Comprehensive Guide to Osteoarthritis Relief with PRP Treatment

Researchers estimate that up to 39% of the Indians suffer from osteoarthritis (OA), a joint disease that usually develops in the knee. If you’re having joint pain, swelling or morning stiffness, you may have this disease.

OA is a degenerative disease. So, the longer you delay your treatment, the worse the pain and symptoms will become.

But it’s not all bad news.

There are several non-surgical treatments that an osteoarthritis specialist like Dr. Rajah Koppala can provide, such as the regenerative PRP treatment.

If you are suffering due to osteoarthritis, here is a comprehensive guide to osteoarthritis relief with the PRP treatment.

What is the PRP Treatment for Osteoarthritis?

“PRP” is short for “Platelet-Rich Plasma.” To understand the PRP treatment, it’s necessary to understand the meaning of these terms.

The word plasma refers to the liquid component of your blood. Nearly 55% of your blood is plasma, and the remaining 45% comprises red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Platelets are the cells in the blood that have healing properties. Top osteoarthritis doctors refer to these healing properties as growth factors and bioactive molecules.

Introducing these bioactive molecules and growth factors into damaged tissues can provide you with pain relief. The healing properties of platelets help your body to repair and replace the damaged ligaments and tendons in the affected joint.

Osteoarthritis develops in the joints that carry heavy loads. The disease is most common in knee joints, but it can also develop in the shoulder, elbow and hip joints.

The good news is that the PRP treatment can be used in any joint of the body that is affected by osteoarthritis.

A 2022 study confirmed that the PRP treatment provided relief from pain and stiffness within one month. The maximum relief from the treatment was observed after six months.

Steps of the PRP Treatment

The PRP treatment involves isolating the healing platelets from your blood and creating plasma that is rich with platelets. This is why it is called the platelet-rich plasma treatment.

Step #1: Taking Blood from the Patient

To create this platelet-rich plasma, an osteoarthritis doctor will take your blood. The process of taking blood is the same as it is for a blood test.

This step is unavoidable, as it is dangerous to inject PRP created by another human’s blood into your joint. Injecting someone else’s blood into your joint puts you at high risk of developing blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.

Moreover, the PRP created from someone else’s blood may be incompatible with your joint. Plus, it may not have the growth factors that your joint needs to start repairing and replacing the damaged tissues.

Step #2: Creation of PRP

The collected blood is put into a centrifuge device. The plasma and platelets are separated from the other components of the blood by spinning the blood sample at a specific speed.

This is how an osteoarthritis doctor specialist creates the PRP – a concentrate of plasma proteins and platelets – using the patient’s blood.

Step #3: Numbing the Area with Anaesthesia

Next, the doctor numbs the affected joint using local anaesthesia.

This ensures that the patient remains comfortable and pain-free when the syringe is inserted into the affected joint.

Step #4: Administering the PRP Injection

Now that the PRP is ready and the patient is prepared for the injection, the doctor administers the PRP into the affected joint.

Some osteoarthritis physicians use an ultrasound to guide the injection into the joint.

Step #5: Relief from Osteoarthritis Symptoms

After receiving the PRP injection, you will be asked to rest for some time.

You can go home within a few hours of the treatment. It’s best to avoid driving after the procedure, as you may be in pain due to the injection. This pain is temporary and will disappear within a few hours.

Within a few days of the treatment, the injected growth factors will start repairing the damaged tissues in the joint. The joint will begin healing within a month, and you can expect a significant reduction in pain and swelling.

In this way, the PRP treatment allows you to delay and, in some cases, prevent surgical treatments for osteoarthritis, such as total knee replacement, hip replacement or arthroscopic surgery.

According to research published in the July 2021 issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, the lack of standard PRP formulations is one of the main challenges that reduce the effectiveness of the treatment worldwide.

So, to get the correct treatment, it is important for you to consult the best doctor for osteoarthritis.

At Avis Hospital, Dr. Rajah Koppala follows an USFDA-approved process for creating the PRP for his patients. This allows him to provide the same quality of treatment as the world’s leading doctors.

Why Most Osteoarthritis Patients Require Multiple PRP Injections

It’s common for orthopaedists to suggest that a single PRP injection is enough to provide relief from osteoarthritis.

But this claim is only partially true.

Often, the amount of injected PRP is not enough to repair the joint damage sufficiently.

To determine the efficiency of multiple PRP injections compared to a single PRP injection, researchers conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

This research was published in October 2021 in the Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery journal.

It proved that multiple doses of PRP provided more relief for a longer period compared to a single dose of PRP.

So, if your osteoarthritis doctor asks you to follow up with them a few weeks after your PRP injection, do not neglect their advice, even if you find relief from a single injection.

What Happens After the PRP Injection

Your doctor may advise you to apply an ice pack to the affected joint for 20 minutes every 2-3 hours. You must do this for two to three days after the injection.

The doctor may also prescribe pain killers to help you manage the discomfort from the injection.

But most importantly, the doctor will ask you to avoid putting weight on the joint. Lifting weights and exercise are strictly not allowed for a few days after the treatment.

If you receive the PRP injection for knee osteoarthritis, the doctor may ask you to use a crutch or cane to entirely avoid putting weight on the knee.

Conclusion: Should You Get PRP Treatment for Osteoarthritis?

The PRP treatment is an excellent option for early-stage osteoarthritis patients who want to avoid surgical replacement of their joints.

However, the PRP treatment only provides short-term relief from osteoarthritis. The effects of the PRP treatment wear off in a few months.

Dr. Rajah Koppala provides the Genicular Artery Embolization treatment for osteoarthritis at Avis Hospital.

The GAE treatment blocks the blood vessels in the affected joint to stop the swelling, pain and other symptoms completely. This treatment only takes a few minutes and does not involve any cutting or stitching.

Plus, the GAE treatment provides relief from the symptoms for many years instead of a few months.

Most importantly, the GAE treatment provides relief from osteoarthritis in one day. You do not need to wait for a few weeks for relief like in the PRP treatment.

If you are considering treatment for osteoarthritis, call +91 74161 74998 to consult India’s top interventional radiologists for fast relief without cuts or stitches.