Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injection

PRP: What It Is

A Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection is a technique that uses a solution derived from your own blood.

Your blood sample is spun in a centrifuge, which produces a concentrated plasma that contains powerful healing properties and is rich in growth factors. This concentrated serum is injected into an injured area to stimulate the body’s natural healing and repair process.

The naturally-occurring growth factors in PRP are very similar to undifferentiated cells, also know as stem cells.


Blood and serum separated after centrifuge.

What Medical Science Says About PRP

The science on PRP is solid. Injection of PRP is a proven method for reducing pain and leads to faster recovery from acute injuries, specifically soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments. A plethora of scholarly research supports the use and validity of PRP. While much of the research focuses on acute healing applications, PRP does work on chronic conditions as well.

How PRP Helps the Body’s Natural Healing Process

When you experience a soft tissue injury, your body’s healing process kicks in to begin repairing the damaged tissue. But sometimes this process does not work as it should.

Instead of forming new, healthy collagen fibers post-injury, sometimes scar tissue develops. Scar tissue develops when blood flow to the area is restricted, which prevents and the proper platelets and growth (healing) factors from building collagen.

This built-up scar tissue can further prohibit proper blood flow to the area, and often means the area will never heal correctly — PRP therapy breaks through scar tissue and provides needed platelets and growth factors to stimulate healing and tissue regeneration.

How PRP is Administered

Based on your medical history and a thorough examination, Dr. Lipton will determine the best location for the injection. The injection area is numbed with lidocaine before to minimize discomfort. Then, a thin needle is used to inject the PRP directly into the injured area.

The amount of injections necessary for optimal healing can vary with each patient. There is no limit to how many treatments you can receive, but many patients only need 1-3 injections to feel their best. Each treatment is spaced 4-6 weeks apart.

PRP Injection vs. Expensive Surgery

A 2-year study conducted in Milan, Italy showed that PRP was a viable treatment for patients who were candidates for arthroscopic knee surgery. The researchers reported that “All of the patients measured significant improvement in all pain, mobility, and disability scores that lasted throughout the 24-month study period.”

In addition to knee issues, the cells and growth factors in PRP stimulate healing at an incredible rate and can be effective at treating any acute or chronic injury, including:

  • Degenerative joint issues
  • Golf injury
  • Joint pain
  • Rotator cuff tear
  • Tendinitis
  • Tennis elbow
  • Sports injuries

PRP Safety

PRP therapy is completely safe. Nothing else is added to your blood so there is no risk of allergy, reaction, or rejection.

Contact Us To Schedule an Appointment

Call 610-667-4601 for more information or to schedule an appointment. You may also schedule an appointment online.

Ask us about combining PRP with Ozone Prolozone therapy for even greater effective from chronic degenerative joint disease.