PRP

If you are experiencing chronic pain but would like to avoid steroid or hyaluronic acid injections, platelet rich plasma injections could be an attractive option for you. An increasingly popular choice for patients who seek alternative therapy to combat their chronic pain, PRP is a safe and effective way to finally find relief. The California Pain Consultants team in the Escondido, El Centro, La Mesa, San Diego, Chula Vista areas are experts in helping their patients experience chronic pain relief with PRP. 

What is PRP?

Platelet rich plasma, or PRP, is a type of blood plasma that has an increased concentration of platelets. The process of making the plasma into a healing method makes use of properties of both platelets and stem cells. 

Platelets are cells that are located in the blood that bind together when they recognize damaged blood vessels. They have high concentrations of growth factors and fibrinogen, which is a connective tissue, and both of which help to stop bleeding and healing of wounds. 

Stem cells are found in high concentrations in tissues and have the incredible ability to transform into any type of cell. They also release exosomes, which are very small sacs that house biochemicals that activate healing properties in nearby cells. Due to the fact that stem cells have a natural regenerative ability, the body is able to continuously repair damaged and diseased tissues. 

What makes PRP such an attractive treatment option is that patients are able to use the body’s own natural healing abilities to repair and regrow damaged tissue, heal an injury and relieve pain. 

How Does PRP Work?

PRP is extracted from the patient’s blood. A small amount of blood is drawn from the body and placed in a centrifuge that spins the blood at a high speed, which causes the platelets to separate from the red blood cells. The platelet-rich plasma is then collected and injected into and around the area of the knee where the injury happened or the pain is felt. This helps the body to both kickstart and strengthen its own healing properties, as well as providing pain relief and reducing inflammation. 

What Does PRP Treat?

Any time a person suffers an injury or a disease, the body sends healing cells to the area to attempt to fix the issue. However, for injuries in areas where there is a low blood supply, a chronic condition or a severe injury, the body might need help to repair itself. This is where a pain management specialist might recommend injections or steroids or medication. But for patients who are interested in more conservative therapies, PRP is a great option. 

PRP offers patients a safe and effective way to treat inflammation and help the body to repair itself, all by utilizing the patient’s own blood. PRP treats a variety of chronic and acute pain conditions, including: 

• Knee osteoarthritis 
• Ligament injuries
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spinal stenosis
• Joint injury
• Chronic tendon injuries
• Muscle injuries
• Meniscus tear

What are the Benefits of PRP?

The main benefit of PRP is that it is a conservative treatment for knee osteoarthritis, lessening long-term discomfort and better knee joint function. In fact, patients who are suffering with chronic pain from knee osteoarthritis who received PRP injections had the best overall success when compared to steroids and hyaluronic acid.

Additional benefits of PRP include:

• Reduced inflammation
• Faster healing process
• Chronic pain relief
• Reduced pain and swelling
• Improved mobility and joint function
• No medication so no side effects (i.e. increased blood sugar, weight gain, decreased immune system)

In addition to treating chronic pain, PRP can also be used to treat different musculoskeletal issues involving muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage in other areas of the body. 

Are There Risks with PRP Injections?

As with any injection or treatment method, there is a chance of risks. However, side effects of PRP injections are very low because the injections are created from the patient’s own blood, so the body should not reject them or react in any negative way. It is also a minimally-invasive therapy so the chance of infection is very low. 

Patients who opt for PRP injections can experience the below potential risks: 

• Infection at the injection site
• Bleeding at the injection site
• Skin irritation
• Nerve damage
• Temporary increase in pain

The procedure itself is performed in your provider’s office. Patients are encouraged to rest for the remainder of the day but can enjoy their daily activities the following day. It is recommended to avoid strenuous activity for a few weeks after the injection. While most patients experience quick pain relief, some patients can experience swelling, bruising, redness and pain in and around the knee. 

While pain relief does vary person to person, most patients report pain relief that lasts anywhere from six months to a year from one, single injection. An added benefit is that during this period of pain relief the platelet-rich plasma that was injected will continue to aid in the healing of the soft tissue injury. 

Who’s a Candidate for PRP?

PRP injections are most beneficial for people who are experiencing pain or arthritis in the knee joint. To be a good candidate, the patient must have a normal platelet function. Patients who are not candidates for PRP include those who have cancer, an active infection, unstable angina (chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart), platelet disorders, or a blood disorder. 

If you are suffering from chronic pain or have an injury that’s slow to heal, and would like an alternative treatment method, PRP injections could be the solution you’re looking for. Please schedule an appointment with the California Pain Consultants team in the Escondido, El Centro, La Mesa, San Diego, Chula Vista areas to learn more about PRP and find out if you’re a candidate. Our team of dedicated pain management specialists are experts in providing PRP therapy to their family of patients who are dealing with chronic pain that hasn’t responded to at-home remedies or physical therapy. Patients who would like to avoid medication injections also find great relief with PRP injections.