Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP): Why It’s a Game Changer for Treating Aging Joints

Plenty of people have heard about the anti-aging benefits of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and its role in restoring a more youthful complexion, in part because of its headline-grabbing nickname: vampire facial. However, PRP is also widely used to restore joint health in people suffering from age-related joint pain in their knees and other joints.

At Florida Pain Management Institute, our team uses PRP therapy as part of our patient-centered approach to arthritis treatment, using the injections alone or combined with other treatments like physical therapy. If you have sore, aging joints, here’s how PRP therapy could help.

How PRP works

Platelet-rich plasma is a blood product derived from a sample of your own blood. PRP is made up of two “parts” of your blood — the liquid plasma part and platelets, tiny cell fragments that contain special proteins called growth factors.

Platelets play an important role in wound repair, helping blood clot after a cut or other injury. The growth factors they contain also help repair damaged tissue by spurring new tissue growth and natural restoration processes. 

PRP therapy starts with extracting a small amount of your blood, similar to a blood draw you’d have for your regular physical exam. The sample is placed in a special machine separating plasma and platelets from the rest of your blood, concentrating these components before reinjecting them into your tissues. 

PRP for aging joints

Age-related joint pain and stiffness typically occur as a result of years of wear-and-tear on the joint surfaces. Over time, as the protective layer of cartilage thins out and wears down, your joints don’t move as smoothly, and you may experience stiffness and pain, which are common symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA).

That pain and stiffness are partly due to inflammation inside the joint that worsens as cartilage on the joint surface wears away. Cartilage doesn’t have its own blood supply, so it doesn’t repair itself easily. As the inflammatory process continues, joint tissue damage progresses, leading to additional pain and stiffness.

PRP injections help mitigate inflammation-related damage in several ways. First, the injections create a tiny area of “micro-injury” that triggers natural healing processes directly at the injury site. 

At the same time, those tiny platelets start the repair process, promoting the growth of new, healthy tissue used to repair or replace damaged tissue inside and around the joint. Finally, PRP can also help slow or even health inflammation, giving your joint time to heal.

Tailored therapy for optimal results

As noted earlier, PRP can be used on its own or in tandem with other treatments, and it can also be “dosed” just like a traditional medicine. Best of all, injections can be repeated to improve joint health and function.

Performed on an outpatient basis, PRP can cause some mild tenderness near the injection area, similar to the tenderness you’d feel from any injection. You’ll also need to restrict your activities for a couple of weeks, specifically weight-bearing or repetitive activities that put extra strain on the joint.

Relieve your joint symptoms with PRP

Age-related joint pain is a common cause of mobility issues that can affect the way you interact with others and the world around you — and chronic pain can take a toll on your emotional wellness, too.

To learn more about PRP therapy and how it can help relieve your joint pain, request an appointment online or over the phone with Florida Pain Management Institute in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, today.