How Does PRP Work to Treat My Arthritis?

Although it may seem like a new kid on the block, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is more than 70 years old. This unique treatment gives your body the ingredients it needs to accelerate healing and rebuild tissues.

In 2010, professional golfer Tiger Woods publicized the fact that he received PRP injections to speed up his recovery and return to play after his injuries. Since then, celebrities, athletes, and women and men everywhere have used PRP to:

• Heal injuries
• Increase libido
• Alleviate erectile dysfunction
• Alleviate dry vagina
• Skin rejuvenation
• Improve arthritis pain
• Improve joint function

Those last two applications are what interests you most. You’re tired of medications that must be repeated frequently and have side effects. You’re interested in something natural that won’t create problems down the line.

Kellie K. Middleton, MD, an orthopedic expert and athlete, uses PRP to help your joints function better without pain. She prepares and administers PRP injections at our office in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

So, how does PRP help you with your joint pain and function? Below is a brief summary of how PRP has been used to alleviate arthritis.

PRP comes from you

Unlike a drug containing standardized ingredients and proportions, different practices use varying concentrations of platelets for PRP, which may affect outcomes. In addition, your age and health may influence your response rate; the PRP can only be as healthy as your natural platelets. Dr. Middleton will let you know if you’re a good candidate for PRP.

Overall, research shows that PRP alleviates pain and improves function in arthritis, particularly knee arthritis, no matter the patient’s age. Young patients, though, may get the added benefit of improved cartilage health.

We concentrate your platelets

The entire process begins with a simple blood draw from your arm. If you've donated blood or had your blood tested, you’re familiar with the procedure.

We then take the test tube or test tubes of your blood and spin them in a sterilized centrifuge to separate the platelets (i.e., small cell fragments that look like plates) from the plasma (i.e., the liquid portion of your blood).

We aim to create a PRP dose of about 10 billion platelets per 8 mL of serum. The higher the concentration of platelets, the more healing substances your body has to work with.

Your platelets rebuild tissues

In their natural state, your body uses platelets to coagulate your blood. Platelets help to seal your injured blood vessels and promote healing. Platelets contain ingredients that accelerate healing and subdue inflammation. 

Your platelets are loaded with coagulation factors, cytokines, chemokines, and other proteins. They also contain a number of growth factors, including:

• Tissue growth factor-β (TGF-β)
• Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)
• Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP)
• Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)
• Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
• Epidermal growth factor (EGF)
• Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)
• Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)

We inject this supercharged platelet serum of bioactive factors into your joints to help heal and rebuild injured tissue. 

PRP gets to work

Armed with the extra growth factors and proteins, the PRP accelerates the healing process in your joints. First, the extra platelets turn down inflammation, which can reduce pain and swelling. It may also help promote the growth of new blood vessels in the area, increase circulation, and improve the health of your joints.

The injection of PRP only takes about one hour. Although you may feel relief shortly afterward because of less inflammation, the PRP needs time to work with your body’s healing process.

You usually start to notice a change in your joints after about 4-6 weeks. To achieve your pain relief and functional goals, you may need a series of injections.

There are no side effects to you

Because PRP is autologous — in other words, it’s made from your own body — you don’t have side effects from the serum itself. You may have some discomfort or effects related to the injection itself, such as soreness or swelling at the injection site.

You can feel confident that PRP supports your body’s functions and is all-natural. In addition to movement and exercise, PRP is recommended as a first-line treatment for arthritis pain.

Are you ready to harness your body’s own healing powers with PRP injections for arthritis? Give us a call by contacting our team by phone or online for a PRP consultation today.