PRP Joint Injections

(Platelet Rich Plasma)

A scientific microscope with a tube containing a layered substance inside, mounted on a black stand on a wooden surface.

Use of PRP therapy, platelet-rich plasma therapy, is rapidly gaining momentum in the field of preventative and regenerative medicine. PRP is a cutting-edge treatment available to repair damaged soft tissues (such as tendons, ligaments, and muscles) and joints. Many orthopedic surgeons now require it as part of their practice because of its powerful effect.

PRP speeds healing and decreases pain caused by a wide variety of musculoskeletal injuries; sports injuries, sprains, muscle tears, and fractures.  PRP is also used for chronic conditions such as arthritis, spinal pain, plantar fasciitis, and TMJ.

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How It Works

Once you’ve been approved as a candidate for PRP your injection process will follow the same routine every 6 weeks. The ideal treatment for most injuries will be injections every 6 weeks, for 3 collection injection treatments. Most clients will move to an annual maintenance treatment after their series of 3.

Step 1: You will have 60 milliliters of blood drawn and taken to a centrifuge to separate the plasma.

Step 2: While your plasma is being prepared your practitioner will mark the injection sites around your joint, they may use an ultrasound to determine the optimal sites for injection.

Step 4: Your provider will inject lidocaine to ease the pain and discomfort of the injection. However, know the injections will be uncomfortable, and feel like intense pressure during and 1-2 hours after the treatment.

Step 5: Your provider will inject 10 milliliters of PRP in and around the joint in 1 milliliter increments.

Person with blue gloves holding a syringe filled with dark red liquid, on a tray with medical supplies on a black carrier.
Medical professional wearing gloves drawing markings on a person's knee while preparing for a procedure.
Person lying on the floor receiving an injection into their knee from medical professional wearing blue gloves.
Person lying on a medical examination table with a bandage on their leg, in a room with a mountain landscape painting on the wall.
A person lying on a medical table with black markings and brown iodine applied to their back, being prepared for a medical procedure, with a healthcare professional wearing a blue glove.

Why Our Providers

At The Lounge we’ve trained with some of the best PRP practitioners in the country to become the most proficient in this field. As with all our services, we want to offer the best treatment possible.

Your first appointment will be a 10-15 minute consultation to ensure you’re a candidate for PRP injection. If you are a candidate, your injection may follow immediately. At your appointment you will receive the information you need to pricing and scheduling.

  • A person with three dogs on a mountain summit with a scenic view of mountains and a lake in the background.

    Dr. Leisha Fowler

    DNP

    Dr. Fowler was mentored by an orthopedic pain specialist, and as a result is proficient in joint injections. She is particularly efficient at knee, shoulder, ankle, and elbow injection. A lifelong Alaskan, Dr. Fowler is an avid outdoor athlete, she has a passion for seeing Alaskans return to their active hobbies and skills.

  • A woman smiling and standing inside a boat with fishing rods on the side, next to a logo that says 300 Latitude 60 Marine

    Caroline Mangold

    CRNA

    Caroline is drives to be excellent within her scope of practice. A transplant from Alabama, she fell in love with the Alaskan spirit of adventure and has been fishing, skiing, climbing, and chasing her two boys around Alaska since. She’s become a proficient Alaskan, and is proficient at joint injections. She loves seeing pain free patients getting back to what they love.

  • A person wearing outdoor gear, including a hat and sunglasses, standing on snowy slope with mountain cliffs in the background.

    Jessica Jule

    CRNA

    As a backcountry skier and mountain biking enthusiast, Jessica knows the value of being active and pain free. She is especially thrilled to offer Alaskans the opportunity to support their body’s natural healing process outside of surgical options. Jessica is methodical and killed at what she does. When she’s not at the Lounge you can find her practicing in Homer, or adventuring around the world.

A woman with gloves injecting PRP into a patient's knee marked with numbered lines, while the patient lies on a medical table. In the background, another person is lying down and appears relaxed, with a mountain painting on the wall.

  • PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma. The injections are made from the patient’s own blood. Your provider will collect a blood then process it to separate the red blood cells from the plasma (the liquid part of your blood), and the platelets. Platelets are specialized pieces produce growth factors and other nutrients that aid in healing. This PRP is injected into the treatment area. 

  • PRP contains over 30 bio-active proteins that contribute to tissue growth and healing. When PRP is injected at the injury site, it triggers your body's intelligent inflammation response, then reduces inflammation, enhances cellular growth, and prompts healing in bone and soft tissue. Essentially, PRP activates your body’s natural healing process and amplifies the entire process.

  • Most patients will experience some relief within a week of their PRP injection. Our recommendation is an a course of three injections. If you don’t feel better after your first injection, there’s a high chance that you’ll notice a difference after your second. PRP helps your body heal, and this process can take some time. You should expect to notice continual improvement for a few weeks after your third injection.

    Even though it may take you a bit longer to feel relief with a PRP injection than with a steroid or pain medication, the results are much longer-lasting. Patients with acute injuries can experience complete healing and permanent relief. Arthritis pain patients typically feel better for about a year and then need a booster injection. 

  • After the initial three-shot regimen, we recommend a yearly booster. Athletes may need a booster more often.

    If you're coming in for a specific injury (as opposed to a chronic condition like arthritis), you won’t need boosters after your injury has healed. Our goal is to get patients who can achieve full healing to the point where they no longer need treatment.

  • Since you are receiving your own plasma back, you won’t have any side effects from the substance itself. Our professionals will make every effort to mitigate risks of infection or bleeding. When a PRP injection is given by a professional, the risk of bleeding or infection is less than 1 %. In other words, PRP injections are among the safest treatments available. 

    We do strongly recommend not showering or exposing the wound to water for 24 hours, and now swimming or submersion in water or fluid for 3 days.

    We also recommend low to no activity, nothing more than walking 5 days after your procedure.

  • As with any treatment, there are some contraindications to PRP. Individuals who are pregnant, have cancer or have blood clotting disorders are not good candidates for treatment. These patients may still be able to receive other treatments at our office to help relieve their pain. When you meet with our providers, we will take a detailed medical history and recommend the right treatments for your unique needs. 

    If you have a clotting disorder and you're on medication, consult with your provider, but we ask you to stop your medication for 3 days prior to your injections.

  • We do our best to mitigate any pain or discomfort you may experience with numbing agents.

    But the procedure, if done correctly, will incur some discomfort, which for most people feels like extreme pressure at the injury site. This typically lasts for 1-2 hours after the procedure.

  • PRP can be used to treat a wide range of injuries. Some of the most common problems we treat with PRP include:

    • Osteoarthritis

    • Lumbar spinal disc pain

    • TMJ

    • Muscle tears

    • Rotator cuff injuries

    • Repetitive use injuries

    • Lumbar and cervical facet joint dysfunction

    • Tendon and ligament injuries

  • Your provider will consult you in specific ways you can aid your recovery. We strongly recommend light activity, nothing more than walking, 5 days after your procedure. As the days progress you can gradually increase your activity. You will have 6 weeks between your treatments, at The Wellness Lounge we offer IV Curcumin and CoQ10 in between the weeks of your appointments to aid your body's healing.