What is platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy?

How does platelet-rich plasma (PRP) work?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is highly popular as a safe, natural alternative to surgery. Platelets are found in the blood and are packed with growth factors and cytokines that can have a positive effect on inflammation, postoperative bleeding, infection, bone formation, wounds, muscle tears, and soft tissue healing.

Research also suggests that platelets release many signaling proteins that attract macrophages, mesenchymal stem cells, and osteoblasts (bone-building cells), which can speed recovery with less pain and discomfort.

What evidence do we have for PRP?

PRP is increasingly used in orthopedic medicine. Clinical studies have reported that this regenerative therapy can shorten recovery time, strengthen bone, speed bone healing, decrease wound infection rates, and reduce swelling and pain.

How long has PRP been used?

PRP has been used to help treat tendinopathy for decades. It began gaining traction in the early 1990s, when physicians saw positive results from concentrating a person's own blood factors.

Compared with prolotherapy, which involves injecting sugar solutions, PRP is more complex and requires specialized equipment to do properly. That said, many practitioners have found that, done correctly, PRP produces a more substantial response with fewer treatments and better tissue health than prolotherapy.

Is there tenderness after the injection?

Expect some pain for up to 3 days after a PRP injection. It comes from temporary local inflammation, which is a constructive, healthy part of healing. There is less discomfort after the procedure when the PRP contains fewer white cells (called leukocyte-poor PRP); ask your doctor for more information.

What should you expect after an injection?

• Avoid NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory pain relievers) for about 10 days before and several weeks after treatment, so they don't hinder the growth factors and healing inflammatory response.
• A physical therapy program tailored to you is essential for long-term success. It's recommended before the procedure and resumed 7 to 14 days afterward.
• Results depend on your age and the severity of the condition treated, but pain relief can start about two weeks after the injection, with sustained relief often noticeable by twelve weeks.

Is PRP safe?

The safety of platelet-rich plasma is well established, with no reports of severe adverse reactions in the scientific literature. Because the treatment involves a needle, there is always some risk of bleeding, infection, or injury to soft tissue.

It's also important to know that PRP is not a "time machine": an aging knee can't become the knee you had at 19. Rehabilitation before and after the injection is just as important as the injection itself, and combined with PRP it can create a very powerful synergistic effect.

Spectrum Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center can help

Our physicians, Dr. Roman Berezovski and Dr. Alan Locke, offer PRP and cell-based treatments to patients throughout the Milwaukee area from our Wauwatosa clinic. Send an appointment inquiry online or call (262) 202-8312 to learn whether PRP or cell-based treatment is right for you.

Written by our physicians

Every procedure at Spectrum is performed by a physician — Dr. Roman Berezovski and Dr. Alan Locke work side by side, using live ultrasound or X-ray guidance to place treatment exactly where you hurt.

Dr. Roman Berezovski, MD Medical Director

Dr. Alan Locke, DO Clinic Director