PRP involves drawing the patients own blood and putting it in a centrifuge to separate the platelets and plasma from the rest of the blood. Then the platelet rich plasma is injected back into the joint. The platelets and plasma offer healing properties and lubrication for damaged joints. The injection also causes inflammation which is part of the healing process. From what I've read, there is mixed results about whether or not PRP can help with osteoarthritis. I was told the effects of PRP aren't felt for about 4 weeks.
I received the PRP injection 2 days ago. The injection was quite painful but it was a quick procedure. I was told my knee would be sore and stiff over the next couple of days. I've actually had no pain since the injection and barely any stiffness. My injection site doesn't even hurt. I am very surprised at this because I expected to be in a lot worse shape. I asked when I could work out after the injection and I was told I should take it easy for the next couple of days. I feel like I would have no trouble doing my normal workout routine but I've decided to take it easy even though I have no additional pain from the injection. So I am a little perplexed by the lack of pain from the injection and hope the injection is doing what it is supposed to.I'm curious, has anyone else tried PRP? And what were your results?
MEGAN, MY NAME IS BRANDON AND I AM ABOUT TO DO THIS SAME SURGERY, I AM ACTIVE ARMY AND I LOVE TO RUN BUT DUE TO AN ACL INJURY I WAS SIDELINED FOR SOMETIME, I ENDED UP HAVING TO HAVE ANOTHER ACL SURGERY (REVISED) TO FIX MY LAST ONE, DURING THIS TIME WHILE COMPLETING MY PHYSICAL THERAPY I HURT IT AGAIN, THIS TIME IT WAS MENISCUS AND A MICRO FRACTURE, WE DID THE SURGERY TO REPAIR THE MICROFRACTURE BUT I INJURED AGAIN!!!!!! NOW I AM FACED WITH ACI SURGERY, I AM WILLING TO HAVE THIS DONE SINCE I CANNOT RUN, I FEEL THE NAGGING PAIN EVERY STEP I TAKE, BUT I CAN RUN, USUALLY AFTER THE FIRST 30 SECONDS, I GET A COUPLE OF EXTREME SHARP PAINS ON THE LATERAL SIDE OF MY RIGHT KNEE, I USUALLY HOBBLE THROUGH IT BUT AFTER THAT I CAN RUN, ITS AFTER THE FACT THAT I CANT DO ANYTHING, I WOULD LOVE TO PICK YOUR BRAIN ON THINGS YOU MIGHT HAVE EXPEIRENCED THAT WASNT MENTIONED, MY EMAIL IS SNIPERDADDY01@YAHOO.COM THANKS
ReplyDeleteOf course. I would be happy to answer any questions you have about my experience.
DeleteThanks for your story,
ReplyDeleteHey ur knee feeling since the prp ? Thinking about asking for it , get my scan results on the 24th but still having issues .
ReplyDeleteIt's been 3 weeks since my injection. I've noticed a slight improvement. I had no stiffness or pain from the injection which surprised me. So I went back to doing my normal workout routine after a couple days. It seems like I have less cracking and popping and a little less pain when I try to run. I might give it a couple more weeks and see if I can run.
DeleteThat's some solid distance! I'm happy that you were able to get out and at that level of activity. Those were just the first collective step towards progress. Hopefully, the PRP injections help. I am a few days away from my MRI to check its progress, myself. my fingers and toes are crossed it all looks good. I've been trying to be good an avoid pivoting, but I've heard some cracking popping occasionally. I have also been popping glucosamine and chondroitin like pez, so I am hopeful. Keep improving! You're on your way!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike. Hope your MRI shows good results. Yes, I am very careful not to do any twisting or pivoting motions since I hear that can damage the graft. I was really worried about that at first but I think I'm far enough along that I'm not so concerned about that anymore.
DeleteYea you should be ok to pivot and twist at this stage of the game. My doc is going to let me start pivoting about 14 months or so I think. We will see after wednesday if the schedule gets revised at all. My appt was originally supposed to be about 5 weeks from now but it got moved up. I am guessing due to scheduling, since i haven't seen the doc since about week 12. At 20+ months, I would hope it's safe enough to do that. And it is only gonna get stronger. I think the graft continues to harden for a few years. Also, glad the PRP helped.
Deleteoh and thank you
DeleteHey megan . Saw my doctor , Mri shows the cartilige is healed but still some healing going on in the knee , which he doesnt wana do anything to for any year after review . He feels any pain im still feeling is because im still healing . So looks gd , but also frustrating . Keep my fingers crossed still i surpose . He didnt even wana consider at stem therapy or prp . Stem therpy needs a structer to bond to , and he said prp is normally to assist ligiment healing . Hows it been for you ?
ReplyDeleteHi Darren. It's good to hear that your MRI looks good. Mine also looked good but I still have some pain. It's hard to believe after almost 2 years I could still be healing. Yes, I've heard prp is mostly for soft tissue damage but there is some research that says it may help with osteoarthritis so I decided to give it a try. I actually think it helped a little. It seems like the joint is better lubricated since I have less cracking and popping. My knee feels a little more stable but I don't know if it is because of the prp or just the natural healing process. Since my knee feels a little better I'm starting to do some more aggressive strength training on my leg. I think I'm almost to the point where I might try some light jogging. It's amazing how long it takes to build back the muscle.
DeleteJust want to say thank you for your blog. I am recovering from ACI right now (7 months from surgery at the moment) and am not feeling great with the state of my recovery so far. So it is very informative to see what you have been through. Thank you for sharing your story.
ReplyDeleteHi Eli, thanks for the comment. The more people I talk to, the more I find that this recovery is really a 2 year process. The loss of strength is significant and it takes so long to rebuild.
DeleteHang in there Eli! I'm at 15 months and I'm playing tennis, running 20 minutes, and feeling pretty good. I still don't have all my strength back and I still have to wear my unloader brace when I workout but I am very pleased with my results. Stick to the recovery plan and don't push it too hard. At 7 months I was feeling terrible.
DeleteYou have a good point here!I totally agree with what you have said!!Thanks for sharing your views...hope more people will read this article!!! 英国整形
ReplyDeleteHey, just seeing how you were doing and if you have gotten any better. I hope you are out there tearing up the roads.
ReplyDeleteHi Mike, thanks for checking in. I'm in the process of writing a 2 year update so I'll post it shortly. I am running a little bit. I mostly run/walk. My longest distance is 3 miles. I don't have a lot of pain but my gait seems off. I feel like I've adjusted my stride with my left (bad) leg so as not to put too much stress on my injury site. I'm not sure this is the best for me since I feel like I have a slight limp when I run.
Delete8 months after the surgery. Playing tennis, MTB cycling...all without pain and/or knee swelling. My advice: don't push it too hard in a gym, leg press and similar work outs certainly don't help. Rather use bosu balance excersizes and do stabilizing excersizes (could be even with barbells).Zbynek
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your recovery! It's great to hear you are doing so much without pain!
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