Depending on your condition, you should see results two to six weeks after receiving a PRP injection. Minor injuries or cases of chronic pain usually have results in the first two weeks, while more serious injuries will not be able to appreciate healing until about a month has passed. It may take several weeks for prp injections to start working. For some conditions, especially those affecting the hair or skin, it can take up to six months before full effects are noticed.For some conditions, including hair loss, you may need to repeat the procedure to maintain results.
PRP doesn't offer quick pain relief. Pain gradually decreases as injured tissue is repaired and relieving factors are activated. This can take weeks or months, but when successful, the effect is long-lasting. If relief is not enough after three months, a second injection may be given.
Maximum effects are usually seen at six to nine months. Some knee joints may require two injections in closer succession. There are many ways that PRP can safely and effectively treat many ailments or injuries.In a previous blog, we provided an overview of the PRP process. This describes the protocols you can expect before and after your treatment, as well as how the procedure is carried out.
Depending on your particular injury, one to several sessions of platelet-rich plasma may be required. We work with our patients to create an ideal plan for each individual to provide the best chance of a successful outcome.After the PRP therapy session, we recommend that all patients rest on the day of the procedure. For the next two days, we recommend limited use of the injection site, but it is recommended that you move. This helps the joint recover as the injection is absorbed by the tissues surrounding the area.
At Northeast Knee and Joint Institute, we believe in using the patient's own stem cells and PRP healing factors, which are then injected back into the patient's body at the site of injury or pain.In addition to PRP, we also offer the use of a person's own stem cells and, essentially, “turbocharge” them, adding billions of additional growth factors through our special patented process. By doing so, stem cells and PRP can provide more effective regeneration and help the body heal. These treatments can offer pain relief and return the person to a healthy and active lifestyle. Many patients begin to feel relief after a single treatment, which can even be a permanent result.In general, recovery time from PRP injection is one to two days off and up to two weeks with walking support (i.e., crutches).
Although the equipment used to produce PRP and the injections themselves have been approved by the FDA, this procedure is considered investigational and has not been officially approved by the FDA for most uses. Unlike PRP injections, cortisone injections only allow inflammation and pain to calm down and do not induce healing. In other words, there is no established protocol for PRP injections in relation to any of the conditions they treat.PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection is an increasingly common treatment option offered to patients for many orthopedic injuries and conditions. Early studies indicate that PRP injections may help treat the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis by modulating the joint environment and reducing inflammation, but research is increasing.
Aspirin, Motrin, Advil, Alleve, Naprosyn, Naproxen, Celebrex, Mobic and Diclofenac will interfere with platelet function and are expected to decrease the response to a PRP injection. For example, dermatologists and hair replacement experts use PRP injections to treat a type of hair loss called androgenic alopecia, also known as male or female pattern baldness, that affects both men and women.Science is convincing that PRP injections are a very successful treatment for tendon injuries (tendinopathy). PRP injections are used to treat tendon tears, tendinitis, muscle injuries, arthritis-related pain, and joint injuries. If you receive it for cosmetic reasons, such as PRP injections for hair loss, your insurance probably won't cover it.
Do not take anti-inflammatory medications such as Advil, Aleve, Motrin, Ibuprofen, Mobic, Naproxen, Nabumetone or Diclofenac for seven days before the injection and several weeks after the last injection. Now post-surgical PRP injections have expanded to help heal muscles, tendons and ligaments as procedures in these tissues have notoriously long recovery times.