PRP: A Natural Healing Option for Pain

 

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections: A Natural Healing Option for Pain

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Natural Healing Boost

PRP uses your body’s own blood components—specifically concentrated plateletsto accelerate tissue repair and regeneration, making it a natural and minimally invasive option.

Effective for Acute and Chronic Injuries

Clinical studies support PRP's ability to relieve pain and improve healing in both acute injuries (like sprains and strains) and chronic conditions (such as tendinitis or osteoarthritis).

Targeted Relief for Extremities and Low Back

PRP has shown strong results in treating knee osteoarthritis, rotator cuff injuries, Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, and facet joint pain in the lower back.

Reduced Reliance on Medication and Surgery

PRP can reduce or even eliminate the need for corticosteroid injections, prescription pain medications, and in some cases, surgery.

Backed by Research

Systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have shown improvements in pain, joint function, and tissue healing after PRP therapy compared to placebo or corticosteroids.

Safe and Well-Tolerated

Since PRP is made from your own blood, the risk of allergic reaction or infection is extremely low.

Works Best with the Right Conditions

PRP is especially effective when used for mild-to-moderate injuries, with early intervention providing better outcomes than delayed treatment.

 

FULL ARTICLE:

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is made from a person’s own blood. A small blood sample is spun in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets – cells rich in growth factors that help heal injury orthoinfo.aaos.org hss.edu. The resulting “platelet-rich plasma” is then injected into a painful joint or tendon. This delivers a higher dose of healing signals (growth factors) directly to the injured area. In simple terms, PRP uses your body’s own repair cells to speed up healing without surgery orthoinfo.aaos.org e-jyms.org.

How PRP Works

Platelets contain hundreds of proteins (growth factors) that signal tissue repair orthoinfo.aaos.org. By concentrating the platelets 5–10 times above normal blood levels and injecting them into an injury, PRP boosts those repair signals orthoinfo.aaos.org e-jyms.org. Lab studies show PRP releases growth factors that encourage cell growth, collagen formation, and blood vessel development in tendons and cartilage e-jyms.org orthoinfo.aaos.org. In effect, PRP stimulates the body’s natural healing process: it delivers a burst of growth factors and even may increase stem-cell activity at the injury site e-jyms.org orthoinfo.aaos.org. For example, trials suggest PRP can help damaged cartilage regenerate and ease arthritis symptoms, improving joint function with minimal side effects e-jyms.org hss.edu.

Common Conditions Treated with PRP

PRP is used mainly for musculoskeletal injuries and degenerative conditions of the extremities and spine. These include:

  • Tendon and ligament injuries: Chronic tendonitis and sprains often respond to PRP. For example, PRP injections can help tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), golfer’s elbow, Achilles or patellar tendonitis, and sprains of ligaments (like ankle sprains) orthoinfo.aaos.orghss.edu. In these tendon injuries, PRP’s growth factors may reduce inflammation and encourage the tendon to heal stronger orthoinfo.aaos.org pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Many patients report gradual pain relief and improved strength over weeks with PRP injections.

  • Arthritis and joint degeneration: PRP is often used for osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear) in joints like the knee, shoulder, or ankle. Studies show PRP can reduce joint pain and improve mobility. For mild to moderate knee arthritis, PRP injections have produced better pain relief and function than placebo or steroid shots, especially noticeable 6–12 months after treatment pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov hss.edu. In one meta-analysis, PRP outperformed hyaluronic-acid (“gel”) injections in duration of benefit hss.edu pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Similarly, research suggests PRP may ease pain from rotator cuff tendon injuries and some shoulder joint problems, improving function more than steroid or placebo injections cisejournal.orghss.edu.

  • Low back and spine pain: PRP is being explored for chronic low back pain due to disc or facet-joint problems. Early reviews describe PRP as a “less invasive and safe alternative” for chronic back pain, often helping pain without serious side effects pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37760845/.

Benefits of PRP vs. Surgery or Medication

PRP offers several advantages for suitable patients:

  • Natural, drug-free healing: Because PRP uses your own blood components, there’s no foreign drug or large steroid dose involved. PRP’s growth factors actively work on healing, rather than simply masking pain e-jyms.org hss.edu. Notably, PRP treatment can often reduce the need for pain medications – even narcotics or NSAIDs – because the injury itself starts healing hss.eduhss.edu.

  • Minimally invasive: PRP is given by injection, not by surgery. There are no surgical cuts or implants, so recovery time is short. You can typically walk out after the injection and resume normal activities quickly.

  • Low risk: Since PRP is autologous (from your own body), there is virtually no risk of allergic reaction. Side effects are very limited, most people only experience temporary soreness at the injection site hss.edu. There is a small risk of infection (as with any injection), but otherwise PRP is generally very safe hss.edu pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

  • Longer-lasting results: Unlike a single steroid shot that wears off after a few weeks, PRP’s effects can be more durable. Many patients notice pain relief and better function that lasts several months or longer. For example, studies found that PRP’s benefit in knee arthritis was greater at 6–12 months than at earlier follow-ups pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov hss.edu.

  • Natural healing vs. surgery: Surgery can be effective for some injuries, but it carries risks (infection, anesthesia, long rehab). PRP avoids those risks and can sometimes delay or eliminate the need for surgery. It promotes tissue repair rather than replacing tissue.

  • Applicable to many conditions: PRP is used by sports medicine doctors for a wide range of tendon, ligament, and joint problems. High-level reviews report that PRP “may reduce the pain” of tennis elbow and rotator cuff injuries pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, and it shows promise in many other overuse injuries orthoinfo.aaos.org orthoinfo.aaos.org.

What to Expect from PRP Treatment

A typical PRP treatment visit works like this: a few tubes of your blood are drawn and processed to separate out the platelets. The concentrated PRP fluid is then injected into the injured area – for example into the knee joint or directly into a swollen tendon hss.edu orthoinfo.aaos.org. The whole process takes about 30–60 minutes. After the injection, you may feel mild discomfort or swelling for a few days (sometimes pain briefly increases as the healing begins) orthoinfo.aaos.org.

Improvement from PRP is gradual. Unlike a pain pill that works immediately, PRP triggers a healing response over time. Many patients see progress over 4–12 weeks. For arthritis or chronic injuries, the full benefit may take several months. In studies of knee arthritis, significant improvement was often seen by 6 months post-injection pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Multiple injections (2–3 sessions a few weeks apart) are sometimes recommended for better effect.

Each person’s outcome is unique. Expect some reduction in pain and improved movement, but not a “miracle cure.” Research emphasizes that PRP often gives partial but substantial relief pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. In other words, many patients feel better, but some discomfort may remain. Results depend on factors like the extent of injury, your age and health, and how advanced the problem is pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Studies note that factors like the injury’s location and whether it is acute or chronic can influence how well PRP works orthoinfo.aaos.org orthoinfo.aaos.org.

Is PRP Right for You?

PRP injections are not suitable for every condition or every patient, but they are worth considering if you have chronic joint or tendon pain not fully relieved by rest, therapy, or medications. The evidence suggests PRP is safe and often helpful for many musculoskeletal problems pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov hss.edu.

To decide if PRP is a good option for you, schedule a free consult with Dr. Wojciak! They will review your case (exam, imaging), help you learn more about PRP – how it’s done, potential benefits, and costs.

Because PRP is a “regenerative” treatment, doctors usually frame it as part of a comprehensive care plan (including exercise and physical therapy) rather than a quick fix. Many patients find that, with patience and proper guidance, PRP injections give them a way to heal injured tissues naturally and get back to daily activities with less pain pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov hss.edu.

Bret Wojciak