PRP Injection Recovery Time
PRP – Platelet Rich Plasma
PRP Most Common Questions:
- will PRP help my condition??
- what does the PRP procedure involve?
- how long is recovery from a PRP injection?
PRP injection (Platelet-Rich Plasma) is a growing treatment option for orthopaedic injuries and conditions. An in-office procedure, PRP therapy is increasingly being used as an alternative to surgery for many conditions.
PRP therapy is used to treat osteoarthritis of the knee, shoulder, and hip. The primary use for PRP (at present) is for many sports injuries including
- meniscus tears
- rotator cuff injuries
- chronic plantar fasciitis, knee ligament injuries
- tennis elbow,
- elbow ulnar collateral ligament injuries
- ankle sprains, tendonitis and ligament sprains.
In PRP therapy, a patient’s blood is drawn, separated and re-injected into injured joints and muscles to ease pain. Platelets release special growth factors that lead to tissue healing and repair.
PRP recovery time: What can I expect after PRP injection?
Patients will experience approximately two to three days of being sore and usually are prescribed pain medication. Patients need to rest for a few days or weeks after the treatment to not push the injected tissue too quickly. Typically, pain relief occurs within three to four weeks and continues to improve over a period of three to six months following a PRP injection.
Why PRP and not Cortisone?
If successful, PRP generally results in long-lasting relief because the degenerative tissue has started to regenerate or regrow itself. The bioactive proteins stimulate healing and repair. New research shows PRP to be more effective than cortisone injections –which simply mask inflammation and have no healing capabilities.
Cortisone has no healing properties, does not work long term and on occasion can lead to tissue damage.
If you have a sports injury or osteoarthritis and have questions about PRP injection and PRP therapy, please ask me in the comments below or contact my orthopaedic office in Fishkill or Hawthorne in Westchester County, New York. You can also make an appointment by emailing: jbiddle@uopc.org.
Recommended Reading:
Tennis Elbow: What is it? Is PRP an option?
PRP and Elbow Ligament Injuries
[...] average recovery time from a PRP injection for arthritis varies… most patients begin to feel better in four weeks. Sometimes [...]