Osteoarthritis and tendinopathy can be very painful. If anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy haven’t made a difference, platelet-rich plasma injections are a cutting edge treatment that could be an alternative to surgery.
“PRP treatment uses your own blood to help reduce pain, improve joint function and possibly slow, stop or even repair your cartilage damage,” says Orthopedic Surgeon Barbaro J. Perez, M.D., with Riverside Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialists Gloucester. “We separate the platelets and use them to create a solution that includes a variety of healing factors. Then, we inject this blend into the area of your body that is suffering from tendinopathy or osteoarthritis.”
Will PRP work for me?
Because this treatment is still new, there isn’t enough evidence to fully know who would benefit from PRP injections. We follow the current standard criteria to find out if you may benefit from PRP injections.
You may be eligible for PRP if:
- Your pain affects your daily activities
- Other treatments have failed
- Physical therapy didn’t help
- You are sensitive to anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen
- NSAIDs didn’t relieve your pain
- You are unable to have joint aspirations or they didn’t work
- You do not want steroid injections or they didn’t work
- Your case isn’t too severe
If you have any of the following medical conditions, you should avoid PRP:
- Any condition that could worsen or spread with injections
- Certain blood and bleeding disorders
- Anemia
- Pregnancy
Also, if you currently receive drug therapy to keep your blood from clotting and cannot stop treatment for a while, or if you have an allergy to cow products, this may not be the right treatment for you.
What happens during the PRP procedure
PRP injections are outpatient procedures, but there are still several precautions you’ll need to take. Two or three weeks before the procedure, you will be asked to stop taking any corticosteroid medications. You’ll also be asked to stop taking all NSAIDs a week prior, and any medications that prevent blood clots will need to be temporarily stopped five days in advance. Make sure to drink lots of fluids the day before the PRP procedure. The procedure itself only lasts between 45 and 90 minutes, and there are three main steps:
- Step One: Your blood is drawn.
- Step Two: The doctor uses your blood to create a platelet-rich solution.
- Step Three: You are injected with a small amount of PRP (approximately 3-6 milliliters) directly into the painful tendon or joint. The area will be cleaned and bandaged.
Depending on what you and your doctor discuss, you may only have one PRP injection, or you might receive a number of injections over several weeks or months. “If your doctor decides to give you several injections, we will only draw your blood one time. We’ll then freeze the remaining PRP mixture for future injections OR we will draw your blood before each injection to guarantee the PRP mixture is fresh,” says Dr. Perez.
Life after PRP injections
After you receive a PRP injection, you will experience swelling for about three days and will need rest to avoid putting strain on the treated area. Using a cold compress for 10–20 minutes several times a day will also reduce the pain and swelling. In addition, you may be prescribed pain medication. Depending on the area of your body being treated, you might temporarily need a brace, sling or crutches.
“PRP doesn’t work for everyone and it isn’t a cure, but many Riverside patients have experienced an improvement in their symptoms after PRP injections,” says Dr. Perez.
To increase PRP’s effectiveness, these injections should be combined with other treatments such as physical therapy, NSAIDs and weight loss.
To discuss whether PRP could help you, schedule an appointment to discuss this treatment
