EDUCATION
Dr. George Hackett Coins The Term "PROLOTHERPY"
In the 1930’s, Dr. George Hackett, a surgeon, discovered that injecting
proliferating agents at the junction between bones and ligaments resulted in
new tissue generation. The injections also helped decrease patients’ chronic
pain. Dr. Hackett named this treatment “prolotherapy.” He subsequently
published Ligament and Tendon Relaxation Treated by Prolotherapy in 1956.
Helen & Dr. Gus Hemwall Making History
Dr. Gus Hemwall was Dr. George Hackett’s student. Dr. Hemwall was so
impressed by the effectiveness of prolotherapy that he made prolotherapy his
life’s work. Dr. Hemwall and his wife, Helen, established the Hackett
Foundation dedicated to providing free medical care to people in need. Dr.
Hemwall began organizing medical service trips to Honduras over 50 years
ago. He invited colleagues to join him so his colleagues could learn
prolotherapy. The service-learning trip tradition continues today and is the
backbone of the HHP Foundation.
Dr. Jeff Patterson & Mary Doherty Expanded HHPF's Educational Training
Dr. Hemwall introduced Dr. Jeff Patterson to prolotherapy. Dr. Patterson was
a revered osteopathic family physician and professor at the University of
Wisconsin, Madison. Dr. Patterson embraced prolotherapy and expanded
the reach of prolotherapy teaching and research through his association with
the University of Wisconsin.
Dr. Patterson spearheaded the HHP Foundation annual prolotherapy medical
conference in Madison, Wisconsin which began in 1998. The prolotherapy
conference introduces physicians from around the world to the art and science
of prolotherapy. The conference agenda includes lectures from world
renowned regenerative therapy experts, hands-on palpation marking labs and
live injection training under CT and ultrasound guidance.
After Dr. Patterson’s untimely death in 2014, the Hackett Hemwall Foundation
was renamed the Hackett Hemwall Patterson Foundation to honor Dr.
Patterson’s vision and inspiration.
Dr. David De La Mora & Martha Contreras Expands HHPF Service-Learning Trips To Mexico
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Dr. David De La Mora was a student of Dr. Jeff Patterson. He and his wife, Martha Contreras, organized the first HHPF service-learning trip to Guadalajara, Mexico in 2007. Dr. Dr La Mora works closely with his church, Palabra De La Vida, to sponsor the annual service-learning trips where experienced prolotherapists and volunteers from around the world come together to learn from each other and treat approximately 1000 patients during the one-week mission. The Guadalajara service-learning trip has expanded to include chronic venous disease treatment provided by vein specialists from around the world.
Dr. David Rabago Establishes the University of Wisconsin Prolotherapy Education & Research Lab
The Hackett Hemwall Patterson Foundation began hosting the annual HHPF Prolotherapy Research Symposium in 2004. The Research Symposium brings together clinicians, clinician researchers and basic scientists interested in prolotherapy and regenerative medicine research. Participants share completed and ongoing regenerative medicine studies with the goal of better understanding chronic pain and optimizing its treatment. Every year new research ideas and collaborations are born.
Dr. David Rabago, close associate of Dr. Jeff Patterson and family medicine researcher, established the University of Wisconsin Prolotherapy Education and Research Lab (UW PEARL) in 2005.UW PEARL collaborates with national and international colleagues to promote prolotherapy research and education.
Dr. Richard Owens Sets Up HHPF Veincare Clinics in Honduras & Mexico
Dr. Jeff Patterson invited Dr. Richard Owens, a chronic venous disease specialist, to join him on a service-learning trip to Honduras in 2003.Dr. Owens expanded the scope of HHPF service-learning trips to include chronic venous disease treatment to all three prolotherapy sites in Honduras and Guadalajara, Mexico.
HHPF Establishes The International Association of Regenerative Therapy (IART)
Since Dr. Hemwall started his international altruistic prolotherapy work in 1969 HHPF has taught hundreds of doctors from over 30 countries the art of prolotherapy. HHPF is proud to have trained such a broad and growing group of prolotherapists. The demand for expanded prolotherapy and regenerative medicine teaching opportunities prompted HHPF to create the International Association for Regenerative Therapy (IART). HHPF and IART share the vision of a world with less chronic pain and disability. HHPF and IART are leaders in the promotion of quality, low mentor-to- student ratio, safe prolotherapy training and practice. IART is working to standardize prolotherapy treatment techniques drawing from the accumulated expertise of our renowned faculty and best available evidence.
The HHPF and IART faculty are invited to teach prolotherapy globally by a variety of organizations interested in treating chronic pain.
Dr. Annette Zaharoff
HHPF has trained physicians in over 30 countries since 1969
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Hackett Hemwall Paterson Foundation is a Tax Exempt 501 (c)3 organization as approved by the Internal Revenue Service. Accordingly Contributions to the Foundation are fully deductible subject to any limitations that apply to your tax situation.