George S. Hackett
George S. Hackett was a Canadian-born physician who significantly contributed to the field of pain management through his development of prolotherapy, an alternative treatment aimed at strengthening weakened connective tissues and alleviating musculoskeletal pain. Born in 1891 in Kingston, Ontario, Hackett earned his medical degree from Cornell Medical College around 1916 and trained as a general surgeon. He became interested in prolotherapy during his practice, particularly after observing chronic postsurgical pain among his trauma patients. Hackett believed that the source of their pain stemmed from soft tissue injuries, which were often overlooked due to the lack of diagnostic methods and effective treatments at the time.
In the 1940s, he formalized prolotherapy, using various injections to stimulate tissue healing by inducing a controlled inflammatory response. His pioneering work included in vivo experiments and microscopic analysis of treatment outcomes. Hackett published his findings in medical journals and authored a book, "Ligament and Tendon Relaxation: Treated by Prolotherapy," in 1958. He began teaching prolotherapy in the 1950s, influencing subsequent practitioners, including his notable student Gustav Hemwall. While prolotherapy remains a subject of debate within the medical community, some studies suggest its efficacy in treating chronic conditions like osteoarthritis and tendonitis, establishing Hackett's lasting influence in complementary and alternative medicine.
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George S. Hackett
BORN: Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 1891
DIED: Canton, Ohio, United States, 1963
FLOURISHED: 1940s
Overview
George S. Hackett was an American physician often considered the founder of prolotherapy, an alternative method that involves injecting an otherwise non-pharmacological intervention (NPI) into the body to strengthen weakened connective tissues and alleviate musculoskeletal pain. Hackett reportedly used the term “prolotherapy” as a shortened form of the words “fibroproliferative therapy” (or “proliferant injection therapy”). Accordingly, this technique is sometimes called proliferation therapy or regenerative injection therapy. Most proponents of prolotherapy claim that it works by reinitiating an inflammatory response in an affected area, which strengthens the area to overcome pain signals.
Hackett earned his medical degree from Cornell Medical College around 1916. He was trained as a general surgeon and was said to have a particular interest in trauma cases, including follow-up surgery and rehabilitation. He noted his trauma patients’ regular comments about their chronic postsurgical pain and disabilities. Based on his interactions with patients, he came to believe that their pain was caused not by bone-related issues, but by the “soft tendons” (tendons and ligaments) that failed to heal after surgery. At this time, there was no diagnostic method for detecting such issues (beyond a thorough physical examination). Also, no therapies existed to treat these patients.
Hackett likely was aware of nineteenth-century practices whereby various materials were injected into the body to form scar tissue or to heal topical wounds. In line with this knowledge, he formally developed the field of prolotherapy in the 1940s. He experimented with many different preparations and techniques to optimize results. He is said to have carried out in vivo experiments using rabbits to test different materials and doses. He also relied on microscopy to observe the results of treatments at the cellular level.
Hackett was reportedly the first modern clinician to rigorously investigate and document prolotherapy use in experimental systems and humans. He was known to treat joint pain and hernias. He published his study results in popular medical journals of his time. In 1958, he also published the book Ligament and Tendon Relaxation: Treated by Prolotherapy.
By the 1950s, Hackett began teaching prolotherapy. One of his primary students, Gustav Hemwall, expanded on Hackett’s methods from the 1950s to the 1990s.
Based on his own clinical experiences, Hackett reported that more than 80 percent of the thousands of persons he treated with prolotherapy indicated that the treatment relieved their chronic pain. Prolotherapy continues to be used in the twenty-first century, although it remains somewhat controversial in the medical community. Some scientific studies have shown its effectiveness in treating pain from chronic conditions, such as osteoarthritis and tendonitis. Hackett's legacy in complementary and alternative medicine can be found in the continuation of the use of prolotherapy for musculoskeletal pain in the twenty-first century.
Bibliography
"A Retrospective Observational Study on Hackett-Hemwall Dextrose Prolotherapy for Unresolved Hand and Finger Pain at an Outpatient Charity Clinic in Rural Illinois." The Journal of Prolotherapy, journalofprolotherapy.com/a-retrospective-observational-study-on-hackett-hemwall-dextrose-prolotherapy-for-unresolved-hand-and-finger-pain-at-an-outpatient-charity-clinic-in-rural-illinois. Accessed 15 Aug. 2023.
Darrow, Marc. Prolotherapy: Living Pain Free. Protex Press, 2004.
Hackett, George Stuart, et al. Ligament and Tendon Relaxation: Treated by Prolotherapy. Institute in Basic Life Principles, 1993.
Hauser, Ross A., and Marion A. Hauser. Prolo Your Pain Away! Curing Chronic Pain with Prolotherapy. 4th ed., Sorridi Business Consulting, 2016.
Marsh, David. "Prolotherapy: Review with Background History, Mechanism of Action, and Current Evidence." ASRA Pain Medicine, 15 Oct. 2021, www.asra.com/news-publications/asra-updates/blog-landing/legacy-b-blog-posts/2021/10/15/prolotherapy-review-with-background-history-mechanism-of-action-and-current-evidence. Accessed 7 Sept. 2024.
"Prolotherapy for Osteoarthritis." Arthritis Foundation, www.arthritis.org/diseases/more-about/prolotherapy-for-osteoarthritis. Accessed 7 Sept. 2024.
Rabago, D., A. Slattengren, and A. Zgierska. "Prolotherapy in Primary Care Practice." Primary Care, vol. 37, no. 1, 2010, pp. 65-80.