at it worn down by the whole business. Whether it suits a particular problem is a clinical call rather than a menu choice. Tell us where you are up to and a podiatrist will read it properly.

What has been going on
Where is it?
How long has it been going on?
The history
What has already been done?
How did prolotherapy come up?
What is it stopping you doing?
Where do we send the answer?

  • Podiatrists experienced across prolotherapy conditions
  • Combined with shockwave, orthotics and rehab where it helps
  • Every plan tailored to your goals
  • East Perth clinic, no referral needed

“Steroids quiet the pain; prolotherapy rebuilds the tissue. For chronic instability, that difference is everything.”

, Johan Steenkamp, Owner, JS Podiatry

Frequently asked questions

What does a prolotherapy treatment involve?
A thorough history and palpation of pain around the area of injury determines the injection sites. Prolotherapy is an injection of dextrose/glucose and lignocaine (local anaesthetic). The local anaesthetic takes effect immediately, relieving pain for a short duration, while the glucose solution triggers the body's own inflammation process to begin healing.
How many prolotherapy sessions will I need?
Initially, four appointments placed two weeks apart are usually required. Depending on the individual case, maintenance appointments may be needed three to six months apart, for example with midfoot arthritis. Improvement in symptoms usually occurs after 1 to 3 treatments.
How is prolotherapy different from steroid injections?
Steroid injections only address inflammation, and they weaken ligaments and tendons and delay bone healing. Prolotherapy strengthens soft tissue and assists tissue repair, which is why it is considered a form of regenerative medicine.
What should I expect after a prolotherapy injection?
Some patients experience dull pain and soreness at the injection site for 1 to 3 days afterwards. Avoid strenuous exercise for 2 days, but keep up gentle, non-painful activities such as stretching, as this aids healing. Avoid ice over the area and try to avoid anti-inflammatory medications and topical treatments, as they may interfere with the healing process.

Meet the podiatrists you'll see

Ready to heal it, not just numb it?

Book a prolotherapy consultation with our East Perth podiatrists, no referral needed.