5 Benefits of PRP Treatment

DrAxe
1. Helps Treat Unresponsive Chronic Pain & Injuries
Have you relied on taking pain-reducing medications (including Advil, aspirin, ibuprofen and oral steroids) frequently or for long periods in order to dull muscular or joint pain, yet experienced little improvement? Maybe you’ve had the same disappointing experience after having corrective surgery for an injury or tried physical therapy without much success?

Then you’re the perfect candidate for PRP treatment. PRP can often help patients who haven’t responded well to other treatments overcome ongoing pain, stiffness, limited range of motion, trouble exercising, sleep trouble and other limitations.

Wondering why the body won’t resolve certain injuries on its own and relies on treatments like prolotherapy to heal properly? One theory is that over time the body can stop recognizing an area as “something to repair,” especially in the case of chronic injuries, degeneration or conditions such as severe tendonosis that cause lots of pain. Because of this, some speculate that PRP might be one of the best suited types of prolotherapy for these kinds of injuries, due to it increasing natural “irritation” and growth factor expressions.

The way that PRP and stem cell treatments help to resolve chronic pain is causing a purposeful, mild inflammation response near damaged tissue. This type of inflammatory response is usually what happens following an injury, but in some cases the healing process doesn’t always correctly rebuild the damaged area and the body then “forgets” to keep attending it. PRP ultimately helps to restart the process and for new fibers to then grow back.

2. Reduces Tendonitis Symptoms
Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that an estimated 30–50 percent of all sports-related injuries are tendon disorders, many of which become unresponsive to treatment after some time. 

PRP prolotherapy has been found to help with common sports injuries, including those of the Achilles tendon or elbow, such as: medial or lateral epicondylitis (better known as golfers’ or tennis elbow), extensor or flexor tendonitis/tendonosis or tears, tendinopathy, and ulnar collateral and radial collateral ligament tears. In 2010, even Tiger Woods reported using PRP to overcome injuries in his knee and Achilles tendon!

Stanford University published the first human study supporting the use of PRP for chronic tendon problems in 2006. They found that patients experienced on average a 93 percent reduction in pain at the two-year follow up point. Stanford has been recommending prolotherapy for pain and other conditions (such as stroke recovery) ever since. 

3. Helps Decrease Osteoarthritis Symptoms
Studies have found that osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease patients receiving platelet-rich growth factor injections experience restored hyaluronic acid concentrations and improved angiogenesis, which help to reverse joint damage and stop disease progression.

PRP and stem cell treatments have been found to specifically restore hyaluronic acid due to the presence of synovial fibroblasts and hepatocyte growth factors. These effects have been found to be especially beneficial for those with knee pains due to osteoarthritis (one of the most common symptoms).

A 2010 pilot study that was published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine Rehabilitation found that OA patients with knee pain who received treatments for four weeks on average reported no adverse events and saw significant (and almost linear) improvements in all measured knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome scores. The majority of patients experienced the most results after about 12 months following treatment. 

4. Helps Heal Conditions like Plantar Fasciitis & Jumper/Runner’s Knee
In addition to treating knee pain due to osteoarthritis, other studies have found that PRP therapy is beneficial for those with trauma or sports-related knee or leg pains such as  “refractory jumper’s knee” and plantar fasciitis (a common injury caused by running).

One study involving 15 patients who had failed previous nonsurgical or surgical treatments found that PRP injections given on three occasions, two weeks apart, combined with standard physical therapy resulted in 70–80 percent symptom improvements! Seven out of nine patients with plantar fasciitis in one study reported “complete pain relief” at the one year follow-up and some patients had full recovery in half the expected time. 

5. Reduces Lower Back Pain
PRP is commonly used to treat chronic low back pain, and 2015 report published in Epoch Times even found that treatments could cure cases that were previously very difficult to treat. Following treatment up to 90–100 percent symptom improvement was achieved in some patients! Around 60 percent of patients experienced significant improvements in measures of pain, posture and stability. 

Research shows that a high percentage of chronic low back pain is actually due to torn or bulging discs, musculoskeletal compensations, ligamentous instability and poor postural alignment. These damage tissue over time and often cause injuries or pain to spread to other body parts (such as down the legs from the lower back). Some of the ways PRP can reduce low back pain include treating structural ligaments (such as iliolumbar, sacroiliac, lumbosacral and supraspinous ligaments) and, therefore, improving stability and dispersion of weight.

Who can benefit from PRP therapy the most? PRP is most useful for anyone with:

Arthritis or osteoarthritis, especially those with degenerative knee cartilage
A torn ligament or ligament sprains
Tendonitis or tendon injuries
A bulging or herniated disc
Injuries due to sports or exercising (such “tennis elbow,” plantar fasciitis in runners, or common injuries affecting the rotator cuff)
Sacroiliac problems
Sciatica/sciatic nerve pain
Common hand injuries experienced by younger and middle-aged adults, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, Skier’s or “Gamekeepers” thumb and “Texting thumb”
Chronic pain in any susceptible area such as the neck, lower back, knees or shoulders
Instability, loss of balance, stiffness and loss of flexibility/range of motion
Sinus lift augmentation