PRP Therapy
If you’re tired of living with knee pain and are looking for alternatives to steroid injections or joint replacement then PRP injections can help. This simple but effective treatment uses your own body's natural healing potential to help get you active again.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections, Treatment & Therapy
PRP therapy takes advantage of your own blood’s natural healing properties to repair damaged cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscle and bone. It can reduce pain, improve joint function and help you return quickly to normal activities.
PRP Injections are effective in many areas of the body, limbs and joints such as the shoulder, knee, hip, back and spine, leg, foot, arm, elbow, toes, fingers, hand, thumb and neck.
Conditions and injuries treated with PRP
This simple outpatient treatment may help you recover from a painful sports Injury or chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis and tendinitis. A list of common conditions PRP can help are below:-
Tendon/Ligament/Sports Injury
- Tendinopathy
- Runner’s Knee / Jumper’s Knee
- Muscle strain, contusion and torn muscle fibres
Arthritis (osteoarthritis)
- Knee Arthritis
- Hip Arthritis
The PRP therapy procedure
The procedure is performed in our out-patient clinic and can take up to an hour to complete. The 3 main steps of the procedure are outlined below:
- Blood sample is taken from a vein in your arm
- Your sample is processed in a centrifuge machine which separates your blood into the desired components.
- The concentration of platelets is injected into your treatment site
- The treatment is generally administered over a 3 to 4 week period at weekly intervals. Since the treatment is prepared from your own blood, the treatment carries a very low risk.
- The number of injections needed depends on your injury or condition but can range from two to six injections which are performed at weekly intervals.
The science behind PRP therapy
PRP supports your body’s self-healing processes by using your own cells. Blood is mostly liquid (called plasma) but also made up of a solid part which includes red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The platelets are important for clotting blood but they also contain proteins called growth factors which are important in the healing of injuries.
With a higher concentration of growth factors than typically found in blood, PRP injections support the healing of injured tissue and can inhibit painful inflammatory processes.
This treatment is widely researched and supported in clinical papers
FAQs
These are the main types of knee injections available. To find out more about how I can help you get your FREE copy of my Guide to PRP injections.
Gareth Stables
Cheshire Orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Gareth Stables, is a fully UK trained Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon specialising in knee surgery. Gareth has the highest qualifications possible for an orthopaedic surgeon in the UK, FRCS (T&O), and is on the GMC specialist register for Trauma and Orthopaedic surgery.
Gareth specialises in; keyhole or knee arthroscopy surgery, ligament reconstruction surgery, knee osteotomy and knee replacement surgery. He has over 15 years of experience in the field having qualified with a commendation in 1998 from the University of Liverpool Medical School.
"My life was transformed and the pain almost negligible.... Now no painkillers or stick. I cannot thank my caring consultant enough. I will be ever grateful for his wisdom"
"Brilliant treatment from start! Had arthritis in knee joint.Was given injection and the effect was immediate! Brilliant. Would recommend to anyone. One of the most helpful doctors I have ever seen(and I`m 73 !!)"
"Mr Stables was very understanding, patient and thoroughly competent. I would recommend anyone to have knee replacements by him. The whole experience was worthwhile and very good for my quality of life."
