Is knee pain or a stubborn soft-tissue injury slowing you down? At Overlake Arthritis, Osteoporosis, and Infusion Center in Bellevue, we offer Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections, a natural, minimally invasive treatment that uses your body’s own platelets and growth factors to reduce pain and support tissue repair. Many patients experience meaningful relief with little downtime and no surgery.
What is PRP and how does it help? PRP is made from a small sample of your blood, which we process in a centrifuge to concentrate platelets and their healing growth factors. Using image guidance for accuracy, we inject this platelet-rich plasma into the painful area of your knee. PRP helps calm inflammation, stimulates cellular repair, supports cartilage health and joint lubrication, and reinforces surrounding tissues like tendons and ligaments. It’s a thoughtful option for conditions such as mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis, patellar tendinitis, select degenerative meniscal tears, ligament sprains or partial tears, and chronic knee pain that hasn’t responded to standard care.
What to expect from start to finish: Your visit starts with a focused evaluation of your symptoms, exam findings, and any imaging to confirm candidacy and tailor your plan. On the day of the procedure, we perform a quick blood draw, prepare the PRP, and complete the injection under guidance to ensure precision—most patients feel only mild pressure. Temporary soreness for 24 to 72 hours is common, but most people resume routine daily activities the next day. Some patients notice improvement within a few weeks, with continued gains over three to six months as healing progresses. Depending on your goals and condition, a typical treatment plan includes one to three injections spaced three to six weeks apart.
Who is a good candidate? PRP is often a good fit for individuals with mild to moderate osteoarthritis, persistent tendinopathy, ligament sprains, or degenerative meniscus symptoms—especially for those looking to reduce steroid use or postpone surgery. Outcomes for advanced “bone-on-bone” arthritis are less predictable, and we’ll guide you to the most effective options based on your evaluation.
What does the evidence show? Multiple clinical studies indicate that PRP can reduce pain and improve function in knee osteoarthritis, often performing as well as or better than hyaluronic acid and, in some cases, corticosteroid injections over the medium term. The best results tend to occur in earlier-stage osteoarthritis and when high-quality PRP preparation and image-guided techniques are used. Individual responses vary, and we’ll set clear, realistic expectations together.
Take the next step: At Overlake Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center, our mission is to help people with arthritic joint pain find relief and those with autoimmune diseases regain control of their health. If you’re in the greater Seattle area, email us at psr@overlakearthritis.com or 📞 call us at (425) 453-0766. Your path to relief starts here! Don’t wait—contact us today!