Most people looking into platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) have already spent months trying to fix a tendon or joint problem that won’t heal by itself. The patient could have rested, done physical therapy, maybe tried a cortisone shot that helped for some weeks… and then stopped working. The PRP is a treatment that works for specific injuries under the right conditions, not precisely fast, and the results depend heavily on what’s damaged and how far along the degeneration has progressed.

At Genesis Orthopaedic and Spine in New Jersey, we use PRP when evidence supports it and when it offers something physical therapy or rest can’t provide on their own. We also turn people away when their injury is either too mild to justify the cost or too severe for PRP to make a meaningful difference.

A man with tendonitis needs pain-relief in New Jersey

Why Some Injuries Stop Healing on Their Own

Acute injuries heal in predictable stages because your body knows what to do. Blood vessels constrict, platelets seal the damage, inflammation clears debris, and growth factors tell repair cells to rebuild. The process has momentum and usually finishes within weeks.

Chronic injuries often lose that momentum. A rotator cuff tendon that’s been partially torn for eight months, a knee with thinning cartilage from years of overuse, an Achilles tendon that never fully recovered after you pushed through a race last spring, these don’t trigger the same cascade because the acute phase ended long ago. With time, scar tissue starts replacing healthy collagen, blood flow drops (especially in tendons and cartilage, which don’t get much to begin with), and the cells responsible for repair stop receiving the biochemical signals they need to finish the job. Your body gets stuck halfway through healing and hits a plateau.

PRP tries to restart that process by flooding damaged tissue with concentrated platelets and the growth factors they release. Recreating an artificial version of the acute injury response, delivered months or years after your body stopped trying on its own.

What Happens During the PRP Procedure in New Jersey

A doctor draws about the same amount of blood you’d give for lab work. That sample goes into a centrifuge that spins at high speed for several minutes, separating components by weight. Red blood cells sink to the bottom, plasma rises to the top, and platelets collect in a thin layer between them called the buffy coat.

Your doctor extracts that platelet-rich layer and mixes it with a small amount of plasma to create the injectable solution. Depending on the centrifuge system, the final product contains somewhere between three and ten times more platelets than normal blood. That concentration carries the growth factors responsible for tissue repair, and higher levels theoretically provide a stronger signal to start regenerating.

The injection itself requires precision. For shallow injuries like tennis elbow, the clinician can rely on palpation and anatomy. For deeper structures like a hip labrum or knee cartilage, ultrasound or fluoroscopy guides the needle to the exact damaged area rather than letting it disperse into surrounding tissue.

The first 48 to 72 hours after injection are usually the worst part of the entire process. The treated area often hurts more than it did before, sometimes significantly. That’s a good signal. A predictable response from your body, it means that the concentrated platelets are releasing growth factors that restart inflammation in tissue that had stopped healing, forcing your body to reopen a repair process it abandoned a long time ago.

What PRP Can Fix and What It Can’t

PRP works best when damaged tissue still exists but isn’t healing properly. PRP provides the biochemical push needed to finish a stalled healing process. It’s important to notice that it doesn’t regrow structures that are completely destroyed. For example, bone-on-bone knee arthritis won’t respond because there’s no cartilage left to regenerate.

Benefits of PRP Therapy:

PRP cannot treat every injury or reverse severe degeneration, but when used appropriately for the right conditions, it offers several advantages over other treatment options:

Promotes actual tissue repair rather than just masking symptoms
Uses your own biological material, minimizing the risk of allergic reaction or rejection
Minimally invasive alternative to surgery for partial tendon tears and early-stage arthritis
Provides longer-lasting results than corticosteroid injections (6-12 months vs. weeks)
May reduce the need for future surgery or delay joint replacement
Lower risk profile than surgical procedures, with rare serious complications
No downtime or hospitalization required; outpatient procedure takes 30-45 minutes
Treats multiple musculoskeletal conditions, including chronic tendon injuries, ligament sprains, and early arthritis
Addresses underlying structural damage, not just pain symptoms
May improve surgical outcomes when used during rotator cuff repair or other orthopedic procedures

How long does it take to see results from PRP injections?

Most patients notice improvements between six and twelve weeks after injection. Some injuries require multiple treatments spaced four to six weeks apart.

Does PRP hurt more than a regular injection?

The injection itself feels similar to standard joint injections. The first 48 to 72 hours after treatment are typically the most uncomfortable as platelets trigger inflammation to restart healing.

How many PRP injections will I need?

It depends on the injury. Tennis elbow may respond to one injection, while knee osteoarthritis or chronic tendon tears often require two to three treatments.

Why doesn't insurance cover PRP therapy?

Most insurance companies classify PRP as experimental because preparation methods aren’t standardized. Patients typically pay $500 to $2,000 per injection out of pocket.

Can PRP help with arthritis?

PRP works best for early to moderate knee osteoarthritis, where cartilage is thinning but not gone. It won’t regrow cartilage in bone-on-bone arthritis.

Is PRP better than cortisone injections?

For chronic tendon injuries, PRP provides longer-lasting improvement than corticosteroids. Steroids work faster but only mask symptoms temporarily without promoting tissue repair.

What should I avoid after a PRP injection?

Avoid anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen for at least two weeks. Limit strenuous activity involving the treated area for one to two weeks.

Can PRP prevent the need for surgery?

In some cases, yes. PRP may delay or avoid surgery for partial tendon tears or early-stage arthritis, but severe damage typically still requires surgical repair.

Where to Find PRP Therapy in New Jersey?

If you’ve been dealing with a chronic tendon or joint problem for several months, and physical therapy and rest haven’t achieved full recovery, and you want to avoid or delay surgery.

At Genesis Orthopaedic and Spine, we can evaluate whether PRP fits your specific injury, severity, timeline, and goals. If physical therapy, a steroid injection for short-term relief, or surgical repair makes more sense for your situation, we’ll recommend that instead.

In any case, our team will be happy to help you recover. Call or book online if you want a straight answer about whether PRP is right for your injury.