If you’ve been told you have a knee problem, a torn tendon, or early-stage arthritis, you’ve probably come across the term PRP. It gets mentioned a lot — sometimes with more enthusiasm than explanation. This article gives you a straightforward answer to what PRP actually is, how it works, what it’s good for, and what the experience of getting it is really like.
What PRP Is, in Plain Terms
PRP stands for Platelet-Rich Plasma. It’s made entirely from your own blood — no synthetic compounds, no foreign cells, nothing harvested from a donor. The process starts with a simple blood draw, roughly similar to what you’d give for routine lab work. That blood is then placed in a centrifuge, which spins it at high speed to separate its components. What emerges is a concentrated layer of platelets — the tiny cells responsible for clotting and, crucially, for releasing growth factors that signal your body to repair tissue.
The resulting concentrate contains significantly more platelets than normal blood — typically five to ten times the baseline concentration. This concentrated solution is then injected directly into the site of injury or degeneration.
The theory behind PRP is not complicated: your body already knows how to heal itself. Platelets are a central part of that process. By delivering a high concentration of them to a specific area that is struggling to repair on its own — like the cartilage of an arthritic knee or the fibers of a frayed tendon — you’re giving the healing process a meaningful boost.
What Conditions PRP Is Used For
PRP has been studied across a broad range of orthopedic problems, and the evidence base has grown considerably over the past decade. At the Scheinberg Clinic, Dr. Scheinberg uses PRP to treat:
Knee arthritis. For patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis, multiple clinical studies have shown that PRP can meaningfully reduce pain and improve function over a 6-to-12-month period, often outperforming hyaluronic acid (the “gel injection” many patients have tried).
Rotator cuff injuries. Partial tears and tendinopathy of the shoulder respond well to PRP when diagnosed accurately and injected with precision. Dr. Scheinberg’s surgical background means he understands exactly which structures are involved and how to target them.
Tendon injuries. Patellar tendonitis, Achilles tendonitis, lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), and similar overuse injuries are among the most common reasons patients seek PRP. Tendons have notoriously poor blood supply and heal slowly on their own — PRP helps accelerate that process.
Ligament injuries. Partial ligament tears, particularly in the knee and ankle, are another appropriate application, especially for athletes trying to recover without surgery.
What a PRP Session Actually Involves
The entire process typically takes about 60 to 90 minutes from start to finish. A small amount of blood is drawn — usually 30 to 60 milliliters — and placed in a centrifuge for processing. While the PRP is being prepared, the treatment area is evaluated and prepared.
What distinguishes Dr. Scheinberg’s approach is the level of diagnostic rigor that precedes the injection. Before any treatment is administered, he conducts a thorough assessment of your imaging — MRI, X-ray, or ultrasound — to confirm exactly what structure is injured and where the injection needs to go. Precision matters here. An injection placed a few millimeters off target is far less effective than one delivered directly to the damaged tissue. Dr. Scheinberg brings 40 years of surgical experience to that assessment, which is not a credential most PRP providers can claim.
The injection itself is guided to the target with surgical-grade accuracy. Most patients describe a feeling of pressure or mild discomfort, not sharp pain. The area may be slightly sore for a day or two after treatment — that is a normal part of the healing response being activated.
Recovery and Timeline
PRP is not an instant fix. The growth factors work over weeks and months, stimulating a gradual healing process. Most patients begin to notice improvement between four and eight weeks after treatment. The full benefit often becomes clear at three to six months.
For tendon and ligament injuries, one to two sessions is often sufficient. For arthritis, a series of two or three injections spaced several weeks apart may be recommended, depending on the degree of degeneration.
You can generally return to light activity within a day or two. Strenuous exercise or activity that loads the treated joint is typically restricted for one to two weeks to allow the initial healing response to proceed undisturbed.
Who Is a Good Candidate
PRP works best for patients with early-to-moderate joint degeneration, active tendon or ligament injuries, or those who have not found lasting relief from physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, or standard cortisone injections. It is also well-suited for patients who want to avoid or delay surgery.
PRP is generally less effective for end-stage arthritis — bone-on-bone joints with no remaining cartilage — where BMAC (Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate) may be a more appropriate option. Part of Dr. Scheinberg’s value to patients is making that distinction with the judgment of a surgeon who has performed joint replacements and understands exactly what each imaging study is showing.
At the Santa Barbara clinic, candidacy for PRP is never assumed — it’s determined through a formal surgical-grade assessment.