How Long Do PRP Injections Last?
A platelet-rich plasma treatment, or PRP treatment, is a helpful therapy for many health problems, including arthritis. PRP therapy is based on the idea that the body has the ability to heal itself. By isolating platelet-rich plasma in the body’s blood, doctors can treat damaged cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones. Many people are seeing the benefits of this therapy, especially as it may save them from having to endure a surgery. Many people also wonder how long PRP injections last. There have been studies done to suggest that PRP injections can be effective for 6-9 months. However, the range of time that a PRP treatment is effective is dependent on several factors.
How Long PRP Injections Last: 3 Key Factors
Some of the top factors that weigh in when determining how long PRP injections last include:
- The condition the PRP injection is being used to treat
- The health of the patient in general
- The way the body responds to the initial PRP treatment
As with most things in medicine, each person will experience healing from treatment in their own way. The exact amount of time the PRP injections last will naturally vary from patient to patient. Additionally, overall outcomes from these treatments will vary from situation to situation.
PRP for Arthritis
PRP injections are used to handle a wide range of ailments including pain and injury. PRP can even be used to treat arthritis, especially arthritis of the knees. In addition, many doctors are now using PRP to treat a long list of orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis.
A study done by the American Journal of Sports Medicine showed that patients who had osteoarthritis reported a decrease in their pain levels one week after their PRP for arthritis. What’s more, the patients involved in this study reported that their pain levels were better for six months after the PRP injections. Other studies have been conducted and have confirmed the findings of the initial study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
According to these studies and to the patients that participated in them, the PRP for arthritis was effective in treating their pain for six months. It is also known that the length of time PRP injections can be helpful is often extended by using periodic maintenance injections.
We mentioned earlier that there are some factors involved with determining how long PRP injections for arthritis will be effective in managing the patient’s pain. A PRP treatment’s effectiveness depends on the specific condition that the PRP is being used to treat. Some conditions are more advanced and thus will be more difficult to treat.
Another consideration in any medical procedure or treatment is the overall health of the patient undergoing the treatment. It is logical that the patient will have an easier time recovering and will benefit from the treatment more if their overall health is better. A patient who is in poor health overall will have a more difficult time and because of a range of health factors may not respond as well to the treatment.
Lastly, everybody is different and the way in which a patient’s body responds to the first of the PRP injections will be telling in terms of how the patient will respond to the treatments overall and whether or not they will see significant gains.
Simply put, there is no definite answer to report when talking about how long PRP injections for arthritis will last. We can assume with a good deal of confidence that treatments will begin to reduce pain within a week of the initial injection and will continue to be very helpful for six months, perhaps longer if there are maintenance injections added. The studies and research suggests this is a good standard for how long PRP injections work in the body. Patients will have unique experiences depending on the factors we have discussed here.
In Conclusion
Overall, PRP injections are an appealing option for arthritis pain management and treatment because often the alternative is living with pain or having an invasive surgery. If you suffer from arthritis, you have lived with the pain for long enough. Arthritis can limit your ability to do daily tasks and can lower your quality of life greatly. Managing pain caused by arthritis is important to your overall health and wellbeing. For some surgery may be the best or only option available. For others, PRP injections will be a less invasive alternative to surgery.
Surgeries are not only invasive, but they can take weeks and weeks to recover from. The time it takes to recover can be a period of hardship for many people and can make other health regiments difficult to maintain. With PRP injections for arthritis you do not have the same recovery period. Additionally, you may feel the benefits within a week of receiving the first injection.
PRP Treatment
PRP treatment is a medical treatment that was born of the knowledge that your body has the ability to heal itself. Knowing that you are self-healing can be a very empowering thing. PRP injections take resources from your body, enhance them, and reintroduce them into your body to aid in the process of self-healing.
If you are interested in exploring the possibilities of PRP injections, contact Cano Health today. We’re here to help.