When sports injuries interrupt your training or active lifestyle, recovery can’t come soon enough. Fortunately, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy provides a regenerative, non-surgical solution that harnesses your body’s own healing capabilities. At CHARM, we use this approach to help athletes recover faster, minimize downtime, and get back in the game safely.
What Is PRP Therapy?
PRP therapy starts with a simple blood draw. That blood is then processed in a centrifuge to separate and concentrate platelets—cells that contain powerful growth factors essential to tissue repair and regeneration.
Once concentrated, the PRP is injected directly into the injured area using ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance. This targeted delivery helps stimulate healing precisely where it’s needed, improving tissue function and reducing pain.
Why Athletes Choose PRP for a Sports Injury
Athletes and active individuals turn to PRP therapy because it supports the body’s natural healing mechanisms—without the need for surgery, extensive recovery time, or long-term medications. Some of the benefits include:
- Faster healing and return to activity: PRP can significantly reduce recovery time by accelerating the repair process.
- Reduced inflammation and pain: Growth factors in PRP help control inflammation, which can alleviate pain without the side effects of steroids or NSAIDs.
- Minimally invasive: PRP injections are performed in-office, require little downtime, and have a low risk of complications.
- Versatile for acute or chronic conditions: Whether from sudden injury or repetitive strain, PRP is effective across a range of sports-related issues.
Common Sports Injuries Treated with Regenerative Medicine
PRP therapy has shown great promise in healing many sports injuries involving soft tissue, tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, and strain from overuse. Some of the most common injuries treated with regenerative medicine include:
- Tendon injuries (e.g., tennis elbow, Achilles tendinopathy)
- Ligament sprains (e.g., MCL, ankle ligaments)
- Muscle strains
- Joint pain and cartilage damage
- Overuse syndromes
- Stress-related injuries like shin splints or early stress fractures
By promoting new tissue growth and improving structural integrity, PRP and other regenerative techniques help injured areas regain strength and resilience.
PRP Injections: What to Expect
If you’ve never received a PRP injection before, it can be helpful to first understand what to expect. The entire PRP treatment process is typically completed in under an hour and includes:
- A quick blood draw: An adequate amount of your blood is collected.
- Centrifugation: The blood is spun and processed to isolate and concentrate the platelets.
- Image-guided injection: PRP is carefully injected into the injury site using real-time imaging to ensure accuracy.
- Recovery: Most patients can resume light activity within a few days. Full recovery timelines depend on the injury and are supported with physical therapy when appropriate.
Because PRP uses your own blood, there’s no risk of allergic reaction or disease transmission and a very low risk of infection as compared to more invasive procedures.
PRP at CHARM: Our Regenerative Approach
PRP therapy is never a one-size-fits-all solution, which is why our specialists carefully customize every treatment plan to match the unique needs of each patient. This begins with our in-house PRP laboratory, which allows us to control the concentration of platelets for each individual case, optimizing the biological impact of the treatment.
We ensure precise delivery of PRP using advanced imaging techniques such as ultrasound or fluoroscopy. This image-guided approach enhances the accuracy and effectiveness of each injection, targeting the injured tissue with minimal disruption to surrounding structures.
Finally, healing doesn’t end with the injection. We pair PRP therapy with integrated rehabilitation using cutting-edge technologies like Redcord Neurac® and NeuFit®, which support neuromuscular activation and functional recovery. This rehabilitative support plays a key role in restoring strength, balance, and coordination reducing the risk of reinjury.
Is PRP Right for Your Sports Injury?
If you’re hoping to avoid surgery, reduce recovery time, and support your body’s natural healing process, PRP may be an excellent option. This regenerative treatment is particularly beneficial for athletes dealing with chronic overuse injuries, individuals recovering from ligament or tendon damage, and those seeking alternatives to steroids or more invasive interventions.
Whether you’re managing a recent setback or a long-standing issue, our focus is on helping you return to what you love—stronger, faster, and with greater resilience. Contact us today to find the treatment right for you.