Interventional Pain Management Using Dextrose Prolotherapy in Treating a Partial Supraspinatus Tear: A Case Report

Shoulder pain is a medical condition that may affect the well-being and compromise the quality of life of an individual, especially in the elderly. A supraspinatus tear is the most common cause of shoulder pain. Several treatments are available for this problem, such as surgical and conservative treatment. The surgical approach is found to be more efficacious but has a high rate of recurrence. Prolotherapy is one of the novel pain treatment modalities that could provide significant pain relief in musculoskeletal diseases. In this case report, we report a 53-year-old woman, who came to the outpatient clinic complaining of pain in her right shoulder for three months. The pain had been getting worse in the previous seven days, felt continuously throughout the day, and exacerbated when she raised her arm. The physical examination revealed a limited range of motion of active abduction and flexion with a positive drop arm test of the right shoulder. An ultrasound revealed a tear-drop appearance. The patient was treated with interventional pain management using dextrose prolotherapy. After undergoing prolotherapy treatment for three sessions over two months, the patient was declared completely healed from the supraspinatus tear. In conclusion, prolotherapy coupled with an ultrasound-guided procedure appears to be beneficial in alleviating pain and completely healing supraspinatus tears.