PRP injection for elbow

[JahDisc]

Hi!

I've been paying for 6 years or so with increased frequency of play for the last few -- entering tournaments etc. In February of this year my right elbow started to get quite sore and idiotically I brushed it off as soreness instead of any kind of real injury. I played to heavy important rounds to me after it feeling sore and post the second round I was legitimately injured. Couldn't even lift up a water bottle. 3 months went by without using the right arm for disc and trying to use it as little as possible in my daily life and I still had tons of pain and discomfort.

Got an MRI which showed a minor interstitial tear on the tendon as well as tendinosis (tendon degeneration from over use).

I ended up going with a PRP injection directly into the area of pain. The first week was borderline excruciating, The second week of sight improvement from the first but still probably worse off than before the shot. I am now at 3 and 1/2 weeks post shot and still couldn't even dream of throwing a disc with my right arm.

Curious to know if others have suffered from this injury and particularly if they received a PRP injection and attempt to help remedy? I know that overall the PRP benefits take time as does repair of any tendon, and part of me feels like I'm being a bit impatient but the other part of me hasn't thrown a disc with my right hand since February and I'm getting scared that I might never throw righty again (I've been throwing lefty, and getting decent but come on...I want my game back �&#56837.

Thanks for any input! ��

 

[ru4por]

I will jump in here and provide a little info.

PRP - Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections

Here is a little background on the procedure.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/plateletrich-plasma-prp-treatment

Ultimately, these are all questions that you should have discussed with your primary care provider and specialist, preforming the procedure, prior to the injection. If you have questions, they should still be your first phone call. Healing is a multi-week process in the best of circumstances. I would believe you should then undergo months of physical therapy, to strengthen the area around the injured joint, to prevent re-injury. I don't hear about a proliferation of this injury, so I might suggest something in your mechanics should be looked into.

Short term patience, could result in long term results. Talk to your medical team and do your research. I will be interested in hearing if anyone else has undergone this treatment and how the results were. Good luck on your recovery!

 

[txmxer]

Thanks for the PRP definition ru4por. Was wondering.

And also wondering if you have started PT? I've not been through this injury, but everything else I've dealt with, PT has been critical for recovery.

 

[JahDisc]

Sorry, I should have added context and info around the shot for those looking to learn. Thanks for replying and adding the link about PRP ru4por��

Ultimately I was curious to see if anyone else had gotten the shot and to see how their recovery was.
For sure did a ton of research and consultation prior, and since the injection. And am painfully aware that patience will be key to long term results... Just wondering if anyone had personal experience.

txmxer-- my doc, and what I've read says PT 6 weeks post injection

 

[txmxer]

Sorry, I should have added context and info around the shot for those looking to learn. Thanks for replying and adding the link about PRP ru4por��

Ultimately I was curious to see if anyone else had gotten the shot and to see how their recovery was.
For sure did a ton of research and consultation prior, and since the injection. And am painfully aware that patience will be key to long term results... Just wondering if anyone had personal experience.

txmxer-- my doc, and what I've read says PT 6 weeks post injection

Most of my issues are knee related. Multiple scopes and ultimately replacement. The one thing I've noticed over the years is the recommendation has been starting PT earlier.

Not suggesting any particular course of treatment, just sharing my experience and asking about yours.

Your treatment is very different from anything I've done, so no surprise your recovery protocol is different and IMO more conservative.

That's not a bad thing. Just an observation.

 

[stupid trees]

I know nothing about PRP, but I injured my scapular muscle about a year and a half ago. I missed 2 moths of work. It was pretty bad. At first I was afraid to even try disc golfing again. In the mean time I kept doing the exercises the physical therapist gave me and added some more wheh i felt up to it. After about 8 months I started to feel the itch again and slowly eased my way back in. It may take months for you to feel right again. Just be patient and follow whatever they tell you to do and you'll be back playing again.

Also, you might consider 150 class discs at least for a while. A few grams doesn't seem like much, but it adds up over the course of a round. I switched to 150 class drivers with putters and mids in the 160's after my injury and haven't looked back.

 

[corrieedgar]

Did yours subside? Feeling a bit hopeless after getting something that I thought would help…

 

[discNDav]

I had PRP done in my shoulder, what a waste of $550.

 

[ru4por]

I had PRP done in my shoulder, what a waste of $550.

Much like Cortisone shots, PRP is a temporary solution to a surgical issue, most of the time. PRP has shown to last longer and have regenerative capability. The risks, rewards and potential success or failure rates should have been discussed with your ortho guy, before the procedure. After researching PRP, because of this thread, it seems PRP can be an effective way to temporarily treat joint pain.

Sorry it did not do much for you. Shoulders are one of the most complicated and difficult to treat joints.

 

[Smigles]

I started climbing 8 months ago. With my body that has been strenghtened by disc golf for the last 10 years (aka not strong at all. More like 30 Kg overweight. and also 45 years old...).

After completely overdoing it, i got cramps in the forearms, muscles just shutting down at random etc. Not being able to hold a cup of coffee at the office cause i immeadiatly get cramps. Not having enough force in my fingers to shut the car door.



Well, i went to physical therapy and what i thought were joint problems, wrist problems, ganglions, tennis elbow, golfer elbow and everything bad under the sun... Turns out it was all just totally overworked muscles.

I stretch every day, do blackroll massage every day, do fascial massages, take hot baths to increase blood flow. And most importantly i limit myself to climbing two or three times a week. Recovery is a long journey.



I am now older and hopefully wiser. I give the body some rest and the possibility to recover.
But back in my 20ies when i was playing Ultimate, i got cortisone shots in my ankles because they were totally overworked. Went playing again the next day. The shots never worked, but that is no surprise to me nowadays, because i did not rest the ankles at all after getting the cortisone shot.