Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy Accelerates Healing

Now available at Stellis Health – Buffalo Clinic for patients over 18 years of age.

Accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints with Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy. PRP is an innovative, minimally invasive treatment that is 100 percent natural. Using your own blood to stimulate healing, PRP accelerates your body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Elite athletes use PRP therapy to help them recover from injuries because it promotes soft tissue-healing and reduces inflammation. The theory is that by injecting areas of inflammation or tissue damage with high concentrations of platelets, it encourages wounds to heal. Platelets help blood clot if a blood vessel is cut or damaged, and they promote healing by secreting growth factors that stimulate cell growth and proliferation.

PRP is made by taking a small sample of your blood and spinning it in a centrifuge for 15 minutes to concentrate platelets and white blood cells into a “buffy coat” that is extracted and delivered to the injured area. Growth factors in the platelets recruit and produce cells necessary for healing.

PRP can be used to treat your:

• Shoulder with mild to moderate arthritis, rotator cuff tendonitis and biceps tendonitis
• Elbow with mild to moderate arthritis, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow and bursitis
• Wrist & hand with arthritis in the wrist and base of thumb and wrist tendonitis
• Hip with arthritis and bursitis
• Knee with arthritis, patellar and quadriceps tendonitis and bursitis
• Ankle with arthritis, Achilles, peroneal and posterior tibial tendonitis
• Foot with plantar fasciitis

We do not do any spine injections with PRP.

How many treatments are needed?
Most patients achieve successful outcomes with only one injection. In some cases, a series of two or three injections is required to achieve significant results, depending on the type of injury/disorder. Each injection occurs several weeks apart. There is no limit to the number of treatments you can have; however, literature has shown that about 15 percent of patients do not see improvement with more than three injections and should consider other treatments.

Are there any side effects?
Since your own blood is used, there is no risk for transmitted blood-infections. PRP has a strong antibacterial effect so risk of local infection is minimal. It is normal to have increased soreness or pain after the procedure for an average of three days.

Will my insurance pay for this treatment?
Since this is a fairly new procedure, most insurance companies do not cover PRP. The cost is $500 per injection and payment is due prior to scheduling the procedure.

What is the recovery time after a PRP injection?
Most people can resume normal activities the day after the procedure. High impact activities may need to be avoided for several weeks.

What do I need to do in advance of my PRP treatment?

To prepare for PRP therapy, we ask you to:

1. Stop anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) five days prior to your procedure including ibuprofen, naproxen, Celebrex, etc.
2. In some cases, you may need to stop blood thinners (e.g. Aspirin, Plavix, Coumadin, etc.) seven days prior to your procedure. You should discuss this with your cardiologist or primary care doctor. Other daily medications may be taken normally as directed.
3. Avoid corticosteroids (Prednisone, Medrol dose pak and Cortisone) for three weeks prior to your procedure. Steroids can stop your body’s ability to stimulate a healing response and make treatment less effective.

To schedule a consultation to determine if you are a candidate for PRP therapy, call 763-684-3600.