How Many PRP Treatments Are Needed for Injury Recovery?

If you're looking for long-term relief after an injury and are interested in using your body's own natural resources instead of surgery or pharmaceutical interventions, Asheville Regenerative Orthopedics & Sports Medicine offers a less invasive solution.

Board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, Dr. Christie Lehman offers platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to patients in Asheville, NC looking for cutting-edge solutions to help treat joint, tendon, ligament, and muscle injuries.

Below, we'll look at the PRP protocol and how many treatments you may need for issues such as nonsurgical knee treatments.

How does PRP therapy work?

PRP therapy is a great way to cut down on recovery time and avoid the risks of pain medications and surgery.

A platelet-rich plasma injection is performed in two steps (though some patients may need multiple injections to see PRP work). It involves taking blood from a vein in your arm, processing the blood to collect the platelets, and injecting those platelets into the area where you're experiencing joint, tendon, ligament, or muscle pain or injury.

The initial blood draw takes around 15 – 30 minutes. You may then wait in the office or return later as the blood is processed and prepared in our lab, where we isolate the growth factors and create the injection of highly concentrated platelet-rich plasma. The second step is the injection of this platelet-rich plasma, which typically takes 60-90 minutes.

Injecting concentrated platelets into the body is designed to help kick-start the repair process. No foreign chemicals are injected alongside your platelets, making PRP therapy a relatively natural method of stimulating your body's repair cells.

At Asheville Regenerative Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, PRP is performed using the Regenexx Super Concentrated Platelet® protocol. This method creates a purer and more concentrated form of platelets and growth factors. It can be used to help treat pain from soft tissue injuries, mild arthritis, and even spine conditions.

How many PRP treatments are needed after an injury?

You're probably wondering how many PRP treatments it takes to alleviate pain. But like many treatments, it will be different for everyone.

Since PRP is used to treat stubborn pain and injuries that don't respond to rest, medication, or physical therapy, it won't be a "miracle cure" for everyone, and it can take some time to see results. However, Dr. Lehman has seen impressive outcomes in patients at Asheville Regenerative Orthopedics & Sports Medicine.

Depending on the area being treated and the extent of the damage, some patients may need 2 – 3 injections. For those who suffer from chronic pain, it may be 6 – 9 months before full benefits from PRP therapy are seen since it encourages the body to regenerate and stimulate the healing process. Acute joint and muscle injuries can take just a few weeks to heal.

In each case, patients will have a follow-up appointment with Dr. Lehman roughly 12 weeks after their injections.

Get platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment in Asheville, NC

PRP therapy is an excellent option for patients with acute injuries and chronic tissue degeneration who want to explore options before surgery. If you're interested in finding out more about how Asheville Regenerative Orthopedics & Sports Medicine can treat your injury, schedule a consultation with Dr. Christie Lehman.