Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP is blood plasma with concentrated platelets. The concentrated platelets found in PRP contain huge reservoirs of bioactive proteins, including growth factors that are vital to initiate and accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. These bioactive proteins initiate connective tissue healing: bone, tendon, and ligament regeneration and repair, promote development of new blood vessels, and stimulate the healing process. If you are planning a treatment appointment please complete this form before your visit.
Repetitive movements can strain tendons and cause pain, swelling, and difficulty in movement. PRP therapy assists tendon repair and heals the tissue instead of masking the pain. PRP for tendonitis is typically administered by a specialized Radiologist with Ultrasound guidance.
- Single Visit Tendon PRP $650
PRP for Osteoarthritis, also known as Intra-Articular Therapy, can accelerate the physiological recover process and help relieve pain. PRP injections are a safe and effective treatment for osteoarthritis, it is administered by a Physician’s Assistant using Fluoroscopic guidance. Oregon Imaging offers bundled pricing for multiple treatments.
- Single visit, single joint injected: $400
- Single visit, two joints injected: $650
- Single visit, three joints injected: $850
- Three visit bundle, single joint injected: $975
- Three visit bundle, two joints injected: $1700
- Three visit bundle, three joints injected: $2250
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy is an innovative, all-natural treatment option for tendon injuries and joint pain. It’s a safe, non-surgical treatment that utilizes proteins and growth factors within platelets and plasma from your own blood.
Platelet Rich Plasma is effective treatment for chronic pain disorders, from injuries, plantar fasciitis, tendon injury, ligament injury, and joint pain. It is also used in injections for osteoarthritis. The high concentration of platelets is 4-5 times what your normal blood would typically deliver, which can greatly enhance the body’s healing abilities.
During your appointment, one of our specialists will draw your blood and put it in a PRP collection tube, then the blood is spun in a centrifuge for 20 minutes to separate it from your red blood cells. This platelet-rich plasma is then injected into the area of interest, using either Ultrasound or Fluoroscopic guidance.
Physicians administering PRP injections have noted that patients who take anti-inflammatory medications, such as NSAIDs, in the weeks after their injection have had less impressive results. For this reason we recommend NOT taking any anti-inflammatory medications for 7 days leading up to your injection and for a minimum of four weeks following the PRP injection.
You will experience soreness for the first few days at the injection site and then improvement of the affected area 2-6 weeks after the therapy. You can return to work as usual. For some conditions additional treatments are recommended. Results may vary.
Q. What is PRP?
A. Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy is a relatively simple process in which the body’s potent healing factors are concentrated from a sample of blood and re-injected into a damaged or injured area (i.e. knee joint). This is a procedure that can be easily performed at our imaging center and takes approximately one hour total time.
Q. How does it work?
A. Platelets possess a treasure trove of healing factors which work to reduce pain and inflammation in the joint space, but more importantly, promotes the body’s natural ability to heal leading to improved function and decreased pain.
Q. How does Oregon Imaging Centers differ from other sites offering PRP injections?
A. Oregon Imaging Centers has world-class subspecialty-trained musculoskeletal radiologists who are dedicated to a culture of professional excellence, uncompromising technical proficiency and compassionate care. Our radiologists use precise ultrasound guided imaging to assure safe and accurate PRP delivery for optimal effectiveness and outcomes.
Q. Who is a good candidate?
A. PRP therapy can be effective in treating pain due to fascial, tendon and ligament injuries. PRP is also effective for osteoarthritis. We do not perform PRP spine injections at Oregon Imaging Centers.
Q. How do I schedule a PRP at Oregon Imaging Centers?
A. Contact us at Oregon Imaging Centers PRP scheduling number (458) 215-4052 and we will help coordinate your care..
Q. Are there any side effects?
A. Since PRP therapy only utilizes your body’s own healing properties there is no risk of allergic reaction or rejection of treatment by the body. However, since the growth factors trigger a complex cascade of healing, swelling and discomfort is expected for up to a week after receiving PRP treatment. Because of this expected ‘healing discomfort’, you should plan to have a friend or family member drive you home from the appointment.
Q. Will insurance cover it?
A. Since insurance companies consider this treatment experimental in the United States, insurance will not pay for treatments at this time. We anticipate that as it becomes more popular and widely available this will eventually change.
Q. Are the injections painful?
A. Some pain should be expected during this procedure, however we do use a minimal amount of Lidocaine to numb the local region.
Q. Will I have swelling or pain after my injections?
A. The initial reaction to a PRP injection varies from a mild-severe inflammatory response, which may present as swelling, redness, and pain. Typically patients experience some discomfort for only 3-5 days. PRP injections trigger your healing response, which starts with inflammation. After injections, many people feel an increase in their pain that typically lasts from 2 days to 2 weeks. Some people have prolonged inflammatory phases, up to 6 weeks. As this first phase inflammation subsides, so does the pain. In the second healing phase, the tissue proliferates: the body assembles “scaffolding”, which takes from days to months. The third phase of healing is maturation: with the scaffolding in place, the tissue fills in, which may take from weeks to years.
Q. How effective is the PRP injection? Will I notice positive results?
A. Results vary. Some people may notice significant pain reduction with one injection, some people may need more than one injection for pain reduction and some people may not notice significant improvement.
Q. When will I be able to exercise after the injections?
A. This will vary depending on your personal fitness level and response to the injection. You should not exercise until the inflammatory response from the injection has subsided. For most patients this will be anywhere from 5-7 days. We suggest starting with low-impact exercises such as walking or elliptical and slowly increasing your activities until you are able to return to your regular workout routine.
Q. Are there any reactions that may occur with medications I am currently taking?
A. There is little risk of reactions to medications, but please let the doctor know if you are on blood-thinning medications since this increases the risk of bleeding. If you are prescribed a medication to ease pain or anxiety there is potential risk that it may interact with your existing medications. For this reason, you should discuss all medications with the physician at your appointment. NO anti inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, Motrin, Aleve 7 days prior of post procedure.
Q. Are there any side effects from the injections?
A. Since PRP is a procedure in which your own fluids are injected back into your body, there is no risk of allergic reaction from the injections. The major side effect is the inflammatory response, as previously mentioned.
Q. Can I put ice on the injection site after the injection?
A. You may ice the site, it will not cause harm.
Q. Can I use a devise to immobilize the joint injection site for the first few days to help healing?
A. You may use an immobilizing devise such as a foot/ankle boot, scooter, sling, if you wish.
