Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

What is platelet rich plasma (PRP)?

PRP is a nonsurgical pain treatment that uses a patient’s own blood products (platelets) to stimulate the body’s natural healing response to regrow and fix injured or weakened joints, ligaments and tendons.  

Can PRP help my pain?

Many types of chronic pain are triggered by weakened and damaged ligaments, tendons, muscles, and joints. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a type of regenerative injection therapy that aims to correct this problem and often result in permanent pain relief.

How is PRP prepared?

PRP is prepared using a small amount of the patient’s blood drawn immediately prior to the procedure. The blood is put into a special kit that is placed in a centrifuge machine which spins down and concentrates the platelets. 

How does PRP work?

When PRP is injected into an injured area, it creates a mild controlled inflammatory response to recruit the body’s natural repair mechanisms and start a healing cascade.  This initiates repair and growth of new healthy ligament and tendon fibers.  Subsequent treatments repeat this proliferative process, allowing a gradual accumulation of tissue to restore strength and function and eliminate pain.

How often do I need PRP treatments?

This is different for each individual.  Most people require 1-3 treatments separated by 4-6 weeks apart.  Some people require more, depending on the condition being treated and the response to the treatment.

How will I feel after a PRP treatment?

You can expect to have increased discomfort for three to five days after injection because the solution is causing a healing inflammatory response.  This may cause you to feel stiff and sore, like you have the injury or arthritis flare-up all over again for a few days and is a good sign that you are getting a proper response.  You can expect some bruising, local swelling or tenderness at the injection site. 

How is PRP different from prolotherapy?

Both injection treatments are regenerative therapies that aim to fix the cause of the pain and not just temporarily mask the pain.  They both are less invasive than surgery with shorter recovery time. PRP tends to stimulate a stronger healing inflammatory response, resulting in slightly more injection and post injection discomfort (but still well tolerated). PRP is more costly than prolotherapy because PRP requires a blood draw and processing of the blood to make a small volume of highly concentrated solution.  Prolotherapy uses injectable grade dextrose (corn sugar), which is not patentable, hence less expensive, and is readily available. 

When would you use PRP versus prolotherapy?

The goal of regenerative injections is to stimulate a healing inflammatory cascade. In general, if a patient gets the desired 2-3 days of inflammation (stiffness, soreness, local pain) after prolotherapy, then they do not need a stronger stimulant like PRP.  

How is PRP different from steroid injections?

Steroids produce temporary pain relief and inhibit inflammation (the body’s natural healing mechanism).  In the long run, steroids cause tissue breakdown and multiple adverse effects.   PRP does just the opposite, stimulating regrowth and healing of injured tissue with minimal side effects.

Will my insurance cover PRP?

No