Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy involves injecting a mild irritant solution, most commonly dextrose, into and around a joint to provoke a controlled healing response in ligaments that have become lax. In the jaw it is used mainly for hypermobility — joints that translate too far, sublux, or repeatedly dislocate.
The problem it addresses
Some jaw joints are too loose rather than too tight. The ligaments permit the condyle to travel beyond its normal limit, producing clunking at the end of opening, episodes where the jaw catches open, and in some cases repeated dislocation. This is a distinct problem from a restricted joint and it needs the opposite approach — stability rather than mobility.
How it is intended to work
The injected solution provokes a local inflammatory response, which is intended to stimulate the ligament repair process and, over a series of sessions, tighten the tissue enough to reduce excessive translation. It is delivered as a course rather than a single treatment, and improvement is expected gradually across that course.
Where the evidence stands
Prolotherapy for temporomandibular hypermobility has supportive published evidence including randomised trials, and it is a recognised option for recurrent dislocation and subluxation. The evidence base remains modest in size and heterogeneous in protocol. It is a reasonable option for a well-selected patient with a genuinely hypermobile joint; it is not a general treatment for jaw pain.
Common questions
- How many sessions are needed?
- It is typically delivered as a series rather than a one-off, with the number depending on response. You should be given an expected course length and a point at which effectiveness is reassessed.
- Is this appropriate for a stiff, restricted jaw?
- Generally no. Prolotherapy targets joints that move too much. A restricted joint needs a different approach, which is why the distinction is established during examination before this is considered.
Not sure where to start?
Request a virtual consultation with Dr. Samadian. In-person visits are by appointment in New York.
Book An AppointmentRelated Care
All TMJ Treatments- Orthotic Appliance TherapyA custom orthotic that repositions, not just cushions.
- PRF Regenerative TherapyUsing your own platelet-rich fibrin in the joint.
- Therapeutic InjectionsTargeted injections for muscle and joint pain.
- Exercises for TMJWhat helps at home — and what makes it worse.
- Medications for TMJWhere drugs help, and where they only mask.
- Relaxation TechniquesLowering the muscle tone that drives clenching.