Patients may experience two to three days of soreness after receiving a joint injection. Patients receiving PRP for soft tissue injuries generally experience pain for a few days. They may also experience stiffness.  Tylenol is often effective at managing the pain. Prescription pain medication is rarely needed. Although it is not absolutely necessary, patients often rest for a few days after the treatment. Pain relief typically starts to transpire within three to four weeks after the injection. Following a PRP injection, symptoms will continue to improve over the next three to six months. The recovery timeframe varies depending on what area is being treated.

The pain or discomfort of osteoarthritis usually responds faster than tendon related pain such as tennis elbow, golfers elbow or patella tendonitis. PRP injections have not seen as much success when treating Achilles or patella tendon pain. Arthritic joints usually respond much faster to PRP injections than a patient being treated for tendonitis.

Typically, PRP injections can be prepared and administered on an outpatient basis. Your plasma (blood) is drawn, spun through a centrifuge, and a platelet-enriched plasma preparation of your own blood is created. PRP delivers an enhanced supply of growth factors — up to 10 times the normal concentration of platelets — to your injury. These growth factors play an important role in signaling the body to heal itself through building and healing tissue and skin, controlling inflammation, and clotting. All of this requires expensive medical equipment and expertise from trained professionals. Typically, PRP injections can range from three to five hundred dollars per injection. While this isn’t considered pocket change, it is a lot less expensive than inpatient surgery or ongoing medications.

PRP may be a non-invasive alternative to surgery if you have chronic tendon or muscle injuries. Generally two injections spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart is recommended for treating a tendon or muscle injury.

PRP can help to subdue and control painful inflammation and stiffness, although it cannot create new cartilage or otherwise reverse the joint damage that causes arthritis. For treatment of joints, it is recommend to receive 2 to 3 injections spaced 1 to 2 weeks apart.

Hair growth — As a way of reducing the inflammation that can lead to hair loss, doctors have injected PRP into the scalp. This promotes hair growth and regeneration.

Tissue healing — Platelet-rich plasma therapy can be used to promote tissue healing. PRP was first used by doctors to help people heal after jaw and plastic surgeries. Examples of tissues that PRP can heal include, but is not limited to:

– tendons
– ligaments
– muscles

Ligaments in particular can be difficult to heal, and often take much time to heal. This can make PRP an attractive option for patients who have experienced ligament injuries.

Inflammation reduction — To reduce inflammation caused by osteoarthritis doctors have used PRP. This inflammation often leads to joints becoming stiff and painful.

If you or someone you know is experiencing joint pain, hair loss or inflammation, then PRP injections might be right for you! Come to American Pain and Wellness, where our team of kind and caring professionals have great experience with PRP injections and can change the way you look at medicine! Contact our office to talk with an expert today. To schedule an appointment at our clinic, visit us online or give us a call!