Shoulder Injections: When To Consider Platelet-Rich Plasma For Pain Therapy

Treating Your Painful Shoulder

Shoulder pain is a common complaint, especially with age. The shoulder activates simple movements like writing and eating to complex moves like lifting and throwing. Moving the affected arm is often avoided if someone has shoulder pain, and chronic cases may need medical attention. Recently, doctors have been using shoulder injections of platelet-rich plasma to treat the condition with excellent results.

Why you may have shoulder pain

The shoulder is a ball and socket joint. The glenoid head of the upper arm goes into the joint near the shoulder blade. A series of tendons and muscles cover the joint to form the rotator cuff. Together, the rotator cuff helps the shoulder move, lift objects, and protect the joint. Over time, sprain, strains, arthritis, and rotator cuff tears can form. These conditions cause pain, stiffness, and weakness, reducing the use of the shoulder.

Turning to platelet-rich plasma

Shoulder injuries can become chronic, and some need medical help. The doctor will recommend a range of treatments like physical therapy, bracing, and pain medication. Some doctors suggest platelet-rich plasma (PRP), a form of regenerative medicine if these fail or the pain is particularly distressing. The therapy uses the body’s natural healing abilities to restore tissue, reduce inflammation, and heal injuries.

What to expect during PRP treatment

To perform PRP, the doctor needs to extract the patient’s platelets. Platelets are found in the blood and are known to contain regenerative qualities. A blood sample from the patient is spun in a centrifuge machine, separating the red blood cells from the platelets and plasma. The platelets are combined with some plasma and injected into the problem areas. The shoulder injections take just a few minutes, performed multiple times over several months.

Is it an effective pain therapy?

Once the plasma goes to the shoulder, the cells work, stimulating new growth and reducing pain. PRP works well in areas with limited blood flow like ligaments and tendons, and patients should feel less pain during pain therapy and have a better range of motion. Several clinical studies support the use of PRP in treating damaged joints. For example, patients with osteoarthritis significantly reduced pain and had improved flexibility. The procedure also helped with improving pain and healing rotator cuff tears for those who wished to avoid surgery.

Shoulder injections of PRP can help

Shoulder pains, strains, and rotator cuff injuries can be debilitating. If the pain prevents simple movements, doctors recommend a detailed review. While there are different treatment options, PRP continues to show great promise. The procedure is a non-invasive, medication-free way to help with healing. These qualities are appealing to today’s patients. PRP also works alongside other non-surgical techniques like physical therapy.