Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Concentrated platelets from your own blood injected to stimulate tissue healing.

What It Is

PRP is a small injection made from your own blood. We draw a tube of blood, spin it in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, and inject that concentrated layer into a painful tendon, ligament, or joint. Because the injection is made from your own body, there is no risk of rejection or disease transmission.

Platelets carry the body’s natural repair signals, the growth factors that kick off healing after an injury. The idea behind PRP is to deliver a stronger dose of those signals directly to a stubborn tendon problem or an arthritic joint that is not healing on its own.

Where the Evidence Is Strongest

  • Tennis elbow, good-quality studies show PRP outperforms cortisone over the longer haul, because cortisone helps quickly but does not last.
  • Early-to-moderate knee arthritis, modest but real improvements in pain and function over the first year, often better than hyaluronic acid gel or saline in that same window.
  • Jumper’s knee (patellar tendon), helpful for long-standing cases that have not improved with physical therapy.
  • Plantar fasciitis (heel pain), comparable to or better than cortisone at the 6-month mark in several trials.

Where the Evidence Is Uncertain

  • Rotator cuff irritation and small partial tears, results are mixed.
  • Recent muscle pulls and strains, no clear advantage over standard rehab.
  • Advanced, bone-on-bone hip or knee arthritis, limited benefit; joint replacement is usually a better answer.

Conditions We Consider It For

Early-to-moderate knee arthritis

Considered when anti-inflammatory pills, physical therapy, and a cortisone shot haven’t been enough and it’s too early for a knee replacement.

Tennis elbow

Long-standing outer-elbow pain that hasn’t responded to a counterforce strap and physical therapy.

Golfer’s elbow

Long-standing inner-elbow tendon pain with similar indications.

Jumper’s knee

Long-standing patellar tendon pain that hasn’t improved with rehab.

Achilles tendon pain

Selected long-standing cases in the mid-portion of the tendon.

Plantar fasciitis (heel pain)

When stretching, orthotics, and a prior shot haven’t worked.

Rotator cuff irritation

Selected cases without a full tear of the tendon.

Early hip arthritis

Considered in early disease; done with ultrasound guidance.

What to Expect

  • A quick blood draw (about 1 to 3 tablespoons), 10 to 20 minutes in the centrifuge, then the injection, often with ultrasound to guide the needle into the right spot.
  • Expect some extra soreness in the first stretch after the injection. That’s part of how the treatment works, not a sign that something went wrong.
  • Ice is fine. Avoid anti-inflammatory pills (ibuprofen, naproxen, Advil, Aleve) for a stretch before and after, since they blunt the effect. Your provider will give you the exact window.
  • When it helps, improvement usually shows up gradually and can keep getting better over the following months.
  • Some patients are offered a series of 2 to 3 injections spaced a few weeks apart.

Insurance and Cost

PRP is generally considered investigational by insurance carriers and is usually not covered, so it is paid out-of-pocket.

Our self-pay pricing is $1,000 for a single joint and $1,500 for bilateral joints treated in the same visit (both knees or both hips). A written estimate is provided before scheduling so there are no surprises.

Risks

  • Post-injection soreness (expected) lasting days.
  • Temporary swelling at the injection site.
  • Infection, rare with sterile technique.
  • No benefit, the most common “complication.” Response is not universal.

Frequently Asked

questions we hear in clinic
Is PRP safe?

The injection is made from your own blood, so there is no risk of rejection or disease transmission. The main risks are expected soreness lasting days, temporary swelling at the injection site, and infection, which is rare with sterile technique.

How soon will I feel better?

Expect some extra soreness in the first stretch after the injection; that is part of how the treatment works, not a sign that something went wrong. When it helps, improvement usually shows up gradually and can keep getting better over the following months.

Can I take ibuprofen afterward?

Avoid anti-inflammatory pills (ibuprofen, naproxen, Advil, Aleve) for a stretch before and after the injection, since they blunt the effect. Ice is fine. Your provider will give you the exact window.

How many injections will I need?

Some patients are offered a series of 2 to 3 injections spaced a few weeks apart.

Will PRP help advanced, bone-on-bone arthritis?

The benefit there is limited; joint replacement is usually a better answer. The evidence is strongest in early-to-moderate knee arthritis, where studies show modest but real improvements in pain and function over the first year.

What does PRP cost?

PRP is generally considered investigational by insurance carriers and is usually not covered, so it is paid out-of-pocket. Self-pay pricing is $1,000 for a single joint and $1,500 for bilateral joints treated in the same visit, with a written estimate provided before scheduling.