Everything You Need to Know About Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections

Everybody from professional athletes to people injured at work or at the gym are increasingly turning to regenerative medicine treatments like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to help with everything from joint pain and deterioration to tendon tears. 

Platelet-rich plasma therapy uses the body’s own mechanisms for healing to turbocharge recovery and as a complement or alternative to traditional treatments like medication, physical therapy, and surgery.

Here at the Summit Pain Alliance, we offer PRP injections and a range of innovative treatments for pain and injuries at our integrative practice in Petaluma and Santa Rosa, California.

How do platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections work?

It might sound complicated, but the idea and process behind PRP injections are actually fairly simple and straightforward. The blood platelets contain a substance known as growth factor, which plays an essential role in healing and recovery. 

To get a PRP solution, we draw your blood and run it through a centrifuge, which separates the platelets. The plasma is then infused with extra platelets and injected directly into the injured joint or muscle tissue to boost healing and tissue repair.

PRP injections have a 5-10 times higher concentration of platelets than regular plasma, which increases the amount of growth factors in the blood as well. The thinking is that the more growth factors present, the higher the chance of healing and recovery.

Since the treatment is made from your own blood, the risk of side effects and adverse reactions is considerably lower than with other biological therapies and medications.

Are PRP injections right for me?

Regenerative medicine treatments like platelet-rich plasma injections have been in development for decades. PRP injections have come into the spotlight in recent years thanks to high-profile professional athletes like Tiger Woods, Rafael Nadal, Alex Rodriguez, and Maria Sharapova, to name a few. 

But PRP is not just for the rich and famous. At Summit Pain Alliance, we make PRP injections available to all. 

We use PRP injections to provide relief for orthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries such as:

• Achilles tendonitis 
• Ligament damage 
• Muscle injuries 
• Arthritis 

Possible side effects

Every treatment has potential side effects. Some of the possible side effects associated with PRP injections include pain or irritation at the injection site. Rare side effects may include infection, and nerve or tissue damage.

For more information about platelet-rich plasma, call us today to schedule an appointment with a specialist on our team. You may also request an appointment using our online tool.