Is Platelet-Rich Plasma Good? A Comprehensive Look at PRP Therapy

October 1, 2025 •

5 min read

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a form of regenerative medicine that harnesses the body's own natural growth factors, and studies have shown promising results for certain conditions. This has led many to ask, is platelet-rich plasma good for a wide range of ailments and injuries?

Quick Summary

This article explores the science behind platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, its applications in orthopedics and other fields, comparing it to alternative treatments like corticosteroids. It also evaluates the proven benefits, risks, and limitations of this regenerative medicine technique.

Key Points

Natural Healing: PRP therapy concentrates a patient's own platelets and growth factors to stimulate and accelerate the body's natural repair processes.
Targeted Applications: It is most commonly used to treat chronic tendon injuries, ligaments, and mild to moderate osteoarthritis, with mixed evidence for other applications.
Long-Term Potential: Unlike temporary pain relief from corticosteroids, PRP aims to provide sustained, long-term healing by addressing the root cause of tissue damage.
Safety Profile: Because it is derived from your own blood, PRP has a low risk of allergic reactions, though minor soreness and bruising at the injection site are common side effects.
Cost and Coverage: The treatment can be costly and is often not covered by insurance, as it is still considered investigational for many uses, despite FDA clearance of the devices.
Evidence Varies: The effectiveness of PRP is not universal, and results can be variable due to the lack of standardized protocols and limitations in current research.

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a concentrated substance derived directly from a patient's own blood. The process is relatively straightforward. A small amount of blood is drawn from the patient and placed into a centrifuge, a machine that spins at high speeds. This process separates the blood into its different components based on density: red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, and platelets. The resulting PRP is a concentration of platelets, which are rich in various growth factors that play a critical role in healing and regeneration.

When injected into an injured or diseased area, these concentrated growth factors signal the body to accelerate its natural healing process. This mechanism is believed to stimulate cellular repair, tissue regeneration, and inflammation regulation. Because it uses the patient's own cells, the risk of allergic reaction or rejection is significantly reduced.

Potential Applications of PRP Therapy

PRP has gained popularity across several medical specialties. In orthopedics, it is often used for soft tissue injuries and joint conditions.

Common orthopedic uses:

Chronic Tendinopathies: Conditions like tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), Achilles tendinosis, and rotator cuff injuries may respond to PRP injections. Evidence suggests benefits may be long-term, unlike the temporary relief from corticosteroid injections.
Osteoarthritis: Several studies, including research from the Mayo Clinic, have indicated that PRP can reduce pain and improve function in patients with knee osteoarthritis for 6 to 12 months. It is sometimes combined with hyaluronic acid for potentially better outcomes.
Ligament Sprains and Tears: PRP has shown some potential in aiding the healing of ligaments, such as in acute ankle sprains.

Other applications:

Hair Restoration: PRP injections into the scalp are used to stimulate hair growth and can enhance the results of hair transplant surgery. Patients often require multiple sessions for sustained results.
Cosmetic Procedures: In cosmetic dermatology, PRP is used for skin rejuvenation, often combined with microneedling in treatments like the 'Vampire Facial'.

Is Platelet-Rich Plasma Good? Weighing the Evidence

While the concept of using the body's own healing power is compelling, the effectiveness of PRP therapy is not a one-size-fits-all answer. The evidence is still evolving and can be mixed depending on the specific condition and treatment protocol.

Varied Efficacy: Systematic reviews on PRP for musculoskeletal soft tissue injuries have shown no clear benefit over traditional treatments for many conditions, especially in the short term. However, some studies have reported positive long-term outcomes for specific issues like chronic tendinopathies.
Long-Term vs. Short-Term Relief: Research comparing PRP to corticosteroids for arthritis and tendon issues often shows that corticosteroids offer faster, but more temporary, pain relief. PRP, conversely, aims for a more sustained, regenerative effect, though it may take several months to see significant improvement.
Research Limitations: A key challenge in evaluating PRP is the lack of standardized treatment protocols. Factors such as the concentration of platelets, presence of white blood cells (leukocyte-rich vs. leukocyte-poor), number of injections, and rehabilitation after injection can all influence outcomes. This variability makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions from all studies.

