Treatment of joint and tendon or muscle pain due to arthritis or injury has traditionally involved lifestyle changes, medication, physical therapy, or even surgery. Today, physician specialists use innovative treatments that harness the power of your own blood cells to accelerate repair and healing.

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma?

Platelet-rich plasma consists of two elements: plasma, or the liquid portion of blood, and platelets. Platelets are a type of blood cell rich in proteins called growth factors that are important in the healing process. Platelets are known for their clotting abilities, but they also can trigger cell reproduction and stimulate or speed up healing in a targeted area. Platelet-rich plasma is simply blood that contains more platelets than normal.

“Platelet-rich plasma therapy uses the body’s natural defenses to decrease inflammation and pain while restoring function,” explains sports medicine specialists Sarah Kennedy, D.O., at Sideline Orthopedics and Sports, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice.

How PRP Therapy Works

Platelet-rich plasma therapy requires creating a solution that is injected into a specific area of the body, such as an injured knee or a tendon. To create a platelet-rich plasma injection:

• A sample of your blood is taken and placed in a device that rapidly spins the sample.
• The other components of your blood are separated out from the platelets and concentrated within the plasma.
• The plasma portion of your blood, containing the platelets, is then injected back into the injured part of your joint.

In some cases, ultrasound may be used to guide the injection and help to pinpoint the area of damage. The goal is to increase the amount of growth factors in the target area to accelerate healing.

After the procedure, you may be temporarily placed in a sling (for upper extremity procedures) or a boot, brace, and/or crutches (for lower extremity procedures). An individualized rehabilitation program will be created based on your specific condition.

Are You a Candidate for PRP Injections?

Platelet-rich plasma injections are used for a range of conditions to promote pain-free movement. Kennedy notes that you may be a candidate for the non-surgical therapy if you are experiencing any of the following:

• Knee osteoarthritis
• Knee sprain
• Tendon disorder
• Sacroiliac joint pain or other back issues
• Pulled hamstring muscle or other ligament injury
• Chronic tendon issues in a joint such as the elbow (golfer’s or tennis elbow)
• Cartilage tear
• Foot or ankle issues
• Bursitis

What You Should Know

• PRP treatment is a precise technique that can help support wound healing in trauma and joint injury.
• The outpatient procedure may be done under local anesthesia in the doctor’s office.
• Results of PRP injections are most noticeable after several weeks and you may require additional injections.
• Because the treatments use your own tissues, PRP injections are low-risk and can be administered alone or used in conjunction with other procedures to promote joint health.
• PRP treatments are covered by many Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Chronic tendon injuries often take a long time to heal. Adding PRP injections to a treatment regimen may help to stimulate the healing process, decrease pain, and enable a quicker return to activities.

Possible Risks and Side Effects

A platelet-rich plasma injection does not usually cause major side effects. “The procedure does involve a blood draw, so you should make sure to hydrate and eat beforehand to prevent feeling lightheaded,” Kennedy says. “After the procedure, you may experience some soreness and minor bruising at the injection site.”

“As with any procedure, it’s important to find a qualified medical professional to administer the therapy and always address any concerns you may have prior to treatment,” she adds.

Learn more about non-surgical joint care at Texas Health. To find an orthopedic or sports medicine specialist, visit TexasHealth.org.

*Platelet-rich plasma is an emerging injection therapy. Research regarding the expansion of uses for platelet-rich plasma therapy is rapidly growing. Although the equipment necessary to produce PRP and the injections themselves have been cleared by the FDA, the procedure has not been officially approved by the FDA for most uses. FDA clearance means that doctors can prescribe and administer PRP if they believe it is in the best interest of the patient.