What is Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy? While PRP has been used over the last decade by many professional athletes (think golfer Tiger Woods, basketball star Stephen Curry and football player Jameis Winston, it is a relatively new advancement for treating musculoskeletal injuries in the general population. PRP is made in a simple in-office procedure by taking a small sample of a patient’s blood and then spinning it in a centrifuge machine which separates out the red blood cells. The remaining plasma portion has a high concentration of platelets (up to 8 times that of whole blood) which contains cells such as growth factors and stem cell signaling markers. These cells are vital for tissue healing and regeneration. The PRP is then precisely injected using ultrasound guidance into an area of soft tissue injury to promote the body’s natural healing process and help repair and rebuild the damaged tissue. This accelerated healing process leads to a faster and more efficient restoration of the injured tissue to a healthy state, thereby improving pain and overall function.
So, does PRP work? One focus of research has been on determining the efficacy of PRP for chronic tendonitis. This is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints and frequently involves the tendons of the rotator cuff, gluteal, elbow (i.e. tennis or golfer’s elbow), Achilles, and patella. In our monthly journal club we reviewed an article on the efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma injections for chronic tendonitis.3 A total of 16 randomized injection-controlled trials of PRP versus control (saline, local anesthetic, corticosteroid) were included in this systematic review. PRP was found to be more efficacious than control in reducing tendinopathy pain with a moderate treatment effect. The results also suggest that PRP may even have a greater efficacy with longer follow-up duration at 12 months.
Platelet-Rich Plasma is no longer just for professional athletes. It is now readily available to any patient, from a college athlete who wants to speed up recovery to get back into the game or an older adult struggling with pain secondary to chronic tendonitis or arthritis. We offer this in-office procedure in both the Phoenix and Mesa locations of Desert Spine and Sports Physicians. If you have an injury that doesn’t seem to be healing with other standard non-surgical treatments such as activity modification, anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, and steroid injections, PRP may be a good option for you. To learn more about PRP injections, you can check out our PRP handout and Pure PRP brochure.