PRP Side Effects

PRP Injection Side Effects

When considering whether or not to get PRP therapy, one of the first questions you’ll likely have is about PRP injection side effects. Let’s begin by reassuring you that the treatment rarely has side effects. Even patients that have drug allergies can safely opt for the procedure and look forward to significant improvement within a few weeks of getting the therapy. In fact, more and more practitioners are relying on Platelet Rich Plasma therapy to help their patients with issues such as tendonitis in the elbow, knee, or shoulder in addition to other medical and aesthetic issues.

There is Only a Remote Possibility of PRP Therapy Complications

While there is a remote chance of PRP injection side effects, you could have minor reactions to the other processes that accompany the procedure. Here are some of the possibilities you need to be aware of. You’ll also learn about the precautions your PRP practitioner takes to avoid them.

Infections Rarely Occur in the Treatment Area

Getting infections as a PRP injection side effect can happen only rarely. That’s because the PRP serum contains white blood cells that can fight any pathogens that may enter the treatment site. In addition, your doctor will take care to maintain only the most sterile conditions during the PRP preparation process and when injecting the serum.

Any Possible Allergic Reactions to the PRP Serum Can be Avoided

Allergic reactions occur when the body rejects a particular medicine or food that is introduced into it. It develops antibodies to fight the foreign body and you see an allergic reaction. However, the PRP serum is sourced from your blood and there is only a very rare possibility of your body rejecting its own tissues. One of the reasons why you have a reaction could be your body reacting to other factors. Like, for instance, the metal in the instruments. Your doctors will check with you about any allergies that you know you have before you take the treatment.

You could also have a reaction because of some medication you’ve been taking regularly. Let your PRP practitioners know about the prescriptions you’re taking when you sign up for the treatment. If needed, they might ask you to avoid them for a few weeks before and after the PRP treatment. Here’s another positive. Doctors typically add epinephrine into the PRP serum before injecting it. Not only can it help you with the pain but it can also help you avoid possible PRP injection side effects. That’s because epinephrine is used as an anti-allergy medication.

There is a Rare Possibility of Clotting

Blood clots can form in the treatment area if the needle pricks a blood vessel like an artery or vein. To avoid PRP injection side effects like these, your doctors will use digital imaging devices like ultrasound or fluoroscopy to guide the needle carefully.

You Can Expect Only Minor PRP Treatment Side Effects

Now that you’re confident about the safety of the therapy and rare chance of PRP injection side effects, let’s talk about the possible after effects. And, how doctors take steps to minimize them.

Pain in the Treatment Area

You might feel minor pain or discomfort in the treatment area for a day or two after the procedure. To provide you with painless PRP injections, your medical practitioners will apply topical numbing agents before administering the shots. In addition, they will recommend that you take painkillers to help you with the discomfort. Compounds like epinephrine, bupivacaine, and lignocaine when added into the PRP serum can help eliminate the discomfort also.

Redness and Swelling

You might notice some amount of bruising and skin discolorations around the skin where doctors harvest the blood sample for the serum. The treatment site may also show some redness and swelling. Both after effects settle in a day or two afterward. In fact, the swelling you see is an essential part of the healing process and assists in the success of the therapy. If you have a tendency to bruise easily, you may notice darker or purplish marks. Contact your doctor for directions on how to manage them like for example, applying ice on the area.

Doctors Screen You Carefully for PRP Injection Contraindications

Before signing you up for the PRP treatment, your medical practitioners will screen you carefully. They’ll use a checklist of PRP injection contraindications to avoid the possibility of  PRP injection side effects. You’ll provide answers to a series of questions regarding your lifestyle habits, medical history, or any genetic conditions because of which you cannot take PRP therapy. Some of these issues can include:

• Low platelet levels
• Low hemoglobin counts
• Existing infections in the treatment site
• Recent fever or illness
• Skin infections
• Liver disease
• Excessive smoking or drinking

In Theory, PRP Injections Cannot Cause Tumors

One of the concerns many people have is the possibility of PRP therapy causing tumors at the treatment site. In theory, PRP cannot cause tumors. That’s because the growth factors in the serum never enter the cell nuclei to heal them. Instead, they act on the external cell membranes to stimulate them to heal. This they can do by setting off a chain of repairing reactions that do not cause cancer. This is one potential PRP injection side effect you need not worry about.

Are You Concerned About PRP Treatment for Face Side Effects?

If you have any concerns about how PRP facials will affect your skin, rest assured you can safely get them. The plasma in the PRP serum stimulates the stem cells in the skin to regenerate so they produce more collagen. Further, the plasma contains molecules of proteins that nourish the skin so it regains its flawless, youthful appearance. 

To minimize the possibility of PRP injection side effects like temporary bruising, swelling, and redness, your dermatologist will apply ice on the treated area. You’ll also receive recommendations to space the sessions at specific intervals to give your skin time to repair and the treatment to work. 

You Can Safely Eliminate Concerns About PRP Injection Side Effects

PRP therapy is a safe, natural treatment that is suitable for almost any person and is not likely to have any adverse reactions. The treatments can prove to very highly beneficial for various conditions. While there is the possibility that your body does not respond to the therapy at all, you can rest assured that any PRP injection side effects can happen only on rare occasions.

You Need Not Worry About Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy Side Effects

If you’re concerned about the possible side effects of PRP treatments, understand that there is a very rare possibility of adverse reactions. The PRP serum used in the therapy is extracted from your blood. This factor lowers the probability of your body rejecting the injected plasma. Further, your medical practitioner takes the utmost of precautions to maintain absolutely sterile conditions during the PRP preparation procedures. Using ultrasound devices, the serum is carefully placed at the treatment site to avoid any damage to the surrounding tissues.

In addition, when you sign up for PRP therapy, your doctor will screen you carefully as a good candidate. You’ll answer a series of questions designed to identify allergies and other medical conditions because of which you cannot receive the treatment. Every possible precaution is taken to avoid PRP side effects. And, doctors will explain all the precautions to take before and after the procedure for the best results. The only after effects you can expect is some amount of swelling and redness since PRP stimulates inflammation in the treatment area.