Comparing PRP with Corticosteroid Injections

When considering injections for musculoskeletal pain, the choice often comes down to PRP versus corticosteroids. Here is a comparison:


Feature	Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)	Corticosteroid Injection
Mechanism of Action	Promotes tissue healing and regeneration using natural growth factors from the patient's own blood.	Powerful anti-inflammatory that provides short-term pain relief by suppressing inflammation.
Onset of Action	Slower; can take several weeks to months to feel significant improvement.	Rapid; pain relief is often felt immediately or within a few days.
Duration of Effect	Can offer sustained, longer-term relief as it addresses the underlying tissue damage.	Temporary; the pain often returns within a few months, and repeat injections are limited.
Tissue Impact	Strengthens and regenerates tissue.	Can cause long-term side effects like tissue deterioration, especially with repeated use.
Cost	Generally more expensive and less likely to be covered by insurance.	Typically more affordable and often covered by insurance.
Side Effects	Minimal risk of major side effects; mild soreness and bruising are common. Rare risks include infection, nerve, or tissue damage.	Rare side effects but can include tissue damage, infection, or nerve issues. Can mask pain without healing the cause.

Benefits and Risks of PRP

Potential Benefits

Minimally Invasive: PRP injections are a non-surgical option for various injuries and conditions, leading to less downtime compared to surgery.
Natural and Safe: Since the treatment uses the patient’s own blood, the risk of allergic reactions or disease transmission is very low.
Promotes Healing: Unlike treatments that just mask symptoms, PRP aims to regenerate and heal damaged tissue, offering potentially long-term recovery.
Reduced Need for Medication: By stimulating natural healing, PRP may reduce the need for pain medications, including anti-inflammatories or opioids.

Potential Risks and Downsides

Cost: PRP is often not covered by insurance and can be expensive, ranging from a few hundred to over two thousand dollars per session, with multiple sessions typically required.
Mild Side Effects: The most common side effects are temporary soreness, bruising, or mild inflammation at the injection site. This is part of the healing response.
Rare Complications: As with any injection, there is a small risk of more serious issues, such as infection, tissue damage, or nerve injury, though these are uncommon. The use of ultrasound guidance can help mitigate these risks.
Variable Results: Due to the lack of standardized procedures, results can be inconsistent between different clinics and providers. Efficacy varies significantly by condition.

What to Consider Before Treatment

Before opting for PRP, it is essential to have a thorough discussion with a qualified healthcare provider. They can assess your specific condition, explain the potential benefits and risks, and determine if you are a suitable candidate. You should also check with your insurance provider regarding coverage and understand the potential out-of-pocket expenses.

FDA Status of PRP

The equipment used to create PRP and the procedure itself have been cleared by the FDA for use by medical professionals. However, it is crucial to understand that for many applications, PRP is considered an investigational or 'off-label' use and has not been formally approved by the FDA. This is often the reason for the lack of insurance coverage. Despite this, qualified physicians can legally offer PRP treatments if they believe it is in the patient's best interest.

Conclusion: Is Platelet-Rich Plasma a Good Option?

Is platelet-rich plasma good? The answer is nuanced. It offers a promising, minimally invasive, and natural approach to healing by leveraging the body's regenerative capabilities. For certain chronic tendon and osteoarthritis issues, strong evidence supports its long-term efficacy, potentially surpassing the temporary relief provided by corticosteroids. For other applications, like acute injuries, the research is less conclusive.

While PRP has a very low risk of major complications, its variable effectiveness, high cost, and investigational status for many uses are important considerations. It is not a guaranteed cure, and a patient's response to treatment can vary. The best approach is to consult a medical specialist, like those at reputable orthopedic or sports medicine clinics, to determine if PRP is a suitable treatment plan for your specific needs.

For more detailed information on PRP therapy, you can visit the Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library.

Frequently Asked Questions

PRP therapy involves drawing a small amount of a patient's blood, processing it in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, and then injecting this platelet-rich plasma into the site of injury or disease. The concentrated growth factors in the platelets stimulate and accelerate the body's natural healing cascade.

PRP is commonly used for chronic tendon injuries like tennis elbow and Achilles tendinosis, ligament sprains, and mild osteoarthritis, especially in the knee. It is also used in cosmetic procedures for hair restoration and skin rejuvenation.

Corticosteroids provide rapid, temporary pain relief by reducing inflammation, but do not heal tissue and can have long-term side effects. PRP offers slower but potentially more sustained, long-term healing by regenerating damaged tissue, though it can be more costly.

Minor side effects are common and include soreness, bruising, and mild swelling at the injection site, which is part of the healing process. More serious complications like infection or nerve damage are rare.

The cost of PRP therapy can vary significantly but typically ranges from a few hundred to over $2,500 per session. Multiple sessions are usually required for optimal results.

For many applications, PRP is considered an investigational or 'off-label' treatment and has not received full FDA approval. This lack of approval is often the reason insurance companies do not provide coverage.

Unlike the immediate relief from cortisone, the effects of PRP are not instant. Patients may experience initial soreness, with noticeable improvements in pain and function typically developing over several weeks to months as the tissue heals.