How PRP Is Revolutionizing Arthritis Treatment

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is changing how arthritis is treated, reducing pain and improving mobility in an innovative way. It could be the game changer you’re looking for to ease orthopedic pain caused by arthritis.

At Trinity Pain Medicine Associates in Fort Worth, Texas, our team of board-certified pain management professionals provides regenerative medicine therapies like PRP to treat chronic conditions like arthritis. 

Here’s what you should know about how PRP eases arthritis pain and improves function. 

Standard arthritis treatment

Arthritis has several forms, but the most common type is osteoarthritis or wear-and-tear arthritis. This degenerative joint disease progresses as cartilage slowly wears away from around the joint and the ends of bones rub together, causing friction and pain. 

Currently, most arthritis treatment revolves around pain management, using standard oral medications and physical therapy to strengthen muscles and ligaments around the joint. 

However, that does nothing to restore the joint, and most people end up needing joint replacement surgery. 

PRP basics

Your blood contains white blood cells, red blood cells, and other cells called platelets. We place a sample of your blood in a centrifuge to separate out the white and red blood cells, leaving platelet-rich plasma (PRP). 

Platelets play a vital role in healing and regeneration by releasing growth factors when human tissue is injured. The growth factors send signals to surrounding cells, triggering the healing process. 

By creating PRP from your blood and injecting it into the site of pain in an arthritic joint, we can ease pain, reduce inflammation, and slow the progression of arthritis. 

We use an imaging machine to guide the injections, ensuring proper placement of PRP inside the affected joint. The process only takes about 30 minutes.

The advantage of PRP over other arthritis treatments

Oral medications used to treat osteoarthritis pain carry multiple risks:

• Over-the-counter pain relievers can cause gastric irritation with long-term use
• Opioids can be addictive when used over a long period
• All types of painkillers can lose efficacy over time

Physical therapy can only do so much:

• You can strengthen muscles and other support tissues around the joint
• You can improve joint mobility and flexibility
• You can’t replace cartilage or synovial fluid to protect the joint

Surgery is usually a last resort:

• Joint replacement can mean a long and painful recovery
• Artificial joints only last a decade or so before needing replacement
• Many people aren’t candidates for joint replacement due to health risks

PRP provides a great alternative or supplement to the above options.

Revolutionary joint regeneration

One of the most amazing things about PRP is it’s shown to aid in the regeneration and repair of articular cartilage, helping repair the damage osteoarthritis does to your joint. Additionally, PRP injections can help rebalance the amount of synovial fluid inside your joint. 

The multiple actions of injected PRP reduce arthritis pain and inflammation and help improve joint function. To learn more and find out if you’re a good candidate for PRP, call us today at 817-332-3664.