Solving Arthritis Pain with PRP Treatment

Learn the Pros and Cons of PRP Treatment for Arthritis

There is no question about it, arthritis is debilitating. It utterly transforms the way you live, often resulting in intense chronic pain that prevents you from engaging in the activities that you love. While there is currently no cure for this degenerative disease, there are treatments, such as PRP treatment, that can improve the quality of life.

PRP Treatment to Relieve Arthritic Pain

Studies have shown that PRP treatments have successfully relieved osteoarthritic pain in the knees and have high potential to relieve arthritis in other joints as well.

Some theories about why PRP is such an aid to relieving arthritis is that it is an inhibitor to inflammation which slows down the progression of osteoarthritis. It also can stimulate the formation of new cartilage and increase the production of natural lubricating fluid in the joint, thereby easing painful joint friction. Finally, it contains proteins that alter a patient’s pain receptors and reduce pain sensation.

Whatever the reason, PRP treatments have shown to provide many benefits to arthritis. But there are also some concerns for its treatment benefits, learn more about the pros and cons of this treatment.

Pros and Cons of PRP Treatment for Arthritis

Pros of PRP Treatment

• Platelet-rich plasma is autologous, meaning it comes from the patient’s body, so it is natural and the injections carry few risks.
• Other treatments for mild to moderate osteoarthritis can be unreliable or vary from person to person, and some have side effects or drawbacks.
• Due to synovial fibroblasts and hepatocyte growth factors, PRP and stem cell treatments has been found to specifically restore hyaluronic acid which benefits those who suffer from osteoarthritis.

Cons of PRP Treatment

• There are still a number of questions revolving around what the optimal concentrations of platelets and white blood cells are and even how much platelet-rich plasma should be injected. Until more research is put into determining this information, PRP treatments will be limited in their ability to treat arthritis.
• Because research is still being done on this innovative solution, most insurance companies don’t cover PRP treatments. This means the cost of the treatments must come out of the patient’s pocket.
• PRP therapy may not be appropriate for patients who are pregnant, anemic, certain skin diseases, active infections or metastatic diseases.

PRP treatment offers a number of amazing opportunities for those who are dealing with arthritis. However, it is important to talk to an experienced doctor about whether it is the right procedure for you. If you think that you might benefit from PRP procedure or if you have further questions, please contact Dr. Stuart A. Kauffman.