I wanted to answer an email I received this past summer from one of our clients, Jackie 64, from Encinitas, CA, who asked about Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP injections); a popular topic we get asked by our clients at LEVEL4 PT & Wellness.
“Dr. Oscar, do you have any advice for someone like me who’s still in a lot of knee pain after receiving PRP injections…I feel like they failed to produce any results? I didn’t know what else to do and now it’s gotten so bad, that I still have difficulty exercising, going up and downstairs and I feel it throughout the day; which means I can’t do things as easily as I’d like. Any advice?”
PRP Injections: Is this how you feel too?
Most people think that when they get PRP injections in their knee, it’ll simply go away. That they’ll wake up one morning and like “magic”, knee pain will be a thing of the past… but then 3 months later you’re still living with the discomfort of knee pain – often worse than it was when it came on.
Does That Sound Like You?
Comments like these are charged with emotions as almost many of these clients, like Jackie, have paid for PRP injections out of their own pockets. We understand this feeling. And we can’t argue with the fact that these treatments may have been failures.
Many times, each week we hear worrying stories from people who said yes to PRP injections – to find 6 months later, knee pain still comes back.
But the reality is, once the procedure is done it doesn’t guarantee you won’t have pain after PRP injections.
Which worries me! Especially when we’ve helped so many people like you, live life with a lot less knee pain, naturally!
But the unfortunate thing is, very few people, including some expert physicians, don’t understand why these PRP injections alone fail.
Let’s face it…as bizarre as it sounds, some physicians mistakenly see PRP injections as an alternative to physical therapy…
So why do some PRP treatments work spectacularly while some others turn out to be a bust?
The Truth About PRP Injection Aftercare Success
I believe the body has the capacity to heal itself when given the right conditions to do so. At LEVEL4 PT & Wellness we help provide you with the right conditions post-PRP injection. When I talk about the “right conditions”, I’m talking about 4 things:
1.) Physical
2.) Hand-On Treatment
3.) Strengthening
4.) Education
When these 4 conditions are not met, roadblocks are placed – preventing your body from healing appropriately.
But when it comes to PRP injections – I don’t believe the body has the capacity to heal itself if it still is kept in the same environment.
Why? Well, it makes sense that your knees would still hurt months after PRP injections if you continue doing the same things that got you there in the first place. After all, you’re still moving the same incorrect way that provided all the wear and tear on your joints prior to the PRP injections.
1.) Physical
Our priority is to restore the altered biomechanics our clients developed due to compensatory patterns so that they don’t continue to wear the joint down again.
To prevent re-injury, we will look closely at your body alignment and teach you how to avoid unnecessary stress to the injured area in everyday tasks. Proper alignment and good technique with all your rehabilitation exercises will also be emphasized for this same reason.
2.) Hands-On Treatment
What most people don’t know is, that hands-on physical therapy can help get you back on the right path to healing as well. We apply the right amount to protect the injection area and improve the quality of the surrounding tissues.
3.) Strengthening
If a tissue does not re-gain the needed strength after the injection, another injury can most likely occur. By modifying your activities and exercises as suggested by your Physical Therapist, the chance of re-injury will be greatly reduced.
4.) Education
All our clients require education on returning to a full occupational workload or duties of the home such as gardening or housecleaning.
For athletes and non-athletes alike, our Physical Therapist will discuss the most appropriate return-to-sport or activity plan for you after a PRP injection and will advise you on the acceptable level of activity at each stage of your rehabilitation process.
In Summary
PRP injections combined with rehabilitation are generating positive results. It saves people money, time, and lost work.
With a well-planned rehabilitation program and adherence to suggested levels of rest and activity modification, hands-on treatments, appropriate strengthening exercises, and restored movement, good success at returning to full activity can be achieved post PRP injections.
At first, Jackie really thought she wasn’t going to make it, but after several weeks of completing an individualized rehabilitation plan where we addressed the 4 main principles stated above (Hands-on treatment, correcting faulty biomechanics, strengthening, and education), she was able to make a full recovery – and now Jackie is back to living the active lifestyle she deserves.
I know it can be confusing knowing what to do about your knee pain when you’ve been told so many different things, by different people!
I just want you to know that you have options when it comes to recovery pre or post PRP injections – it’s always worth finding out if there’s a better way.
So, there you have it…
You now know the secret, (physical therapy post-PRP injections (in case you missed it), is the main reason PRP injections are a success for some people… which in turn, can help stop annoying, daily, irritating pain and get you back to living the active lifestyle that you love…and deserve!
In addition, physical therapy helps reduce how painful it feels and how much it gets in the way of day to day life.
How long should I wait before getting help?
If you or somebody you know has been struggling with knee pain whether pre or post PRP injections, it’s very likely you’ll run into the same problems Jackie encountered.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help!
If you’d like to learn more quick tips like to help ease knee pain, visit our website where you can download our free tips guide instantly: www.level4pt.com/knee-pain/.
Learn how physical therapy can help your pain by clicking the link: Learn More About Knee Pain and then click on the button for the free guide.
P.S. If you’d like some easy, actionable tips you can use now to start easing your knee pain, click here to download our free knee pain guide: www.level4pt.com/knee-pain/
For more than 16 years, thousands of athletes, fitness enthusiasts and active people of all ages, levels and sports including Olympic medalists, professional, collegiate and recreational athletes have consulted Oscar; looking for answers to concerning questions about a fast end to their pain and best ways to improving performance.
Prior to living in Carlsbad, CA, he worked as Clinic Director for a 20,000 sq.ft. sports physical therapy and performance center. He became known as the “athlete whisperer” in the Pacific Northwest by becoming the leading sports performance enhancement physical therapist and CrossFit injury rehab and performance specialist. He also was known as a consultant to the Nike WHQ in Portland, OR.
Oscar’s passion for excelling in sports earned him the opportunity to compete in soccer both at the Division 1 collegiate level at the University of San Francisco and at the professional level playing for the California Jaguars; giving him the understanding and experience of knowing what it takes to perform and excel at the highest level of competition. Oscar is an orthopedic and sports performance specialist with a true passion for helping athletes and fitness fanatics of all ages and divisions, serving as an educator to bridge the gap between rehab and strength and conditioning.
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