Let’s Talk About Pain + PRP.
We have all experienced pain in some way. Whether it is rooted in emotional wellness, chronic degenerative wear and tear, or acute direct physical trauma, pain is an inherent part of being human. Pain is one of our body’s ways of communicating a message; it is typically there for a reason. It is our job as care providers to unravel the unique pain story of each individual patient, and it is why I love coming to work every day.
Why does one patient’s rotator cuff calcification go unnoticed while another patient with the same pathology is in daily agony with reduced function? Why is one patient’s lumbar degeneration debilitating, while another’s is only found incidentally on imaging? It is because pain is the prism. It is multi-layered, multifaceted, and multicoloured - it is not always linear.
The biochemical origins and psychosomatic layers of pain run deeply. Today, I’d like to discuss one of my favourite treatments for muscle and joint pain caused by injuries or long-term damage: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.
Platelet-rich plasma is a technique that involves drawing your blood, spinning it down to concentrate the platelets, and injecting this product into injured tissue under ultrasound. Along with stem cell therapy, PRP sits under the umbrella of Regenerative Orthobiologics, as it is a naturally derived substance that targets local tissue proliferation and regeneration. PRP is commonly used to promote or improve muscle, tendon, and joint healing; however, PRP research extends far beyond musculoskeletal injury to address conditions like dry eye disease (DED), hair loss, infertility, and autoimmune dermatologic conditions.
So, how does it work? Platelets are small cell fragments with a big job. Widely known for their clot-forming and wound-healing capabilities, platelets have been found to play active roles in immunity and communication between cells. When an injury happens, platelets activate, change their shape and release various growth factors and cytokines to initiate a cascade of cellular recruitment—all targeted toward normalizing damaged tissue. The cells work together to repair the damaged tissue. I like to think of them as first responders who arrive promptly at the injury scene to start the healing process.
Not all PRP is created equal. In the context of PRP therapy, quality & quantity matters! The definition of PRP technically encompasses any concentration of platelets above their baseline blood levels. This poses a problem in both treatment and research, as the process of making PRP varies: one system could create a product that is 2x baseline, whereas another could concentrate platelets as much as 18x greater than baseline. So the question becomes, is more better? And this is where the research gets even more interesting! Various musculoskeletal injuries will respond differently to factors in a PRP product, such as platelet concentration and the presence of red blood cells. For example, a knee joint injury might "prefer" a different product than tendonitis.
How do I know if PRP will help my injury? Come chat with us! Research is continuously evolving in the field of Orthobiologics, but generally speaking, PRP can be used in the context of musculoskeletal sprain, strain or chronic pain. Examples include knee osteoarthritis, low back pain, sacroiliac pain, whiplash, tennis elbow, rotator cuff injury, ankle sprain, & tendinopathy. I always inform my patients that PRP injections go better with friends - manual muscle or fascial release, structural alignment, strengthening & rehab protocols, and factors supporting healing (sleep, nutrition, stress management, etc). PRP injections are always performed under ultrasound to ensure safety and precision.
If you think PRP might be helpful for you, book in for a consultation. Just like creating a PRP product, not all injuries are equal. Evaluating your pain from a whole-person and whole-body perspective is important, as injuries often have many root causes. To get the most out of your PRP injection(s), you may benefit from 8 weeks of a strengthening program before, or perhaps six weeks of massage & nutrition counselling. An interdisciplinary approach is truly best, and asking questions will individualize and optimize your care.
Creekside Health believes in ‘Better Health, Together’ and has a team stacked with practitioners and modalities that work together and prioritize your health and well-being.
We are co-hosting a discussion on pain for Whistler’s Nourish Wellness Series for the month of June. Come to our event this Sunday at noon, Pathways to Wellness: A Fusion of Eastern & Western Medicine .
Have questions about PRP? Feel free to book a consult with Dr. Claire Wilson, ND.
After her own experience of chronic pain recovery with regenerative injection therapies, Dr. Wilson has focussed her education and training on ultrasound guided injection therapies and pain management techniques.