How Does PRP Help Manage Pain?

More than 120 million Americans — about a third of the population — experience musculoskeletal pain, affecting their ability to work, exercise, and participate in other activities. If you’re one of them, you may wonder if alternatives to opioid medication and surgery exist.

At North Valley Orthopedic Institute in Mission Hills and Tarzana, California, Dr. Ramin Ganjianpour uses platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to manage various types of musculoskeletal pain. This blog explains what PRP is and how it helps manage pain.

What’s platelet-rich plasma therapy?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a type of regenerative medicine. It uses PRP injections derived from your blood to heal musculoskeletal injuries and other conditions.

Blood is mostly liquid but contains microscopic solids, including white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Platelets help your blood clot if you’re wounded and have natural healing properties. 

Injecting a platelet-rich solution into strategic areas, like an arthritic knee, reduces inflammation and promotes healing.

Which musculoskeletal conditions can PRP treat?

Dr. Ganjianpour uses PRP to treat various musculoskeletal conditions, including:

• Tennis elbow
• Golfer’s elbow
• Achilles tendinitis
• Sprained ankles
• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
• Plantar fasciitis
• Muscle injuries
• Osteoarthritis and other degenerative conditions

These are just a fraction of the conditions PRP can address, offering a versatile pain management solution.

How platelet-rich plasma relieves pain

If you qualify for platelet-rich plasma treatment, we draw a sample of your blood and place it into a centrifuge. The machine separates the platelets from the rest of your blood, allowing us to maximize the benefits of treatment.

Once prepared, we transfer your platelet-rich solution to a syringe and inject it into a specific area. For example, if you have a sprained ankle, we administer injections in and around the affected ankle joint.

The PRP solution then goes to work, reducing inflammation and encouraging the growth of new, healthy cells and tissue. These factors relieve pain and ease swelling. That helps restore your range of motion and ease discomfort so you can return to your routine.

Is PRP treatment painful?

No. PRP is safe and usually well-tolerated. We apply a topical anesthetic to your skin before treatment. You may feel a pinch when we administer the solution, but you shouldn’t experience any pain.

Will you need more than one PRP treatment?

It depends. Some people experience significant pain relief after a single PRP session, but we typically recommend 2-3 treatments spaced several weeks apart. We monitor your symptoms at each checkup and adjust your care plan as needed to ensure lasting results. 

Call us to schedule your platelet-rich plasma consultation

Musculoskeletal pain can affect mobility and quality of life, but help is available. Call North Valley Orthopedic Institute today to schedule a platelet-rich plasma consultation, or request an appointment online.