Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy

PRP injections use a concentrate made from your own blood to spark healing. They can help long-term tendon problems and mild to moderate joint arthritis. Guided by ultrasound at Remix Medical in Houston, TX.

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By Raju Mantena, DO · Pain Medicine PhysicianReviewed Jul 9, 20262 min read

Key takeaways

PRP concentrates growth factors from a patient's own platelets and injects them, under ultrasound guidance, into an injured tendon or joint to provoke a healing response.
PRP is not a single therapy — preparation methods vary widely in platelet concentration and leukocyte content, which is the main reason trial results conflict.
The evidence is strongest for lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow); for knee osteoarthritis it is genuinely mixed, with the placebo-controlled RESTORE trial finding no benefit while other meta-analyses report improvement.
It is weak for full-thickness rotator cuff tears and advanced bone-on-bone arthritis, and it does not replace the progressive loading program that actually remodels tendon.
PRP is almost always self-pay, requires holding NSAIDs before and after, and causes an expected pain flare for several days — patients deserve a candid conversation about the odds before committing.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy in Houston, Texas

Platelets do more than clot. When they degranulate they release a concentrated payload of growth factors — the same signaling molecules the body deploys to repair injured tissue. PRP concentrates those platelets from your own blood and delivers them where healing has stalled.

What is PRP Therapy?

A small volume of the patient's blood is drawn and spun in a centrifuge, separating the platelet-rich fraction from red cells and plasma. That concentrate is then injected, under ultrasound guidance, into the injured tendon, ligament, or joint.

Because it is autologous — derived entirely from the patient's own blood — there is no risk of rejection or disease transmission.

Stage	What happens
Before	You're positioned, the skin is cleaned and numbed, and live imaging (fluoroscopy or ultrasound) guides the needle
During	The medication is placed precisely at the injured tendon or joint, using concentrated platelets from your own blood; most people feel pressure more than sharp pain
After	You rest briefly and go home the same day — arrange a driver if you received sedation

Where the Evidence Is Strongest

PRP is not one therapy. Preparation methods vary widely in platelet concentration, leukocyte content, and activation, and outcomes vary with them. That heterogeneity is the main reason study results conflict.

Better supported:

Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), where PRP has outperformed corticosteroid at long-term follow-up in multiple trials
Knee osteoarthritis , mild to moderate
Patellar and Achilles tendinopathy

Less well supported:

Rotator cuff tears, particularly full-thickness
Acute muscle injury
Advanced, bone-on-bone arthritis

An Honest Framing

PRP is generally not covered by insurance and is billed as a self-pay procedure. It is safe, it is autologous, and for the right tendon in the right patient it has a defensible evidence base. It is not a miracle, and any clinic presenting it as one is selling something.

Corticosteroid provides faster relief; PRP works more slowly and may last longer. Neither substitutes for the loading program that actually remodels tendon.

A Candid Conversation at Remix Medical

We will tell you plainly whether your condition is one where PRP has evidence behind it.

How it's performed

A small volume of the patient's own blood is drawn and placed in a centrifuge, which separates the platelet-rich fraction from red blood cells and platelet-poor plasma. The concentrate is drawn into a syringe and, under ultrasound guidance, injected into the target tendon, ligament, or joint. Needle fenestration of the tendon may be performed simultaneously to provoke a healing response. The entire process is completed in a single visit.

How to prepare

Stop all NSAIDs at least 7 days before the injection — they inhibit platelet function and compromise the treatment. Hydrate well the day before and the morning of, which improves the blood draw. Eat a normal meal beforehand. Avoid corticosteroid injection at the same site for 4 to 6 weeks prior. Understand that this is a self-pay procedure; confirm the cost in advance.

What to expect after

Do not take NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, celecoxib) for 2 weeks after injection — they block the healing response PRP is designed to trigger. Use acetaminophen and ice for comfort. Expect worse pain for 3 to 7 days. Rest the treated area for 48 hours, then begin the prescribed progressive loading program. Full benefit takes 4 to 12 weeks. Report fever, spreading redness, or wound drainage.

Outcome

In appropriately selected patients, PRP can reduce pain and improve function in chronic tendinopathy and mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis, with benefit developing over 4 to 12 weeks. Evidence is strongest for lateral epicondylitis and weakest for full-thickness rotator cuff tears and advanced arthritis.

Frequently asked

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy questions, answered

What conditions does PRP treat?

It's used for tendon injuries, mild to moderate joint arthritis, and certain soft-tissue problems. Evidence is strongest for some tendon conditions.

What is PRP therapy?

PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy uses a concentrated portion of your own blood, rich in healing platelets, injected into an injured tendon or joint to support healing. It's drawn and prepared the same day.

Does PRP therapy work?

Results vary by condition and person. It can help some tendon and joint problems, and it's often chosen when steroids are risky near a tendon. Your doctor sets realistic expectations.

Does PRP hurt and what is recovery like?

You'll feel a blood draw and the injection, with soreness for a few days as healing begins. Anti-inflammatory medicines are usually avoided for a while so the process can work.

Is PRP safe?

Because it uses your own blood, the risk of reaction is very low. As with any injection there's a small risk of soreness or infection, which your doctor reviews.

Sources

References

Bennell KL, Paterson KL, Metcalf BR, et al. Effect of Intra-articular Platelet-Rich Plasma vs Placebo Injection on Pain and Medial Tibial Cartilage Volume in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: The RESTORE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2021;326(20):2021–2030 — https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2786501
Mishra AK, Skrepnik NV, Edwards SG, et al. Efficacy of platelet-rich plasma for chronic tennis elbow: a double-blind, prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial of 230 patients. Am J Sports Med 2014;42(2):463–471 — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23825183/
Platelet-Rich Plasma for Knee Osteoarthritis: What Does the Evidence Say? Drugs Aging 2023 — https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40266-023-01040-6
Kolasinski SL, Neogi T, Hochberg MC, et al. 2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee. Arthritis Care Res 2020;72(2):149–162 — https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.24131
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Management of Osteoarthritis of the Knee (Non-Arthroplasty), 3rd Edition Clinical Practice Guideline. 2021 — https://www.aaos.org/oak3cpg

SpecialtyPain ManagementTypeProcedureBody locationTendon, ligament, knee joint, lateral epicondyle, Achilles tendon, patellar tendon, rotator cuffCPT code0232T (Category III: injection(s), platelet rich plasma, any site, including image guidance, harvesting and preparation when performed). Typically not covered by insurance; billed as self-pay.

Also called PRP, Platelet Rich Plasma Injection, Autologous Platelet Concentrate, Regenerative Injection Therapy

This page is for general education and is not a substitute for medical advice. Whether a given procedure is appropriate depends on your individual evaluation. Contact a Remix Medical clinician to discuss your care.

Updated July 9, 2026. Medically reviewed by Raju Mantena, DO.