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🏥 Gotokuji Orthopedic Clinic / Patient Guide

PRP Therapy (Regenerative Medicine)

A new treatment that uses your own blood to boost your body's healing power

PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) therapy is a form of regenerative medicine where platelets are concentrated from your own blood and injected into the affected area.
The growth factors in platelets are thought to support the repair of damaged tissue.
It uses your own blood, but injection-site pain, swelling, warmth, bruising and, rarely, infection can still occur.
It treats a wide range of conditions including knee osteoarthritis, tennis elbow, muscle tears, and ligament injuries. This is a self-pay (non-insurance) treatment.

1
Examination and ultrasound evaluation (about 15 min)

The source and location of pain are identified, and suitability for PRP is assessed

2
Blood draw (15-30 mL, about 5 min)

A small amount of blood is drawn from your arm, similar to a routine blood test

3
PRP preparation by centrifuge (about 15 min)

A special centrifuge concentrates the platelets from your blood

4
Ultrasound-guided injection (about 3 min)

The PRP is injected precisely into the affected area under ultrasound guidance

⏱️ Total time: about 40 min 🏃 Most resume normal activities next day ⚽ Intense exercise after 1 week
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Knee osteoarthritis (early to moderate stage)
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Tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, and other tendon attachment disorders (tendinopathy)
Muscle tears, ligament injuries, meniscus tears
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Fracture healing support, nonunion
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Osgood-Schlatter disease and other youth sports injuries, post-surgical pain and recovery support
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Uses Your Own Blood
No donor material is used, but injection-site pain, swelling and bruising can still occur
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Harnesses Natural Healing
Growth factors are thought to support tissue repair
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Ultrasound-Guided Precision
Injected exactly where needed under real-time ultrasound
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Outpatient Procedure
Completed in about 40 minutes. No hospital stay needed
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Cost (Self-Pay)
Joint/tendon: 55,000 yen (tax incl./per site). Fracture: 88,000 yen (tax incl./per site)
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Number of Treatments
Typically 1 to 3 sessions. Results vary depending on the condition
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A new option for pain that has not improved with standard treatment

PRP therapy is gaining attention as a new option when medication and rehabilitation have not been enough. It is also suitable for patients who want to avoid surgery or return to sports faster. Results vary widely: many patients notice a change over the following few weeks to three months, while others do not get enough benefit.

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PRP therapy may not be suitable for everyone.
Patients taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet medications, those with active infections or autoimmune diseases, those currently undergoing or recently completing cancer treatment, and those with a low platelet count, severe anemia, or a bleeding disorder are not eligible. Whether PRP can be performed is decided individually, based on your examination and blood test results.

💡 Important Things to Know

  • This is a self-pay treatment and is not covered by insurance
  • Reported effectiveness differs by condition; in knee osteoarthritis, some trials found no difference from a saline injection
  • Results vary from person to person and improvement is not guaranteed
  • Injection-site pain, swelling, warmth, and bruising (usually settling within a few days), a temporary flare of pain, and rarely infection can occur
  • PRP is not a treatment that works by injection alone; combining it with rehabilitation matters
  • Start with an examination to see if PRP is right for you. Feel free to contact us