Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy takes your own blood, concentrates its healing properties and reinjects it back into you to speed healing.

Platelet Rich Plasma

Platelet‑rich plasma (PRP) is the liquid part of the blood, which contains red and white bloods cells, as well as platelets. In the human body, platelets are about 10 percent of the blood’s cellular components. In PRP, your blood platelet concentration is increased to 90 percent, greatly increasing your blood’s healing power. PRP can be up to 10 times richer in the concentration of healing growth factors than normal blood, which helps speed the healing process. Because the treatment uses your own blood, PRP is safe with minimal risk of any adverse reaction. Unlike cortisone shots, PRP also strengthens rather than weakens structures in your body.

How Does PRP Heal?

The injected platelets release huge numbers of growth factors, which induce an inflammatory reaction that initiates a healing cascade. Growth factors stimulate blood flow, matrix formation, which helps form new soft tissue, and restores tendon and ligament proteins, and strengthen cartilage. Especially for tendons, which have a poor blood supply, PRP can speed up healing and may eliminate the need for surgery.

Does Insurance Cover PRP?

Insurance companies do not cover PRP, although a consultation may be covered by your insurance. Our team can help determine your coverage and out‑of-pocket expenses. Should you see the radiologist in clinic before the injection, there will be an additional consultation fee.

Platelet‑rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a natural option using your body’s own healing power to treat a chronic condition. The body only has a certain limited period of time, called the "inflammation stage," to heal an injury. After three to six months, the body stops trying to heal an injury and the injury becomes chronic. PRP can re‑jump-start the healing process. In use in sports medicine since the mid-1990s, PRP therapy stimulates and enhances healing of soft tissue, such as damage caused by:

• Joint and cartilage degeneration
• Labrum tears
• Ligament sprains and tears
• Loose ligaments
• Following microfracture surgery
• Mild osteoarthritis
• Muscle tears
• Patellar tendinosis (jumper’s knee)
• Plantar fasciitis
• Tendonitis
• Tendinosis
• Tendon tears
• Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)

PRP can be used to treat certain injuries caused by a range of sports and activities, including tennis, golf, yoga, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, basketball and dance.

PRP is often done with tenotomy.

• A radiology nurse or technologist will ask you a few questions regarding your medical history. They will also do a few simple tests such as taking your blood pressure.
• Please inform the technologist, radiology nurse or physician of any allergies you may have before your exam.
• An imaging physician will discuss this therapy with you in detail and answer any questions you may have.
• An hour before your scheduled PRP therapy, blood is collected and the platelets, which contain your body’s natural healing components (growth factors), are concentrated in a centrifuge.

• During the treatment, a local anesthetic is used on the affected region, and then the platelet rich plasma is reinjected under ultrasound‑guidance to stimulate and enhance healing.
• In most cases, one treatment is enough, but in certain cases between one and three treatments are recommended for maximum benefit over four to six weeks.

• Immediately after the procedure, you will remain lying down and under observation for a few minutes up to 30 minutes.

PRP site care

• Keep the PRP site clean and dry.
• Leave the bandage on for 12 to 24 hours and then replace the bandage with a Band‑Aid until the site heals.
• You may shower but change the bandage if it gets wet.
• DO NOT use ice on the PRP site because ice reduces swelling. The therapy is meant to cause swelling, which helps you heal.
• You may have some swelling and bruising for three to seven days.

Pain and drugs

• You may have severe pain at the PRP site for 24 to 48 hours. Please use Tylenol or Ultram (tramadol) as needed, but do not take more than 3,000 mg of Tylenol in 24 hours.
• You may be given narcotic pain drugs. NOTE: Some narcotic pain drugs have Tylenol in them. Count such drugs in the 24‑hour 3,000 mg Tylenol limit.
• Narcotics cause constipation. If taking a narcotic, please use a stool softener such as Colace. Please also drink more water and eat more fiber. DO NOT go more than two or three days without a bowel movement. Use a laxative or enema when needed.
• Do not use any drugs that have the following in them for two weeks:
  • Aspirin
  • Ibuprofen
  • Naproxen
  • Other anti‑inflammatory (anti-swelling) drugs (Motrin, Advil, Aleve, Voltaren, Mobic, Daypro, Feldene, Lodine, Orudis or Ansaid)
• If you are unsure about a drug, please call 310‑423-1011, Monday to Friday 9 am-5 pm.

Activity

You will be told which activities you may and may not do, but in most cases:

• For PRP in the arm, wrist or shoulder, do not pull, tug, grasp, lift weight or grip with the arm, wrist or shoulder for six weeks. Also, do not do any motion again and again.
• For PRP in the hip, knee, ankle or foot, use crutches for a day or more until you can walk without the pain getting worse.

Driving

• Do not drive for 24 hours after having anesthesia or taking narcotic pain drugs.
• If you have PRP in your hip, knee, ankle or foot, please have someone drive you home.
• You may drive home if you had PRP in your wrist, arm or shoulder without a nerve block and drive an automatic transmission car.

PRP therapy takes time to work. It is not like a steroid shot that will make you feel better right away. You may feel more pain at first, since we are causing swelling in the area that was already sore. The swelling is needed for the blood cells to start helping you heal for the long term. Please be patient.