When it comes to the effectiveness of PRP injections, the answer is not a one-size-fits-all. Depending on the condition being treated, results can be seen anywhere from two to six weeks after receiving the injection. Minor injuries or chronic pain cases may show improvement within the first two weeks, while more serious injuries may take up to a month before any healing is noticed. It's important to note that for certain conditions, such as hair loss, multiple treatments may be necessary in order to maintain results.
Recovery time from a PRP injection is usually quite fast, with only a few days of pain before improvement is seen. Joint injections used to treat arthritis may cause some pain and swelling for three to seven days. New research has found that PRP injections are more effective than cortisone injections, which only mask inflammation and have no healing capacity. As an autologous process (meaning that PRP comes from your own blood), your health may limit your ability to produce high-quality PRP.
PRP injections are used to treat tendon tears, tendinitis, muscle injuries, arthritis-related pain, and joint injuries. Dermatologists and hair replacement experts also use PRP injections to treat androgenic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness). Studies have shown that treatments begin to reduce pain one week after the initial injection and will continue to be useful for up to six months, or longer if maintenance injections are added. In a study of 200 patients with osteoarthritis, PRP injections reduced pain and increased function after 12 months compared to other patients.
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.