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Prolotherapy, Oklahoma City, OK

HomeServicesRegenerative Medicine, Oklahoma City, OKProlotherapy in Oklahoma City

By Venturis Clinic, Oklahoma City · Updated October 2026

Prolotherapy is a series of injections, usually of a concentrated dextrose (sugar) solution, placed where ligaments and tendons attach to bone, to prompt the body’s own repair response in a joint that has stayed painful for months. Venturis Clinic offers dextrose prolotherapy and prolozone (ozone joint injections) in Oklahoma City. Every injection is performed by licensed medical staff under our medical director, after a Good Faith Exam.

A knee that aches every time you take the stairs. A lower back that never quite stabilizes. A shoulder that has been “strained” for two years. When joint, ligament or tendon pain lingers after rest, physical therapy and time, many people start looking for prolotherapy near them. This page explains what prolotherapy injections are, what the research shows, who may be a candidate, and what to expect.

What prolotherapy is

Prolotherapy is an injection-based approach for chronic musculoskeletal pain. A solution is injected into or around a painful joint, ligament or tendon, typically at the points where those tissues attach to bone (the entheses).

Ligaments and tendons have a limited blood supply and heal slowly. When they are stretched or worn, a joint can become loose and painful, and the tissue can stay in a stalled, poorly healed state. Prolotherapy aims to stimulate the body’s own repair response in that tissue. The name comes from “proliferation,” because the original goal was to encourage new tissue growth.

How prolotherapy injections work

The exact way prolotherapy works is still being studied. The main ideas are:

  • A controlled, local healing response. Concentrated dextrose draws fluid out of nearby cells and causes brief, local irritation. That is thought to set off the early stages of the body’s normal repair process, including the release of growth factors.
  • Effects on pain nerves. Some researchers think dextrose may also calm irritated nerve endings around the joint, which could explain why some people notice changes before tissue has had time to remodel.
  • Repeated sessions. Tissue repair is slow, so prolotherapy is given as a series rather than a single shot.

A local anesthetic such as lidocaine is usually mixed with the dextrose to make the injections more comfortable.

Types offered at Venturis

  • Dextrose prolotherapy uses a concentrated dextrose solution. Dextrose is the most studied prolotherapy solution in published research.
  • Ozone-based injections, often called prolozone, use a medical oxygen-ozone mixture injected at similar sites. See ozone joint injections for details and important regulatory information.

Which approach fits depends on the area involved, your history and your goals. It is discussed at your consultation and Good Faith Exam.

Common areas treated

What the research shows

The evidence varies by body area, and we think you should know that before deciding:

  • Knee osteoarthritis has the strongest support. Randomized trials and a systematic review (Sit et al., Annals of Family Medicine, 2016) found dextrose prolotherapy improved pain and function compared with control injections. The studies were mostly small, and some had short follow-up.
  • Tennis elbow and rotator cuff tendinopathy have encouraging but more limited trial evidence.
  • Chronic low back pain has mixed evidence. A Cochrane review found prolotherapy alone was not shown to be effective, while results in combination with other approaches were inconsistent.
  • Ozone injections for knee osteoarthritis have shown short-term pain improvement in systematic reviews, with limited long-term data.

Responses vary. Prolotherapy typically involves a series of sessions, and not everyone improves. We will tell you honestly how strong the evidence is for your specific problem.

Who may be a candidate

  • Chronic joint, ligament or tendon pain lasting months
  • Pain that has not resolved with rest, physical therapy or activity changes
  • Mild to moderate osteoarthritis
  • Joint laxity, a feeling that a joint “gives way,” or recurrent sprains
  • People who want to explore a non-surgical option and understand that results vary

Who should not have prolotherapy

Prolotherapy may not be appropriate for people with:

  • An active infection, especially near the injection site
  • Certain bleeding disorders, or some blood-thinning medications, reviewed case by case
  • Uncontrolled diabetes
  • An allergy to the solution or the local anesthetic
  • Pain from causes that need other care, such as fractures, a fully torn tendon that needs surgical repair, or nerve compression with weakness
  • Pregnancy, unless your own doctor agrees

If your exam suggests your pain needs imaging, a specialist or a different approach, we will say so.

