Thousands of Phoenix, AT residents suffer from joint pain every year. They might have arthritis, an overuse injury, or an acute injury. Platelet-rich plasma treatment can speed up the healing process and allow patients to return to their regular activities more quickly. At Mattalino Orthopaedic in Scottsdale, AZ, we perform PRP injections on people who have persistent joint problems.
How Many PRP Injections Do People Usually Need to Heal a Joint?
Platelet-rich plasma is a substance that comes from the patient’s blood. It stimulates the growth of new tissues and therefore speeds up the healing process. A single session can yield some results, but most patients need multiple appointments to get the most out of this treatment. Typically, we start with two to three sessions, spaced several weeks apart.
However, we might recommend more PRP treatment if your condition is very serious, or if you’re an athlete and have an important sporting event coming up. The best way to find out more about PRP is to reach out to us. We’ll invite you to the clinic for an initial consultation, during which we’ll determine how many sessions you need and whether a combination of two or more treatments would be beneficial.
Which Conditions Can Be Addressed with PRP?
PRP can effectively address conditions related to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Since these tissues can take a long time to heal, many active people benefit from the injections because they reduce the recovery time after an injury. PRP is suitable for people who have an acute injury caused by an accident and those who have an overuse injury that developed over several months or years.
We sometimes also use the method to treat patients suffering from osteoarthritis. This condition occurs when the tissues in the joint wear down, so the bones are no longer protected. Although PRP can’t restore lost tissue, it can reduce the symptoms of arthritis, which include swelling, pain, and an inability to move freely.
Are the Results Permanent?
The results of PRP are much more long-lasting than those of other types of minimally invasive joint treatments. Many patients who have a chronic condition like osteoarthritis or a long-term injury don’t need to come back for twelve to eighteen months after their first set of sessions. This is because the body has created new tissues that support and protect the joint.
Those who are getting joint injections because they have an acute injury might experience permanent results. Once their tissues have healed, they no longer need to come to the clinic for maintenance appointments, unless they damage their joint again in another accident. People with overuse injuries might experience permanent results, but only if they are careful not to overuse their joints again.
What Is PRP?
As mentioned, platelet-rich plasma is a substance that comes from the patient’s blood. The active ingredient is platelets, which are small blood cells that release growth factors and therefore stimulate the production of new cells in the treatment area. PRP also contains plasma, the liquid that carries the blood cells through the body.
Although platelets are the most important healing agents, some substances inside the plasma might also be beneficial. During your appointment at the clinic, we extract your blood and then spin it in a centrifuge to separate the white and red blood cells from your plasma. We never inject red blood cells into the treatment area because they can cause inflammation.
Who Can Take Part?
Since PRP treatment is gentle, it is suitable for almost everyone. The active ingredient comes from the patient’s blood, so there is very little chance of rejection or an allergic reaction. This means that PRP is suitable for healthy people as well as those with allergies or minor medical conditions. We don’t typically treat pregnant women because the effects of PRP on babies haven’t been studied closely enough.
Book an appointment with us to find out whether you’re a good candidate. If you currently suffer from any serious medical condition or disease, it’s best to speak to your primary physician before coming to the clinic. However, because this is an autologous treatment, which means that no foreign tissues are used, it’s much less risky than some other regenerative methods.
What Is the Treatment at the Phoenix, AZ Clinic Like?
Your first PRP session at the clinic might take an hour because we have to first extract your blood and create the PRP substance. Once it’s ready, we numb the skin in your treatment area with a cream and mark the injection sites. Then, we inject the PRP into the affected joint. This shouldn’t hurt because your skin is desensitized.
You can leave straight away after your appointment because there’s no general anesthesia. If your treatment area is in the upper body, you can drive yourself home.
Preparation
Stop taking blood-thinning and anti-inflammatory drugs at least five days before your session because they could affect the treatment and the recovery process. Don’t forget about supplements and herbs that thin your blood. They include garlic, turmeric, chamomile, and ginseng. We’ll give you a full list of substances to avoid during your initial consultation.
If you’re a smoker, stop consuming nicotine a few days before your session to prevent problems with the recovery process. Drink plenty of water on the day of your treatment because this makes it easier for us to draw blood. Eat a healthy meal and make sure you get plenty of sleep, so you feel refreshed and well. Wear loose clothes that make it easy for us to access your treatment site.
Recovery
Drink water and eat healthy foods in the days after your injections to support your body’s natural healing mechanism. Avoid blood-thinning drugs for several more weeks. Let us know if you’ve been prescribed any drugs by your primary physician because they might affect the way the treatment works. Discontinue any drugs that aren’t strictly necessary for a few weeks.
You can resume most of your regular activities almost right away, as long as you don’t heat up your treatment site or perform a vigorous exercise routine for a few days. The exact guidelines depend on your injury. If you have a serious joint condition, you might have to rest the affected area for a few weeks to allow the PRP to fully heal your tissues.
How Fast Can You Expect Results?
After PRP, the platelets need some time to produce the desired results. You can expect to notice some changes within a few weeks of your first appointment. The final results can be seen around two to three months after the last injection.
Why Choose PRP?
There are several reasons why platelet-rich plasma has become so popular in recent years. Firstly, the injections are minimally invasive, so they don’t require a lengthy recovery time. PRP is much cheaper than surgery, but the results are excellent. Patients don’t need to come to the Phoenix, AZ clinic every few weeks for a top-up injection, even if they have a chronic condition.
One of the best things about PRP is that it doesn’t involve the injection of foreign tissues or chemicals. The active ingredient is completely natural, and it comes from the patient. This makes the method attractive to people who are concerned about their health and those who are worried about the risks of conventional treatments.
Should Several Treatments Be Combined?
Sometimes, more than one treatment is necessary to restore the function of a joint. Aside from PRP, we offer several other minimally invasive options. We can administer steroid injections and hyaluronic acid. Both substances reduce pain and allow the joint to recover more quickly. However, it’s best not to have two injections at the same time because they interfere with each other.
Sometimes, PRP is used to support wound healing after an operation. It’s a great way of speeding up the recovery process after joint replacement surgery because it allows the patient to recover more quickly and rejuvenates the tissues.
Get Rid of Joint Pain Now
PRP injections are suitable for Phoenix, AZ residents who have acute or long-term joint problems. Although patients see a difference after their first appointment, they get the best results if they come to the clinic at least two or three times. Get in touch with us at Mattalino Orthopaedic in Scottsdale, AZ to find out more about platelet-rich plasma and our other minimally invasive joint treatments.