PRP Spine Injection: Using Your Body’s Own Healing Potential
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy uses a patient’s own blood components to help promote natural healing and reduce inflammation in damaged tissues of the spine.
PRP spine injections are performed under image guidance to deliver a concentrated dose of platelets cells that release growth factors involved in tissue repair directly to areas of injury or degeneration.
This approach may benefit patients seeking to reduce pain, support recovery, and avoid or delay surgery.
PRP Spine Injection: Using Your Body’s Own Healing Potential
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy uses a patient’s own blood components to help promote natural healing and reduce inflammation in damaged tissues of the spine.
PRP spine injections are performed under image guidance to deliver a concentrated dose of platelets—cells that release growth factors involved in tissue repair—directly to areas of injury or degeneration.
This approach may benefit patients seeking to reduce pain, support recovery, and avoid or delay surgery.
What Is PRP?
Blood contains several components red cells, white cells, plasma, and platelets. Platelets store growth factors that help your body heal after injury.
PRP is created by drawing a small sample of your blood, then spinning it in a centrifuge to separate and concentrate the platelets. The resulting plasma, now rich in platelets, can be precisely injected into the target tissue.
Why It’s Done
PRP spine injections are often used to help manage:
Degenerative Disc Disease
Facet joint inflammation
Chronic low-back pain unresponsive to other treatments
Post-procedure tissue healing following minimally invasive interventions
The goal is to support the body’s natural repair processes, reduce inflammation, and improve function.
How the Procedure Works
Blood Collection – A small amount of your blood is drawn and placed in a sterile centrifuge.
Processing – The sample is spun to separate the platelet-rich plasma from other components.
Injection – Using fluoroscopy or ultrasound guidance, the PRP is injected into the targeted area of the spine such as a disc, joint, or supporting tissue.
The procedure typically takes 30–60 minutes, including preparation
What to Expect Afterward
Mild soreness or stiffness for a few days as the healing response begins
Gradual improvement over several weeks as tissue recovery progresses
Most patients resume normal activity within 24–48 hours
The full benefit typically develops over 4–8 weeks
Because PRP is made from your own blood, the risk of allergic reaction or infection is very low
Safety and Considerations
PRP injections are considered very safe when performed in a sterile environment under image guidance.
Potential side effects are mild and may include
Temporary soreness or swelling at the injection site
Short-term stiffness or fatigue
Rare infection (minimized by sterile technique)
Low Back Frequently Asked Questions
01. What is a facet ablation (RFA), and how is it different from diagnostic blocks?
Answer: Blocks test the pain source; ablation stops the nerve signal.
A medial branch block temporarily numbs a spinal joint to confirm the pain generator. If it works, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) uses heat to deactivate that small nerve for 6–12 months. The joint stays stable, and pain often lessens dramatically.
Lumbar | Interventional Spine | RFA
02. How long does a radiofrequency ablation (RFA) last, and can it be repeated?
Answer: Relief often lasts 6–12 months and the procedure can be repeated safely.
After an RFA, the tiny sensory nerves that send pain signals grow back slowly. Many patients enjoy meaningful relief for 6 months to a year. If the pain returns, a repeat ablation can usually be performed using the same approach. Regular stretching and strengthening help extend the benefit. Lumbar | Cervical | Interventional Spine | RFA
03. Why does my low back hurt after sitting or long drives?
Answer: It’s usually from facet-joint stress or weak postural muscles.
Sitting flexes the lumbar spine and compresses facet joints and discs, especially if the core is de-conditioned. Over time, this posture leads to inflammation and stiffness. Supportive cushions, regular breaks, and targeted therapy for core and glute muscles often relieve symptoms.
Lumbar | Ergonomics | Rehab
04. What is a diagnostic discogram, and why is it rarely done now?
Answer: It injects dye into spinal discs to find the pain source but carries risks.
Discography involves pressurizing discs with contrast dye while monitoring pain response. It was once common before spine surgery but is now less used because it can worsen disc damage and cause infection. Modern MRI and targeted nerve blocks provide safer diagnostic insight.
05. Why do some people have chronic back pain even after “successful” fusion surgery?
Answer: Adjacent levels often wear out faster.
Spinal fusion stabilizes one level but transfers stress to the discs and joints above and below, leading to adjacent segment disease. Scar tissue, muscle atrophy, and nerve irritation can also persist. Nonsurgical options like PRP or radiofrequency treatment can help preserve the surrounding spine.
