What Is PRP?
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Platelet Lysate are concentrated platelet solutions. These platelet concentrates contain healing growth factors from your own blood that promote your body’s natural ability to repair itself. The use of platelet-rich plasma injections to treat joint, tendon, ligament, and muscle injuries is becoming well known, thanks to exposure from professional athletes. Platelet injections have a stimulating effect on the repair cells within the targeted area, making those cells work harder to perform their natural job of healing the body. Like all Regenexx® procedures, Regenexx® SCP procedures are performed with high-level imaging guidance to ensure the most accurate placements of cells into the desired area.
Our advanced platelet procedures are more concentrated and purer than platelet-rich plasma injections created by the automated machines used at most regenerative medicine clinics, increasing its ability to stimulate the body’s natural healing response. Platelet procedures are commonly used for soft tissue injuries, mild arthritis, spine conditions, and around nerves. Contact us to find out more about a platelet-rich plasma injection near me.
What Conditions Benefit From PRP?
Advanced PainCare and BioHealth Institute uses platelet-rich plasma injections to ease musculoskeletal injuries and joint pain. Conditions that might benefit from PRP include:
- Torn or ruptured tendons
- Tennis elbow
- Golfer’s elbow
- Arthritis
- Plantar fasciitis
- Chronic back or neck pain
- Chronic knee pain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)
PRP therapy at Advanced PainCare and BioHealth Institute may prevent or delay the need for surgical intervention. It’s also very low risk and may get rid of the need for anti-inflammatory drugs, opioid painkillers, or other prescription medications.
What Happens During PRP Therapy?
Before making any specific treatment recommendations, Dr. Santo conducts a thorough history and physical exam and reviews all imaging studies to fully understand the source of your pain to provide the right treatment.
For PRP therapy, the team takes a sample of blood from your arm, and in our on-site lab, we separate the platelets from the rest of the blood components. We concentrate the platelets between 7 and 14 times your normal blood concentration, making them ready for injection. By using Regenexx® proprietary protocols we can achieve much higher platelet concentrations (meaning a higher dose) than other providers can achieve with their centrifuge kits. Research shows that dose does matter.
Dr. Santo injects the PRP directly into your diseased or damaged tissue using X-ray or ultrasound-guided imaging. Over the next 6 to 12 weeks, we hope to see less pain and improved function of the damaged area. Sometimes, a second procedure is necessary to achieve optimal results.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Procedures
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Insurance typically does not cover the cost of these regenerative therapies. Insurance companies make their coverage decisions based on their bottom line, not what’s best for your health. I always recommend what’s right for my patient, not what the insurance company is willing to pay for. The good news is that we have several ways of making an investment in your health affordable. We take credit cards and offer financing through Cherry, a patient centered finance company.
In the central PA area, the cost can range from $800 to $4,000 for PRP injections and up to $10,000 for stem cell injections based on the treatment area, the complexity of the procedure and other factors, such as the experience of the practitioner, the type of image guidance employed and ancillary add-ons. The best way to know for sure is to schedule an evaluation.
Basically, we take a sample of your blood and in a centrifuge, we separate the blood into 3 components. The bottom dark red layer contains red cells. The middle, very thin layer, called the buffy coat, contains white cells and platelets and the top yellow layer is the platelet poor plasma. We collect the buffy coat and use that as our PRP as it’s where the platelets are most concentrated. At a Regenexx-affiliated office, like Advanced PainCare and BioHealth Institute, we can customize the concentration and achieve up to 20 times your normal blood concentration of platelets. We also have a technique to make a platelet lysate which is less inflammatory and useful to use in the vicinity of nerves.
PRP and platelets in general, work by releasing growth factors and cytokines at a site of injury. These chemical messengers trigger the body’s “healing cascade.” As the injury heals, pain lessens, tissues repair, and inflammation resolves. When the platelets are concentrated, as in PRP, you get an espresso-like shot of these messengers, speeding and enhancing recovery to a degree that is not possible without concentrated platelets.
Stem cells work by a different mechanism than platelets. As Dr. Centeno, the founder of Regenexx and the first person on earth to use culture expanded stem cells to treat orthopedic conditions explains, the stem cell functions as a general contractor. They call in the subcontractors (other cell types in this case) to repair the tissues and then duplicate themselves and transform themselves into certain types of adult cells needed for repair, such as cartilage, ligament, or tendon (the bricks and mortar.) This is what happens every day in our body as we grow and repair tissues. Stem cells live in every tissue of your body. By concentrating these cells, we get a supercharged repair process that exceeds our body’s unaided ability to heal.
It matters. The closer in function the stem cell source is to the intended target, the better they work. For example, fat cells in your abdomen have little to do with repair of joints so they work less well in orthopedic conditions than stem cells form bone marrow.
While the initial healing cascade begins immediately after the injections, it takes 6 to 8 weeks for most patients to notice an effect such as less pain, improved strength and use tolerance or less swelling. The healing continues for months after the injection, however, so patients commonly report progressive improvements for 3 to 6 months following their treatment.
If you consult a Regenexx physician, you’re in the best hands. Regenexx is the most trusted name in regenerative orthopedic procedures and affiliated physicians are located throughout the US and beyond. Regenexx physicians are carefully chosen as affiliates based on their experience with image guided injections. They receive specialized training at Regenexx ground zero in Colorado at the founder’s clinic. Furthermore, they use image guidance for all procedures, and they have an in-office lab to customize treatments.
Your consulting physician should be able to give you recommendations for what is indicated for your conditions. This is based on the type, degree and location of the injury of injury. Generally, more advanced conditions respond to stem cells better than PRP.
The physician will request the history of your problem, and perform a physical examination at a minimum. At advanced PainCare and BioHealth Institute, I review any x-rays and MRI reports available. (Imaging will be ordered if not available) Additionally, many joints are easily assessed with an in-office ultrasound. Treatment recommendations are discussed. You should leave the appointment feeling as if the doctor listened to your concerns, evaluated you thoroughly and advised you on treatment with your best interests at heart.
