This post is part of our complete guide to Knee Pain Treatment in Medical Lake & Spokane. Browse the guide for more in-depth information on treatments, exercises, and recovery strategies.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections Can Reduce and Heal Knee Pain Due to Osteoarthritis
A growing number of people are turning to Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections to treat an expanding list of orthopedic conditions, including osteoarthritis. It is most commonly used for knee osteoarthritis, but may be used on other joints as well. Platelet-rich plasma therapy, sometimes called PRP therapyattempts to take advantage of the blood’s natural healing properties to repair damaged cartilage, tendons, ligaments muscles, or even bone.
When treating osteoarthritis with Platelet-Rich Plasma, a doctor injects PRP directly into the affected joint. The goal is to: reduce pain, improve joint function, possibly slow, halt, or even repair damage to cartilage. PRP is derived from a sample of the patient’s own blood. The therapeutic injections contain plasma with a higher concentration of platelets than is found in normal blood.
What is plasma? Plasma refers to the liquid component of blood; it is the medium for red and white blood cells and other material traveling in the blood stream. Plasma is mostly water but also includes proteins, nutrients, glucose, and antibodies, among other components.
What are platelets? Like red and white blood cells, platelets are a normal component of blood. Platelets alone do not have any restorative or healing properties; rather, they secrete substances called growth factors and other proteins that regulate cell division, stimulate tissue regeneration, and promote healing. Platelets also help the blood to clot; a person with defective platelets or too few platelets will bleed excessively from a cut.
PRP therapy works to treat osteoarthritis by Inhibiting inflammation and slowsdown the progression of osteoarthritis. It also stimulates the formation of new cartilage, increases the production of natural lubricating fluid in the joint, thereby easing painful joint friction proteins that alter a patient’s pain receptors and reduce pain sensations.
Ready to feel better?
Our team at Essential Health Group in Medical Lake & Spokane is here to help. Same-week appointments available.
Dr. Christopher Wellwood, NP-C, MSN, DC, MS
Dr. Christopher Wellwood is a dual Board Certified Chiropractic Physician and Family Nurse Practitioner — a combination that puts him in a category of his own. His Doctorate in Chiropractic comes from the University of Western States, and his Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner from Purdue University.
His clinical focus spans physical medicine, regenerative injection therapy (prolotherapy, PRP, stem cell, ozone), interventional pain management, functional neurology, and primary care. He is a published author in scientific journals — his research on adrenal and thyroid disease treatment is indexed in the Library of Medicine — and served as a Clinical Research Specialist at the Center for Health Research, contributing to the Premier Blood Pressure Study.
Dr. Wellwood believes the body has the ability to heal itself when given the right conditions. His approach addresses root causes rather than symptoms, combining conservative physical medicine with regenerative therapies to help patients recover, adapt, and thrive.