PRP injections have been used on athletes for over 30 years, and they have become increasingly popular in the past decade. Nowadays, they are administered to a range of patients with musculoskeletal conditions. At Phoenix Regenerative Medicine in Scottsdale, AZ, we frequently use this method to address painful symptoms and speed up a patient’s recovery. Read on to find out more about the typical PRP recovery time and how the injections work.
How Long Does It Take for PRP Injections To Start Working?
Platelet-rich plasma is derived from the patient’s blood. Platelets are small blood cells that release growth factors and encourage the body to get rid of old and diseased cells and produce new ones. This process takes time, so the results aren’t instant. Most people start to notice changes two to six weeks after their first set of injections.
Depending on your musculoskeletal condition, you might have to come back to the clinic two or three times within the first six months. The benefits of PRP are cumulative, so you’ll feel a little better after each appointment. Your final results are apparent around two to three months after your last set of injections. At that point, you’ll come back to the clinic, and we’ll determine whether additional treatment is necessary.
What Is the PRP Recovery Time?
You won’t have to spend a lot of time recovering from your PRP appointments. The treatment is minimally invasive, so there are no incisions, and you won’t be anesthetized. Instead, we simply numb your treatment area and inject the PRP substance. After your treatment, you can drive yourself home or back to work. However, you won’t be able to drink alcohol, take blood-thinning medication, or expose your treatment area to heat for a few days.
Postpone strenuous workouts, avoid hot tubs and saunas, and stick to a gentle stretching routine for at least 24-48 hours. If you have a serious injury, speak to us about your symptoms and which movements make them worse. You might have to stop participating in high-impact sports for a few weeks to give your tissues a chance to heal.
How Long Do the Results Last?
Once the cells in the treatment area are rejuvenated, they remain healthy for a long time. Most patients feel the effects of PRP treatment for one or two years. Those who have long-term conditions like arthritis need to come back to the clinic for a maintenance appointment every year to prevent their painful symptoms from coming back.
However, people who have a sports injury or short-term condition like tendonitis might not need another set of injections. Once their issue has been resolved, their tissues function normally, so they no longer require treatment. When treating people who play high-impact sports, we often collaborate with physiotherapists, who help patients improve their posture and gait to prevent future injuries.
Supporting the Results
There’s a lot you can do to enhance your results. Always follow our instructions, both before and after the treatment. Drink a lot of water to keep your musculoskeletal system in good shape. Regular hydration is important because it keeps your joints lubricated, regulates your body temperature, prevents infections, and delivers nutrients to your cells.
If you’re injured or suffering from painful symptoms, optimize your diet to make sure your body receives the nutrients it needs. Vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc are particularly important because they keep your skin healthy, fight infections, and speed up the healing process. Eat a varied diet consisting mainly of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins to support your body’s functions.
What Can PRP Treat?
Initially, PRP was mainly used to treat athletes who wanted to recover from an injury and get back to their sport. Now, the method is used by countless clinics around the country. Some inject PRP into patients’ faces to get rid of wrinkles and sagging skin, or they inject it into the scalp to treat hair loss.
At Phoenix Regenerative Medicine, we focus on treating our patients’ medical conditions. If you have an acute or long-term sports injury, arthritis, fibromyalgia, or another painful musculoskeletal condition, get in touch. We can offer you PRP therapy, OrthoBiologics, and several other minimally invasive methods.
Sports Injuries
We mainly treat people with injuries related to their musculoskeletal systems. Some of our patients have acute injuries like torn muscles or damaged ligaments or tendons. Others have overuse injuries like tendonitis or tennis elbow. These issues are often caused by repetitive motions, so they mainly affect athletes and people with physically demanding jobs.
PRP is an excellent solution for patients with sports injuries because it’s minimally invasive and doesn’t prolong their recovery time. In fact, this method has been used on athletes for several decades. Famous players like Rafael Nadal, Alex Rodriguez, and Hines Ward use this method to get back on the field more quickly.
Long-Term Conditions
Athletes aren’t the only people who can benefit from PRP therapy. We frequently work with patients suffering from long-term conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia. These issues mainly affect those over the age of 45 because the soft tissues become weaker and less flexible over time. In the past, patients with degenerative conditions had to undergo an operation, but now, minimally invasive methods can be used for many years.
People who suffer from chronic pain often experience excellent results after their PRP injections in Phoenix. However, they have to come back at least once a year for a maintenance appointment because their condition is permanent. Because the PRP recovery time is so short, this treatment doesn’t take up a lot of time, so it’s suitable for busy professionals.
What Happens During the Appointment?
Each PRP Injections session only takes a few minutes. We start by drawing your blood and processing it to extract the beneficial platelets and plasma. Once the substance is ready, we numb your treatment area with a topical anesthetic and mark the injection sites. We might need to inject the PRP substance in several spots.
Once you’ve been treated, you can leave the clinic and resume your normal activities. We’ll give you a list of activities and substances to avoid for the next 48 hours. There is no downtime associated with the treatment. Many of our patients come to see us during their lunch break and go straight back to work afterward.
How To Prepare
If you have persistent pain due to a musculoskeletal condition, book an appointment at the clinic. Bring all your medical records and information about the accident or activity that caused the issue. Tell us about your allergies and what treatments you have already tried. The more we know about your medical background, the better we can tailor your treatment to your needs.
Don’t take any blood-thinning medication or supplements for several days before your treatment. Stop smoking and drinking alcohol at least a week before the session because these substances can make treatment less effective and interfere with your body’s natural healing process. Drink plenty of water or herbal tea to make it easier for us to extract your blood.
Do I Need Other Treatments?
PRP is usually combined with other treatments to help the patient achieve the best results possible. If we believe that the person got injured due to a postural imbalance or muscle weakness, we recommend physiotherapy. We might also suggest OrthoBiologics or viscosupplementation.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
People of all ages can benefit from PRP treatment. We work with young athletes, working professionals who enjoy playing sports on the weekend, and older people suffering from degenerative conditions. Because platelet-rich plasma comes from the patient’s blood, there is virtually no risk of rejection or an allergic reaction. The treatment doesn’t involve injecting harsh chemicals or making incisions, so it isn’t dangerous.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you can’t take part in PRP because there isn’t enough evidence that it is safe for the baby. We also can’t treat anyone who has Hepatitis C or HIV. People with open wounds are sometimes eligible, but it depends on their condition and medical history. If there is an active infection, platelet-rich plasma treatment has to be delayed.
Get Rid of Your Painful Condition with PRP
PRP injections are used to treat sports injuries like muscle tears or tendonitis as well as long-term conditions like arthritis. Typically, it takes two to six weeks for the results to become evident. The PRP recovery time is very short, and patients can resume their normal activities almost straight away. Get in touch with us at Phoenix Regenerative Medicine in Scottsdale, AZ to book your appointment. We’ll determine whether PRP is the best solution for you.
