If you have arthritis, you’ve probably heard about “cortisone shots,” where steroid are injected into arthritic joints to reduce inflammation and improve function. “They work great, for a while,” says Dr. Gustav Lo, MD, RegenCen’s Medical Director. Steroid injections are considered a short-term solution, reducing inflammation and pain for a few weeks to a few months. Steroids can also cause problems if they are used repeatedly, actually speeding up degeneration of the joints.

Less well-known (but becoming more common) is platelet-rich fibrin or PRF treatment. Recent research shows PRF injections alleviate arthritis pain as well as steroid injections, but in a much different way that actually rejuvenates the cartilage and other joint tissues, rather than causing further breakdown. The results also last a lot longer, often a full year or more. The concept is simple: the injected PRF attracts stem cells and growth factors, triggering new cartilage and connective tissue growth. This in turn rebuilds joint surfaces and cushioning in worn-out joints. Inflammation and pain are reduced and sometimes eliminated altogether.

But what’s the treatment process like? It’s simple, quick, and (almost) painless. We isolate PRF from patients’ own blood in just 10 minutes. From start to finish, the whole visit takes about half an hour, and requires just two needle pokes – one for the blood draw, and one for the injection.

At RegenCen, we have the benefit of years of experience and hundreds of orthopedic patient treatments with PRF. “Of all the treatments I’ve performed on patients with injured or arthritic joints, PRF has the best success rate,” says Dr. Lo. “It’s great to see someone walk in with no limp and a big grin on their face.”

“Of all the treatments available at RegenCen, rejuvenating joints is most foolproof.” – Gustav Lo, MD, RegenCen

And there are 3 main reasons:

– Almost everyone in their 40’s has one or more problem joints. The easiest treatments to get people excited about are the ones that can help practically everyone. Joint degeneration starts for many people in their 30s or 40s, often just due to the wear and tear of normal life, so all of us can benefit from joint rejuvenation – eventually.

– Of all our regenerative treatments, PRF joint rejuvenation has the longest history and the most scientific evidence. Our platelet-based treatments have been studied and refined for over 30 years using conventional medical research. It isn’t even considered “alternative” anymore – it’s becoming the standard of care for arthritis that’s not yet to the joint replacement stage.

– PRF joint rejuvenation in our offices has extremely high patient satisfaction. We’ve been doing PRP and PRF orthopedic treatments for years, with an overall 80% satisfaction rate for reducing or eliminating pain and improving or normalizing function, whether for arthritis, joint injuries, or chronic tendinitis.