PRP Therapy: A Game-Changing Treatment for Achy, Arthritic Joints

You’ve got arthritis. Perhaps it’s in your hips or knees, which makes getting around difficult. Pain and stiffness are your frequent companions.  Maybe you have arthritis in your wrist or hand, so working on the computer isn’t easy. Arthritis can limit your activities and shrink your world.  

Our board-certified orthopedic surgeons with Delta Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine use a range of strategies to treat your arthritis and relieve your symptoms. 

Regenerative medicine now provides additional ways of treating arthritis that we didn’t have just a decade ago. One of those is platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

 How does PRP work? 

 When you have a wound, your body rushes cells to the site of your injury to help repair the damage. 

PRP accelerates that process by using the platelets in your own blood to ease your inflammation and thus relieve your arthritis symptoms. Your platelets contain important proteins and growth factors that trigger tissue regeneration and thus aid healing.  

Scientists think that PRP reduces inflammation, so it could slow the progression of arthritis. It may also help lubricate your joints, easing joint pain from worn cartilage. Research on PRP is ongoing.  

How long has PRP been in use?  

PRP first caught the public’s attention two decades ago when news outlets reported that Tiger Woods and other top athletes were using it to help heal soft tissue injuries. Patients started asking their doctors why PRP wasn’t available to everyone.  

Its use has expanded exponentially ever since, and our physicians at Delta Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in West Memphis, Arkansas, and Collierville, Tennessee, include it in our arsenal of tools to treat injuries and conditions such as arthritis.   

We let you know if you’re a good candidate for PRP. You should be in good overall health because we use your own blood to help develop new cells.  

What happens at a PRP appointment? 

Our caring staff draws your blood just as they would for any other purpose. We place the blood in a machine called a centrifuge, which spins at high speeds to separate the platelets from the other cells. Your platelets contain important nutrients that are needed for new cell growth.  

We collect the mass of platelets and inject it at the site of your arthritis using X-ray guidance. It’s as simple as that.  

How effective is PRP treatment? 

PRP is effective for many arthritis patients, but it doesn’t help everyone. The number of platelets varies in each individual. Scientists are still researching this relatively new treatment to refine its use. More research is needed on PRP’s composition and production.  

The existing research is mixed, but many orthopedic practices, including ours, use PRP to treat conditions such as tennis elbow and knee, hip, and shoulder arthritis. Studies indicate that patients may find relief for up to one year.  

Some studies say that PRP is more effective than other types of injections or a placebo. The effect isn’t immediate, because it takes time for new cells to grow.  

PRP is a low-cost treatment when compared to surgery. Your PRP treatment could potentially delay surgery or possibly eliminate the need for it.  

Call Delta Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine or book an appointment online for expert treatment of your arthritis. We can help you get moving again.