Our Services
Regenerative Medicine
Harnessing the body's own biological healing mechanisms to repair damaged tissue, reduce inflammation, and restore function — without surgery or long-term medication.
Regenerative medicine represents a fundamental shift in how we approach chronic pain and musculoskeletal injury. Rather than masking pain with medications or removing tissue surgically, regenerative treatments leverage the body's own biological systems — platelets, growth factors, and the inflammatory cascade — to stimulate genuine tissue repair and long-lasting healing.
At Epione Pain Center, we offer two evidence-informed regenerative treatments: Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy and Prolotherapy. Both are minimally invasive, use natural substances, and are well-suited to patients seeking alternatives to surgery or long-term anti-inflammatory medication.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
Tendon Injuries • Osteoarthritis • Chronic Joint Pain
How It Works
Platelets are blood cells best known for their role in clotting, but they also carry a rich payload of growth factors. In PRP therapy, a sample of your own blood is drawn and placed into a centrifuge, which spins at high speed to separate and concentrate the platelets. The resulting platelet-rich plasma — containing 3 to 5 times the normal concentration of platelets — is then injected precisely into the damaged tissue under ultrasound guidance. The concentrated growth factors trigger a controlled healing response, accelerating repair processes that have stalled.
Conditions Treated
- Tendon injuries and tendinopathy (rotator cuff, Achilles, patellar, lateral epicondyle)
- Osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, and shoulder
- Chronic joint pain that has not responded to other conservative treatments
- Ligament sprains and partial tears
- Plantar fasciitis
- Chronic bursitis
What to Expect
The entire PRP procedure takes approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Because PRP uses your own blood, there is no risk of allergic reaction. Most conditions respond best to a series of 1 to 3 injections, spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. Some patients notice improvement within the first few weeks; for others, the full benefit develops over 3 to 6 months.
Recovery
PRP therapy has minimal downtime. You may experience mild soreness and swelling for 2 to 5 days. Most patients can return to light activity within 24 to 48 hours. Anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) should be avoided for several weeks after PRP, as they can suppress the healing cascade.
Important: Avoid anti-inflammatory medications (ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac) for at least 2 weeks before and 4-6 weeks after PRP injections, as they interfere with the treatment's healing mechanism.
Clinical evidence: For knee osteoarthritis, multiple large meta-analyses show PRP outperforms both hyaluronic acid and corticosteroid injections at 6-12 months, with 60-80% of patients achieving meaningful improvement. For tennis elbow and other tendon injuries, controlled trials show about 84% improvement at 6 months. PRP also shows strong results for plantar fasciitis, rotator cuff tendinopathy, and chronic joint pain. Relief typically lasts 6-12 months, with some studies showing sustained benefit beyond 2 years for knee arthritis.
Prolotherapy
Ligament Laxity • Tendinopathy • Joint Instability
How It Works
Prolotherapy — short for "proliferative therapy" — uses a precise injection of a dextrose (sugar) solution into damaged or lax ligaments, tendons, and joint structures. The dextrose solution acts as an irritant at a cellular level, triggering a localized inflammatory response. This recruits fibroblasts — the cells responsible for building collagen — to the injection site. Over the following weeks, new collagen fibres are laid down, strengthening and tightening the treated tissue. The result is not just pain relief, but genuine structural repair.
Conditions Treated
- Chronic ligament laxity and hypermobility-related pain
- Tendinopathy not responding to physiotherapy
- Spinal instability from lax ligaments of the lumbar, cervical, or sacroiliac region
- Chronic ankle instability following repeated sprains
- Knee instability from lax collateral or cruciate ligaments
- Costochondritis and rib cage pain
What to Expect
Sessions last 20 to 45 minutes. A series of 3 to 6 sessions spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart is typically required to achieve lasting results, as each session builds on the collagen remodelling initiated by the previous one.
Recovery
After prolotherapy, localized soreness for 3 to 7 days is normal and expected. Light activity is encouraged; strenuous exercise should be avoided for 48 to 72 hours. Anti-inflammatory medications should be avoided around the time of prolotherapy.
A natural approach: Prolotherapy uses a simple dextrose solution — no steroids, no biologics, and no foreign substances. It works entirely by stimulating your body's own repair systems.
Clinical evidence: For knee osteoarthritis, a randomized trial showed significant improvement in pain and function at 52 weeks compared to both placebo and exercise alone. For chronic lower back pain caused by ligament laxity, clinical trials show benefit comparable to structured exercise programs at 2 years. Relief often persists 12 months or longer after a completed treatment course, with some studies showing durable benefit at 2-3 years.
PRP vs. Prolotherapy: Which Is Right for You?
Both PRP and Prolotherapy stimulate healing, but they work through different mechanisms and are suited to different conditions. Your specialist will recommend the most appropriate option — or a combination of both.
| Feature | PRP Therapy | Prolotherapy |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | Growth factors from concentrated platelets | Dextrose-triggered collagen proliferation |
| Best for | Tendon injuries, osteoarthritis, acute-to-subacute tissue damage | Ligament laxity, joint instability, chronic tendinopathy |
| Sessions | 1-3 injections | 3-6 injections |
| Source | Your own blood | Dextrose solution |
| Downtime | Minimal (2-5 days soreness) | Minimal (3-7 days soreness) |
Is Regenerative Medicine Right for You?
Our specialists will assess your condition and determine the most appropriate path to healing.