What a visit looks like

  1. Consultation and Good Faith Exam. Your history, prior imaging and treatments, a hands-on exam of the painful area and your goals.
  2. Treatment plan. Which areas, which solution and a realistic number of sessions.
  3. The injection visit. The skin is cleaned and the solution is injected at several points around the joint, ligament or tendon. Most visits are brief.
  4. Afterward. Soreness, stiffness and a feeling of fullness for a few days are common, because the goal is to stimulate a healing response. Most people return to normal daily activity the same or next day, while avoiding heavy strain on the area for a short time.
  5. Follow-up. Your response is reassessed before each session, and the plan is adjusted or stopped if it is not helping.

How many prolotherapy sessions are needed?

It varies by area and response. In published studies, dextrose prolotherapy was often given as three to five sessions spaced about four weeks apart, and some people had more. Your plan is reassessed along the way, rather than set in advance.

Recovery and aftercare

  • Expect soreness for a few days. Ice and rest can help.
  • You may be asked to avoid anti-inflammatory pain relievers for a period around each session, because they may blunt the intended response. Never stop a prescribed medicine without checking with the doctor who prescribed it.
  • Gentle movement is usually encouraged. Your team will tell you when to return to exercise and whether to continue physical therapy.

Risks

  • Most common: post-injection pain, swelling, stiffness and bruising.
  • Less common but possible: infection, nerve irritation, a temporary flare of pain or allergic reaction.
  • Rare: injury to nearby structures. Injections near the spine or chest carry specific risks that are discussed beforehand.
  • With ozone: rare serious complications have been reported if gas enters a blood vessel.

These are discussed in detail before any treatment, and you sign a written consent.

Cost and insurance

Prolotherapy is generally not covered by insurance. Read why in Why isn’t prolotherapy covered by insurance?

Cost depends on which areas are treated and how many sessions your plan calls for, so it is discussed at consult before any treatment begins.

Serving Oklahoma City, Tulsa and all of Oklahoma

Venturis Clinic is located at 7917 N May Ave, Suite B, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, in north Oklahoma City near Nichols Hills and The Village. If you are looking for prolotherapy near you in central Oklahoma, we are a short drive from Edmond, Yukon, Moore, Norman, Mustang and Bethany.

We also see patients from Oklahoma City and surrounding areas, including Tulsa, and from across Oklahoma. Patients from Tulsa travel to our Oklahoma City clinic. Questions? Use our contact page or call (405) 848-7246.

Frequently asked questions

How many prolotherapy sessions will I need?

It varies by area and response. A series of sessions spaced a few weeks apart is typical, and your plan is reassessed along the way.

Does prolotherapy hurt?

Injections cause brief discomfort, eased by a local anesthetic, and soreness for a few days afterward is common.

Is prolotherapy the same as a cortisone shot?

No. Cortisone is a steroid that reduces inflammation. Prolotherapy uses a different solution and aims to stimulate a healing response, so it works on a different principle and is given as a series.

What’s the difference between prolotherapy and prolozone?

Classic prolotherapy uses a dextrose solution. Prolozone uses an oxygen-ozone mixture injected at similar sites. See Prolozone (ozone joint injections) for details and its regulatory status.

Is prolotherapy covered by insurance?

Generally, no. Most insurance plans do not cover prolotherapy. Read why prolotherapy isn’t covered by insurance. Cost is discussed at consult.

Where can I get prolotherapy near me in Oklahoma?

Venturis Clinic offers prolotherapy at 7917 N May Ave, Suite B, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, and sees patients from across Oklahoma, including Tulsa.

More on prolotherapy

Wondering if prolotherapy fits your situation?

Talk with our team for 15 minutes, at no cost. We will tell you honestly whether prolotherapy, another approach or a referral makes more sense.

Book your free 15-minute call or call (405) 848-7246

Individual results vary. No specific outcome is promised. A Good Faith Exam by licensed medical staff is required before any treatment. This page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice.

Sources

  • Sit RWS, et al. Hypertonic dextrose injections (prolotherapy) in the treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Family Medicine. 2016;14(4):314–322.
  • Dagenais S, et al. Prolotherapy injections for chronic low-back pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007;(2):CD004059.
  • Sconza C, et al. Oxygen-ozone therapy for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Arthroscopy. 2020;36(1):277–286.