PRP: The Surgery-Free Solution to Chronic Joint Pain

Regenerative medicine has come a long way over the years; we can now use your body’s own cells to repair damage to cartilage, tendons, and ligaments that contribute to joint pain.

Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is a popular choice for regenerative medicine because it uses your platelets to repair damage and restore function. If you’re ready to give it a try, make an appointment with Orange County Spine and Sports Physicians.

Our team is an expert in orthopedic medicine, offering PRP and other proven treatments for arthritis, joint pain, and various injuries.

Understanding PRP

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a regenerative medicine therapy that extracts platelets from the blood and injects them into an injury or painful joint. It has grown in popularity because it uses your own cells instead of someone else’s blood products.

Platelets are the first cells on scene after an injury or when damage occurs within a joint. They contain powerful growth factors and help form clots after a cut or major injury.

These growth factors are essential for tissue repair and the restoration of function. A PRP injection is successful because it contains up to 10 times as many platelets as is in normal blood.

Delivered to the joint via an injection, the excess platelets go to work, using those growth factors to heal damaged tissues effectively. It’s helpful for acute injuries, and it shows significant promise for chronic pain due to arthritis or other joint issues.

How does PRP help with arthritic joint pain?

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, a wear-and-tear type that causes cartilage and other joint tissues to break down. Over time, this interferes with smooth joint movement and eventually causes bones to rub against each other, resulting in worsening pain and chronic inflammation.

Surgery was once the only option for debilitating joint pain when medication, physical therapy, and other conservative treatments didn’t work. These days, however, PRP joint injections offer an excellent option for long-term relief. 

In addition to promoting soft tissue repair, PRP injections can significantly decrease joint inflammation. This action reduces pain and stiffness and may slow ongoing joint damage while improving joint function.

It’s not an immediate fix; full effects can take several weeks, but the results speak for themselves. We often recommend PRP therapy as part of a comprehensive treatment strategy that may include physical therapy, joint-friendly nutrition, and other conservative measures. 

What to expect during the procedure

The PRP procedure is very simple and minimally invasive – it only takes a blood draw from your arm and a relatively small amount of your blood. After we draw the blood, we place the vial in a centrifuge.

The centrifuge effectively spins the blood down, separating the liquid plasma and platelets from the other cells. We then withdraw the PRP solution into a syringe and inject it into the problem joint.

We use a numbing agent mixed into the PRP to reduce discomfort during the injection.

It’s a same-day procedure with no restrictions, but you may experience some soreness at the injection site. You may use ice to alleviate any discomfort and should take it easy for the rest of the day after the injection.

You could start seeing results as early as a week, but it typically takes longer for the pain to subside, as platelets continue repairing damage in the joint.

If you’re ready to finally eliminate joint pain, call or message one of our conveniently located offices in Newport Beach or Carlsbad, California. Take the first step towards a pain-free life with PRP therapy today.