The short answer
After a PRP injection, anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen and naproxen are usually stopped for a period, because PRP works through a healing response. Soreness at the injection site often increases for the first week or two. Activity builds back up gradually on a plan that depends on what was treated, and the benefit can take several weeks to show. Always follow the instructions your own clinician gives you.
Every PRP treatment comes with its own instructions, which depend on the body part and what was treated. If anything here differs from your sheet, follow your sheet and ask your clinician.
Anti-inflammatory medicines
PRP is meant to start a healing response, and that response involves some inflammation. For that reason, anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve) and aspirin for pain are usually stopped around the time of treatment.
Ask how long to stop them before and after your injection, and what you can take for pain instead. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is often allowed. Don’t stop a prescribed blood thinner or a daily aspirin your doctor ordered without talking to the doctor who prescribed it.
Alcohol
There’s very little research on alcohol after PRP. Many clinics ask patients to skip it for the first few days, partly because alcohol and some pain medicines don’t mix. Ask your clinician what they recommend for you.
Soreness after the injection
It’s common for the treated area to feel more sore for the first week or two. That doesn’t mean the treatment failed. Rest, short walks and the pain plan your clinician gives you usually help.
Walking and getting back to activity
How soon you walk normally, return to the gym or go back to sport depends on what was treated: a knee joint, a tendon or a ligament each has its own plan. Most plans start gentle and build up over weeks, often with physical therapy. The benefit of PRP can take several weeks to appear, so judging it after a few days is too early.
When to call us
- Fever or chills
- Redness, warmth or swelling that keeps spreading
- Pain that is severe and getting worse instead of settling
Cost and coverage
Few insurance plans pay for PRP, so most people pay for it themselves. Our self-pay prices list what PRP costs at SMC and what the fee includes, and what PRP costs explains the differences between treatments. To find out whether it fits your problem, see are you a candidate for PRP?.
Care for this at Specialty Medical Center
This article is general information. It doesn’t diagnose your problem or replace advice from your own clinician.
Sources
- Hospital for Special Surgery: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection: how it works
- OrthoInfo (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons): Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
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