How PRP Can Treat Your Painful Joints

Painful joints can prevent you from doing things you enjoy and things that you need to do. It’s difficult to maintain an exercise routine or active social life when your knees hurt, for example. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections may help.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have been the topic of much scientific research, yet there’s still some confusion about when and how it should be used. The experts at Valencia Medical Center offer PRP treatment for both aesthetic purposes and in regenerative applications, such as in easing painful joints.

PRP 101

Your blood is made up of several different components. You have red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The liquid part of blood is called plasma.

Platelets are important in helping your blood clot when you’re injured, and contain growth factors that help you heal. When you have PRP treatments, we draw a small amount of your blood and process it in a specialized centrifuge to separate the different components. Then depending on your problem, we may suggest Platelet rich plasma with healing factors to be injected to the area being treated with extreme precision, guided by ultrasound.

Painful joints

Joints can be painful for several reasons. Arthritis, injury, overuse, and other problems can make it painful to move your joints, or can cause inflammation, swelling, and tenderness.

In many instances of joint pain, PRP treatments could be a good solution. The healing properties of platelets, injected exactly where it’s most needed, may supercharge your body’s ability to heal.

At Valencia Medical Center, we use advanced imaging to guide the injection. By delivering the PRP into precisely the area that needs to heal, we make each treatment more effective than if it were injected in a more general way.

What to expect

Most patients can expect some soreness in the days immediately after a PRP treatment. It takes some time for your body’s healing process to take effect.

In the majority of cases, a series of injections is optimal, usually spaced several weeks apart for maximum benefit. The number of treatments you need depends on your specific condition or injury, as well as how much progress you see from each injection.

The need for expertise

When you get PRP therapy, it’s crucial to get care from a highly-trained specialist for several reasons. Our experts are careful to evaluate your situation to determine whether or not PRP is likely to work for you before we recommend it.

We also use the most advanced technology available. The centrifuge we use improves the separation of the different parts of your blood, which means you get more of the important growth factors and proteins and the use of advanced musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging to guide your injections results in a more effective treatment.

Whether your joints hurt due to arthritis, injury, or for unknown reasons, you should schedule an appointment for an evaluation at Valencia Medical Center. You may be a great candidate for PRP treatments.