If you’re living with chronic spine pain and want to treat it effectively without surgery, regenerative medicine may offer just the kind of relief you’ve been looking for. At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, our physiatrists offer spinal platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections as part of our comprehensive, non-surgical approach to spine care.
What Are Spinal PRP Injections?
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a type of treatment that uses your body’s own healing resources to repair damaged tissue. Prior to the treatment, we draw a small sample of your blood and process it in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets. Then, we inject that plasma directly into the affected area of your spine. Because the PRP we inject comes from your own blood, the risk of rejection or allergic reaction is minimal. It’s a safe option for many patients.
How PRP Works for Spine Conditions
Blood platelets are rich in growth factors that signal the body to repair damaged tissue and grow new cells, which can reduce inflammation. When we inject concentrated PRP into a specific spinal structure, those growth factors get to work directly at the source of your pain.
Spinal PRP injections can be effective for a range of conditions, including:
- Degenerative disc disease
- Facet joint arthritis
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
- Disc herniation
For patients with chronic spinal degeneration, PRP injections can concentrate the body’s own healing resources and deliver them precisely where they’re needed most.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Spinal PRP injections tend to work best for patients who have persistent spine pain that hasn’t responded to more conservative treatments, such as physical therapy or anti-inflammatory medications. They’re also a strong option for patients who want to avoid surgery or delay it as long as possible. A thorough evaluation with one of our physiatrists can help you determine whether PRP is the right fit for your specific condition.
What to Expect Before and After Spinal PRP Injections
Before your procedure, our physiatrists will review your medical history, imaging, and current medications. We’ll typically ask you to avoid taking anti-inflammatory medications for a certain period before the injections, as these can interfere with the platelet response. We administer the injections in our office under image guidance to ensure precise placement.
After the procedure is complete, some patients experience mild soreness at the injection site for a few days. Our team will give you specific activity and limitation guidelines to follow during your recovery period. Most patients begin to notice improvement within a few weeks, though the full benefits of PRP often emerge over the course of two to three months.
What Results Can You Realistically Expect from This Treatment?
PRP isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment solution, and we believe in giving our patients an honest picture of what to expect. Many patients experience meaningful reductions in pain and improvements in function, but results can vary based on the condition, its severity, and other individual factors. Some patients benefit more from a series of injections than a single treatment. For many patients, Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine incorporates PRP into a broader, personalized care plan that may also include treatments like physical therapy, acupuncture, or other modalities.
Why Choose Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine?
Our physicians are physiatrists, doctors who focus on physical medicine, rehabilitation, and pain management. We always treat surgery as a last resort rather than a first-line solution. For 25 years, we’ve helped patients across Long Island find relief from spine and musculoskeletal conditions without invasive procedures. We offer spinal PRP injections across our Long Island offices in East Meadow, Great Neck, Lawrence, and Huntington.
If you’d like to find out whether spinal PRP injections are right for you, contact us today. Same-day appointments are available for new patients. Call 1-888-SPINE-1-1 to get started.