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PLATELET-RICH
PLASMA (PRP)

PRP Injections in Raleigh, NC

WHAT IS HIGH DOSE PRP?

PRP or Platelet-Rich Plasma, is a NONSURGICAL boost to the body’s own healing ability by taking the patient’s blood and spinning it down in a centrifuge, which is then injected back to the afflicted area – whether that be a joint, tendon or ligament.  At Carolina Nonsurgical we focus on only high dose PRP. 

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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HIGH DOSE PRP?

  • There is very little risk to the patient, since we use the patient’s own blood

  • Same-day procedure with minimal down time

  • Near pain-free procedure

  • Quick blood draw in the office, versus surgery in a hospital

  • The entire process takes about 20-30 minutes

  • There are no known long term side effects as with steroids 

  • The majority of patients are candidates from ages 14 -100+ years old 

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WHY CUSTOM HIGH DOSE PRP?

All PRP is definitely not the same. There are many clinics that perform PRP injections, but they might not be concentrating the PRP enough to make it most effective. ​

 

There are 3 really important factors that can influence the success rate of PRP: 

 

CONCENTRATION 

  • Your age and your severity does change how much we concentrate your PRP. A younger person might experience relief with 4X concentration, but as we age, we might need upwards of 10x+ concentration. More severe pain or chronic issues might also fair better with "HIGH DOSE PRP".

  • Many clinics use low yield, small volume kits and will get 1-2x concentration. 

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VOLUME & AMOUNT OF BLOOD DRAWN

  • For larger areas and joints you need a greater amount of volume (3mL, for example, into a knee joint is not enough volume of PRP to have an effect).

  • Knowing how much volume to inject and how much blood to draw takes years of clinical experience to learn.

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EXPERTISE AND PLANNING 

  • After we formulate a diagnosis, the providers at Carolina Nonsurgical Orthopedics will have a discussion with the patient about both concentration and volume of the PRP being injected. This is critical to involve the patient as we need to set expectations for the procedure itself and for the number of treatments that might be required.

  • Lastly, it is important to note that PRP at Carolina Nonsurgical Orthopedics is a highly customized process. Once we spin the desired amount of blood in a centrifuge, we will manually concentrate to the planned level. Our patients' success is far too important to rely upon a cookie-cutter PRP method.

WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR PRP

The providers at Carolina Nonsurgical Orthopedics consider many factors when determining who is a good candidate for PRP, including:

TREATMENT AREA

PRP is commonly performed on most joints, tendons and ligaments in the following areas: ​

  • Elbows

  • Feet

  • Hands

  • Wrists

  • Knees

  • Shoulders

  • Hips

  • Ankles

DIAGNOSIS

Some of the most common uses for PRP include: ​

  • Arthritis

  • Sports Injuries

  • Chronic Tendonitis

  • Chronic Joint Pain

  • Hair & Skin Restoration

AGE & SEVERITY

Per studies, age and severity can be predictors of outcomes:​

  • Age (14-100+ yrs old)

  • Mild-Moderate Injury/Arthritis

  • For more severe cases or advanced arthritis, MFAT Cell Therapy may be recommended

  • Who is NOT a good candidate for PRP?
    Most patients are good candidates for PRP, unless they have bleeding disorders or active cancers. We also do not perform PRP for neurological disorders or for spinal/neck conditions.
  • Is your practice a franchise?
    Wake Nonsurgical Ortho & Regenerative Medicine is NOT a franchise. We are a locally-owned and independently run medical practice, under the supervision of Dr. Matthew Kanaan (a board certified sports medicine physician who trained locally at Duke Medical Center).
  • What is the recovery for PRP?
    Patients should take 1 week off from exercise after injections, but can resume work the same day (unless they have a very active job). There is no bedrest needed, and patients can drive home from the procedure themselves.
  • What are the success rates?
    We have performed thousands of injections over the years and 80-90% of our patients are seeing reductions in pain for arthritis, injuries, and chronic pain. In some cases even complete pain relief.
  • How much does PRP cost? And, does insurance cover it?
    Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is not covered by the majority of insurances, however your consultation and imaging is usually covered by most insurances. PRP costs vary depending on the dose that is recommneded by your provider. Please call our office to inquire about a price range if you are interested in scheduling PRP.
  • Are there any scientific studies to support the use of PRP?
    PRP injections can be performed in arthritic joints, injured muscles, tendons, and ligaments all over the body. This list DOES NOT include every body part. We have injected almost every part of the body with PRP safely. Some examples of treatment and their studies include: PRP for Muscle strains, Hamstring pulls, and tears PRP for OCD lesions, Osteochondral lesions PRP for Ligament sprains PRP for Arthritis Pain PRP for Acute tendonitis PRP for Chronic tendinopathy (tennis elbow, golfers elbow, patella, Achilles) PRP for Post-surgery pain PRP for SI joint pain PRP for patellofemoral pain, runners knee PRP for rotator cuff tears PRP for meniscus tears
  • Does concentration of PRP matter?
    Recent studies are showing that High Dose PRP may be more effective than steroid injections or Stem Cell injections with much less cost. Here are some studies : https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02632-w https://josr-online.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13018-020-01753-z https://www.arthroscopyjournal.org/article/S0749-8063(24)00269-X/fulltext https://press.rsna.org/timssnet/media/pressreleases/14_pr_target.cfm?id=2386 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35984721/ What can we summarize from studies? Stem Cell (fat, bone marrow) treatments seem to give equal relief to steroid PRP seems give superior and longer lasting pain relief compared to steroid High dose PRP seems to be better than low dose PRP for many patients Steroid is not great for joints and tissues longer term, and can degrade tissue PRP is also less invasive and less costly than stem cell procedures. CONCLUSION : For the majority of our patients, High Dose PRP will work just as well, or better than stem cell injections at a lower cost to the patient.
  • What are the FDA regulations regarding PRP?
    At Wake Nonsurgical Ortho, we use an FDA cleared and registered device for our PRP treatments. We also do not add any chemicals or additives per FDA guidelines. While PRP is widely supported through scientific studies, we do not make claims to cure any diseases.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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WHY CAROLINA
NONSURGICAL ORTHOPEDICS

  • All Providers are BOARD CERTIFIED and Specially Trained in Nonsurgical Orthopedics 

  • Over 50,000+ and Counting Procedures Performed

  • Procedures Performed with Ultrasound Guidance for Accuracy and Safety 

  • Local and Independent Practice That is NOT a Franchise 

  • Discounts for Service Members, Teachers, and Public Servants 

  • Serving Raleigh Since 2013

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