Your blood contains many properties that promote healing. When we inject components of your blood, namely platelets, into an area that is causing you pain it can actually help relieve the discomfort. In most instances, we do this for people who suffer from Tennis or Golfer’s Elbow, Plantar Fasciitis, hamstring tears, jumper’s knee or patella tendinosis, Achilles tendinopathy and calf muscle tears.
Watch: Having a PRP Injection with Queensland X-Ray
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Please arrive early for your exam as you will be asked to complete a questionnaire.
It’s a good idea to dress in a separate top and bottoms, as this makes accessing the area we need access to easier.
Prior to having this done, you’ll need to have been referred by your doctor to have initial imaging completed. This will help us determine the exact location of your pain.
As this procedure involves the removal of some blood, it’s important that you seek advice from your referring doctor if you are taking any anti-coagulant or blood thinning medication before having this done.
We suggest you bring a friend along to drive you home after the appointment, or arrange to get a taxi home.
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Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections are delivered by one of our specially trained Radiologists.
It is carried out using Ultrasound or X-ray.
Radiologists, Radiographers and our Nurses work together to deliver this service. Due to the number of people involved, this is why we ask you travel to one of our hospital or comprehensive sites for this imaging procedure.
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Your Radiographer will explain exactly what will happen during your procedure. It may vary slightly from what we describe below, so don’t worry if this is the case, you’ll always be in very good hands.
On entering the screening room you will be introduced to the Radiologist and nurse who will be carrying out the injection. You will be asked to lie on a bed and the area we are performing the biopsy on will be cleaned with antiseptic before administering a local anaesthetic to numb the area.
The Radiologists will draw some blood and will take it to a room where it will be spun in a machine called a centrifuge, which spins thousands of times a minute. This will take around 15 minutes. Once done, your blood will have separated from being just fluid, to being red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. These platelets are what will be used to inject back into your body.
Once we have these, the Radiologist will position the needle under the guidance of imaging technology to ensure it’s in the best possible position. During this time, you may feel a little discomfort, but don’t worry, we’ll do our very best to keep you comfortable.
After the procedure, you’ll probably feel a little bit of discomfort in the area for a few days. During these days, and possibly the week, it’s important you continue your rehabilitation program as suggested by your referring Doctor or physiotherapist.
The procedure will last around 30 minutes. You may feel some minor pressure or discomfort. We’ll do our very best to keep this to a minimum and keep you comfortable.
Following the procedure, you may sense a bit of relief almost immediately due to the local anaesthetic, however, this will wear off after a short period.
After about four weeks, your pain should have decreased. If not, we suggest you return to your referring doctor to chat about other options.
At the end of the examination, you will be able to redress and return to the waiting room.
How much will it cost?
Fees for radiology procedures will vary depending on a variety of factors. We will advise you about the cost of your service at the time of booking but if you do have any questions, contact us and one of our team will be happy to help with your query. You can read more about our billing information here.
How do I access my images?
At Queensland X-Ray, we provide our patients with their images and results online. To access your images and results, you’ll need to register for an account when you visit one of our practices. If you’ve already registered, you can access the Patient Portal here.