PROLOTHERAPY
What is Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is a nonsurgical, non-opioid treatment that stimulates the body’s natural healing response to repair injured, painful joints, ligaments and tendons. Affected areas are injected with a solution that initiates growth of healthy tissue to reduce pain, improve mobility, and restore function. Prolotherapy has been practiced in the United States since the 1930’s, is supported by a growing body of scientific evidence, and has been endorsed by numerous medical societies and health experts including former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. This regenerative medicine therapy is effective in the treatment of chronic pain for musculoskeletal injuries, arthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, and joint instability.
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.
HHPF Prolotherapy Service-Learning Trips
Since 1969, the HHPF has organized annual trips to provide needed medical care to the underserved people of Honduras. In 2007 we expanded to include service learning trips in Guadalajara, Mexico. This amazing experience gives physicians wishing to pursue training in prolotherapy the opportunity to learn and work with a dedicated group of world reown physician instructors, nurses, and assistants. Together, with modest accommodations and resources, we change people’s lives by using prolotherapy to treat musculoskeletal conditions and relieve chronic pain.
Our Guadalajara, Mexico service learning trip usually takes place the 2nd week of January. The director of the mission is Dr. David De La Mora. With the support of his church (Palabra De La Vida), volunteers from around the world and members of the local community, we convert the church into a huge prolotherapy clinic and provide care to about 1000 patients during the one week mission.
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The Honduran prolotherapy service learning trip occurs every March. We run clinics in 2 to 3 Honduran cities: LaCeiba, Olanchito and Tela. Our group joins together to transform a church and a Red Cross building into patient care facilities. In 2 weeks we alleviate pain and suffering for about 2500 patients, while building life long friendships with one another.
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During these service learning trips physicians get daily lectures from experts on topics including anatomy, pathophysiology, physical exam, differential diagnosis and HHPF prolotherapy standardized injection techniques and safety protocols for treating TMJ, upper and lower extremities and spine. These concepts are reinforced during patient treatment time when participants get hands on training under the supervision of senior instructors. It is an amazing, unparalleled learning opportunity combined with the most gratifying sense of purpose helping those in need. At the end of the trip participants have the option to go sight seeing and experience the cultural uniqueness and beauty of these countries. Participants often return year after year to continue learning amongst leaders in the field and to reunite with all the friends they've met who have become more like family over the years.
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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.