Ask Dr. Rob: What Is PRP Therapy and Is It Right for You?

When Linda, a 64-year-old retired teacher from Redding, first came into Prestige Regenerative Medicine, she had been managing severe knee pain for over five years. She had already tried physical therapy, daily anti-inflammatories, and three rounds of cortisone injections with diminishing returns. Her orthopedist had told her a total knee replacement was her only remaining path forward. Wanting to keep up with her grandkids without a lengthy surgical recovery, she sought us out for one more option before she said yes.

She is not unusual. Most patients who ask about PRP at Prestige have already been through the conventional playbook — the anti-inflammatories, the cortisone shots, sometimes a surgical recommendation they are not ready to accept. What brings them in is not desperation. It is the realization that managing a problem and fixing it are two different things.

The Science Behind the Buzz: What is PRP Therapy

Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy has been used in elite sports medicine for decades before it reached mainstream awareness. Kobe Bryant flew to Germany twice to undergo a PRP-variant treatment for chronic knee degeneration. Rafael Nadal used it to treat the tendinitis that had threatened his career. Hines Ward recovered from a projected four-to-six week MCL injury in two weeks and won the Super Bowl MVP. The science that kept those athletes competing is the same science available to patients in Redding and Chico today.

The mechanism is straightforward. A small blood sample is drawn, spun in a centrifuge to isolate the platelet-rich plasma, and precisely injected into the area being treated. Platelets carry the growth factors your body naturally deploys to repair damaged tissue — PRP concentrates them and delivers them directly to where they are needed most. Because it comes entirely from your own biology, there is no risk of allergic reaction and nothing synthetic involved.

At Prestige we use Magellan® technology for every PRP preparation — a medical-grade system that produces a clinically precise concentration that standard centrifuge methods cannot match.

"Most clinics use a basic centrifuge," Dr. Hamilton explains. "What Magellan gives us is the ability to consistently extract up to ten times your baseline concentration of platelets, rather than the standard two or three times. That matters because we are flooding the damaged tissue with the absolute maximum amount of your body's own regenerative power, greatly increasing the chances of a successful, long-lasting recovery." 

More Applications Than Most Patients Realize

PRP is not a single-use treatment. At Prestige we use it across four areas — and the same biological mechanism drives results in all of them.

For patients dealing with chronic joint pain, arthritis, or soft tissue injuries that have not healed on their own, PRP delivers growth factors directly to the damaged tissue and creates conditions for repair. 

For hair loss, PRP stimulates dormant follicles and increases hair shaft diameter — producing results that develop gradually and look entirely natural. 

For skin rejuvenation, PRP combined with microneedling — the Vampire Facial — accelerates cellular turnover and improves texture and tone without synthetic fillers.

For intimate health concerns in both men and women, PRP is the active component in the P-Shot and O-Shot, supporting tissue regeneration and function. 

"I honestly didn't know PRP could help with Peyronie's Disease," says patient J.P. "My provider explained that it was actually fibrous scar tissue causing my curvature. My erections were curved for years, and now that issue has completely resolved. So glad I found treatment when medication couldn't help me." 

Why PRP Is Replacing Cortisone for a Growing Number of Patients

Cortisone works fast. That is its appeal and also its limitation. Repeated cortisone use has been shown to accelerate cartilage degeneration — which means for patients already dealing with joint breakdown, it is providing temporary relief while the underlying problem continues to worsen.

Surgery has its place. But recovery is long, outcomes are not guaranteed, and for a meaningful number of patients, it is not the only path forward.

“When a patient comes in who has had three or four cortisone shots," Dr. Hamilton says, "the first thing I want to know is why the underlying injury hasn't actually healed and what structural issues those shots might be hiding. PRP is a different conversation entirely because we aren't just putting a temporary chemical bandage on the joint; we're introducing your own concentrated growth factors to help rebuild the tissue." 

PRP targets the biological environment at the site of damage. A meta-analysis in the Journal of Orthopaedic Science found it more effective and safer than Hyaluronic Acid injections for knee osteoarthritis. Results take four to eight weeks to develop — but what develops is actual tissue repair, not a temporary reduction in inflammation.

David had been told by two orthopedists that surgery was the next step. After just one PRP treatment at Prestige, 'I was honestly skeptical at first, but the constant, deep aching is just gone. It feels like I got my real knee back.’ 

What to Expect Before, During, and After Treatment

“The number one thing patients are surprised by," Dr. Hamilton says, "is how the timeline of relief works compared to what they are used to. Most people expect an instant, overnight fix like they get from a temporary steroid shot. What actually happens is a gradual, compounding improvement over several weeks as the tissue actually rebuilds itself." 

The appointment runs 45 to 90 minutes from blood draw to injection. There is no anesthesia and no hospital stay. Afterward, some soreness at the site is normal — and a good sign that the healing response has been activated.

We ask patients to avoid anti-inflammatory medications for five days before treatment and caffeine for 24 hours after. Caffeine constricts blood vessels and can reduce circulation to the treatment site during the window when your body is most actively responding. Strenuous activity should wait 48 hours for joint injections, with a gradual return to full activity over the following week or two.

Results develop over time. Most patients notice meaningful improvement at four to eight weeks, with continued progress over three to six months.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do PRP results last? For joint pain, most patients experience relief for six months to two years. Hair restoration results are maintained with annual treatments. Vampire Facial results hold for one to two years. P-Shot and O-Shot effects typically last twelve to eighteen months.

Is PRP covered by insurance? No. PRP is a cash-pay procedure. Most plans including Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield do not cover it. We discuss pricing transparently at every consultation — and many patients find it more cost-effective than surgery when total recovery costs are factored in.

Who is a good candidate? Patients with chronic joint pain, unresolved soft tissue injuries, early to moderate hair loss, skin concerns, or intimate health changes they want to address without medication. A consultation and baseline lab work are required before starting any program at Prestige.

What is the difference between PRP and stem cell therapy? PRP concentrates growth factors from your own blood to stimulate repair. Stem cell therapy harvests regenerative cells from bone marrow or fat for deeper tissue regeneration. PRP is typically the first-line option. We offer both at Prestige.

The Next Step

For Linda, the answer came at her six-week follow-up. She finally has the mobility to enjoy her retirement on her own terms, proving that a major surgery wasn't her only path forward. 

If you have been managing a problem that conventional treatment has not fixed, the conversation is worth having. Schedule a free PRP consultation at our Redding or Chico clinic and find out if you are a candidate.

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About Dr. Rob Hamilton

Dr. Rob Hamilton is the founder of Prestige Regenerative Medicine and a board-certified Emergency Physician with over two decades of experience serving Northern California. After years in the ER watching patients struggle with the effects of aging and chronic disease, he shifted his focus to helping people get ahead of those challenges through regenerative and anti-aging medicine. He holds fellowship training in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell Therapy, and has trained with some of the leading minds in the field. His goal has always been simple: help people feel better, live longer, and actually enjoy the process.