Lumbar | Post-Surgery | Interventional Spine
06. What are “adjacent segment disease” and “hardware failure” after spine surgery?
Answer: They mean nearby levels or implants break down over time.
After fusion, joints next to the fused area compensate by moving more, sometimes developing arthritis or stress fractures. Hardware fatigue or loosening can also occur years later. Regular imaging helps detect changes early; pain-management injections or strengthening programs can often delay revision surgery.
Lumbar | Cervical | Post-Surgery | Spine Degeneration
07. How do you tell if leg pain is from the back or from a knee or hip problem?
Answer: Back-related pain travels below the knee; joint pain usually stays local.
Nerve compression in the spine typically causes sharp, shooting pain that radiates past the knee or into the foot. Hip or knee arthritis usually creates aching localized pain or stiffness without tingling. Imaging and physical-exam maneuvers help determine whether the source is spinal, joint, or both.
Diagnostics | Lumbar | Hip | Knee
08. What is an epidural steroid injection and what does it do?
Answer: It delivers anti-inflammatory medicine around pinched nerves.
Guided by X-ray, a thin needle places medication into the epidural space of the spine. The steroid reduces swelling around irritated nerves from a herniated disc or arthritis. Relief may last weeks to months and can allow better participation in physical therapy.
Interventional Spine | Epidural | Lumbar | Cervical
09. What are red-flag symptoms that spine pain is not just mechanical?
Answer: Fever, unexplained weight loss, numbness, or bladder issues.
Warning signs include constant pain at rest, night sweats, progressive weakness, loss of control of urine or stool, or recent infection. These could signal infection, tumor, or severe nerve compression and need emergency evaluation.
Safety | Lumbar | Cervical | Emergency
10. How long should I wait before considering spine surgery?
Answer: Only after conservative care has clearly failed and red flags are excluded.
Most mechanical back or neck pain improves with guided injections, therapy, or biologic repair within 3–6 months. Surgery is reserved for progressive weakness, structural instability, or nerve compression causing loss of function. A second opinion is always appropriate before proceeding.
Lumbar | Cervical | Surgery Decision
11. What is a “facet joint,” and why can it cause back or neck pain?
Answer: It’s a small stabilizing joint behind each vertebra that can become arthritic.
Facet joints allow bending and twisting. With aging or injury, they may develop arthritis and inflammation that causes sharp localized pain, often worse when leaning backward or standing long periods. Facet injections or RFA can calm these joints for months at a time.
Lumbar | Cervical | Anatomy | Interventional Spine
12. When should I seek emergency care after a neck or back injury?
Answer: Sudden weakness, numbness, fever, or bladder/bowel changes.
Go to the ER immediately for severe pain with loss of strength, incontinence, high fever, or trauma with head injury. These could indicate nerve or spinal-cord compression, infection, or fracture. Early treatment prevents permanent damage.
Cervical | Lumbar | Emergency | Safety
13. What is a “nerve root block,” and how is it different from an epidural?
Answer: A nerve-root block targets one specific nerve, while an epidural bathes several.
A selective nerve-root block (SNRB) uses live X-ray to deliver medication directly around one irritated spinal nerve. It helps confirm which nerve causes the pain and can calm inflammation at that precise level. Epidural injections are broader, covering multiple nerves at once.
14. How can I tell if my hip pain is coming from the joint or my back?
Answer: Hip arthritis hurts in the groin; back problems radiate to the leg.
Hip joint disease often causes deep aching in the groin or front thigh, worse with walking or stairs. Lumbar nerve compression tends to cause burning or tingling down the leg. Diagnostic injections into the hip or spine can confirm the true source.
Hip | Lumbar | Diagnostics | Joint Pain
15. Can regenerative medicine help spine patients who already have hardware or fusions?
Answer: Yes, but injections are placed around not into the fused levels.
PRP and bone-marrow concentrate can reduce inflammation in joints and ligaments next to a fusion where new pain develops. These procedures don’t interact with the hardware itself. Most patients benefit from improved flexibility and less reliance on pain medication.
Spine | Post-Surgery | Orthobiologics | Interventional Spine
When to See a Specialist
If you have persistent back pain from disc or joint degeneration and prefer natural, minimally invasive options, PRP spine therapy may help promote healing and reduce pain without surgery.
Minimally invasive spine & joint care.
This page is informational only. No medical advice. Book on our secure intake portal.
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