Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
post
Mon – Sat: 9 am – 6 pm  
Am I A Candidate ?
Mon – Sat: 9 am – 6 pm  
Am I A Candidate ?

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy or PRP Treatment

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP)

Plasma concentrates are a way to help the body finish the healing process and strengthen the weakened tissue. The use of PRP, a portion of the patient’s own blood having a platelet concentration above baseline, to promote healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints, can be applied to various musculoskeletal problems.

How Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy or PRP Treatment works?

Your blood is not all cells but is predominantly made of a plasma, the liquid portion of whole blood, in which your red and white blood cells are suspended. Also floating in the plasma are cells called platelets, also called thrombocytes, and their role is to clot the blood to stop a bleeder. In addition, platelets have proteins called growth factors that would be responsible for the healing and regenerating powers after damage to a blood vessel wall. Platelet activation plays a key role in the body’s natural healing process. Platelet-rich plasma therapy uses injections that contain a high concentration of platelets, which can be from 5 to 10 times more than the untreated blood to accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. PRP injections use each individual patient’s own healing system to improve musculoskeletal problems. Growth factors are the key to the decreased healing time and dramatic pain relief of PRP therapy that has proven successful in a variety of conditions as a stand-alone line of treatment or in conjunction with Stromal vascular fraction therapy or Mesenchymal cell therapy. Even when surgery could not be avoided in certain cases, the use of PRP therapy in conjunction has an added benefit to a speedy recovery due to its healing and anti-inflammatory effects.

PRP therapy has been found to significantly the healing process, and using a PRP injection for shoulder pain caused by rotator cuff tears, for Achilles tendon ruptures and for other soft-tissue injuries is becoming more common. Also PRP has demonstrated to improve function and reduce pain in people who have tendonitis or chronic tendinosis conditions such as tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow. This simple outpatient treatment may help you recover from a painful sports Injury or chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis also.

A list of common conditions PRP Treatment can help:

  • Acute injuries, like pulled hamstring muscles or knee sprains
  • Tendon, tendinosis or ligament injuries, like Rotator cuff tears, Achilles tendon, Tennis elbow, Golfer’s elbow
  • Joint injuries
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Skin Rejuvenation
  • Scars
  • Inflammation reduction
  • Hair thinning & Hair loss
  • Postsurgical repair

Some of the key benefits of  PRP injections are that they can reduce the need for anti-inflammatories or stronger medications like opioids. PRP is a concentrated source of growth factors and cellular signalling factors that may accelerate and improve healing in many tissues. Platelet Rich Plasma therapy is minimally invasive, non-surgical same day procedure with minimal recovery time. No general anaesthesia is required and most patients don’t need post-operative pain medication. You are fully awake and ready to go home within a few hours after injections in the affected area. As injecting PRP involves using a person’s own platelets, there are no adverse reactions to the PRP injections. However, it is possible that a person may have irritation, a temporary increase in pain levels, bleeding or develop an infection related to the injection site. If you develop symptoms you are concerned about please do not hesitate to contact us.

The procedure is performed in an out-patient setting and can take up to an hour to complete. The main steps of the procedure are outlined below:

  • Blood sample is drawn from a vein in your arm. The amount of the sample depends on where the PRP will be injected.
  • Your sample is spun in a centrifuge machine and as the name implies the enhanced platelet rich plasma is separated from the rest of the blood. The separation process takes about 15 minutes.
  • The activated platelets concentrate is then injected locally into the treatment area and this releases growth factors that stimulate and increase the number of reparative cells your body produces and the healing can begin. Ultrasound imaging is sometimes used to guide the injection.

The number of injections required depends on the injury or condition, but can range from one to six injections which are performed at regular intervals.

First, in order to determine if you are a good candidate and will benefit the most from Enhanced PRP treatment, you will need to schedule an appointment with our Clinic to have assessment done by our Consultant, who will review your case, medical records, blood tests & radio-imaging scans and determine if you qualify as a candidate for Medica Stem Cells therapies.

 

The choice of treatment is then at the discretion of the Consultant and is based on your unique case. In certain cases it may be a combination of more than one treatment protocol. The options are: Prolotherapy, Stromal vascular fraction therapy and/ or Mesenchymal cell therapy.

 

It is important to make us aware of any medications you may be taking before coming in for the Enhanced PRP procedure, e.g. any blood thinners such as Aspirin. We will advise you if you need to cease any medications at the time of making the appointment.

PRP injections are generally low-risk and rarely lead to significant side effects. Since the procedure requires a blood draw, it's important to stay hydrated and have a meal beforehand to prevent any lightheadedness. After the injection, mild soreness and bruising at the injection site are common.


Because PRP is derived from your own blood cells and plasma, the likelihood of an allergic reaction is minimal. Although rare, possible risks and complications from PRP injections may include:

 Bleeding Immediate pain at the injection site

  • Bruising
  • Itching at the injection site
  • Nausea/vomiting
  • Dizziness/fainting
  • Infection
  • Nerve or muscle injury
  • Temporary blood sugar increase

If you are considering

PRP injections, discuss the benefits and risks with your physician.

Medica Stem Cells Clinic offers Non-Surgical Regenerative Therapies for JOINT PAIN, HIP PAIN, KNEE PAIN, SHOULDER PAIN & many more conditions. Give us a call on 020 8168 2000 to schedule your consultation with our Doctor or alternatively book a consultation online or request a call back to see how we can help you!

Privacy Preferences
When you visit our website, it may store information through your browser from specific services, usually in form of cookies. Here you can change your privacy preferences. Please note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our website and the services we offer.