PRP injections care offered in Boulder, CO

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) uses growth factors extracted from your blood to heal musculoskeletal damage. At offices in Boulder, Colorado, the team of sports medicine experts at Breakthrough Regenerative Orthopedics specializes in using advanced techniques that harness your body’s power to repair itself. Once PRP therapy starts working, your pain and your function should decrease. Call Breakthrough Regenerative Orthopedics to learn how you could benefit from PRP therapy or schedule a consultation using the online booking feature.

What is a PRP injection, and how would you explain it simply to someone just starting to explore treatment options?

PRP stands for Platelet-Rich Plasma. It’s a regenerative medicine treatment where we take the patient’s  own blood, spin it in a centrifuge to separate the components by density, and isolate the layer rich in platelets and white blood cells. This is the portion that carries the regenerative properties we want.

We discard the red blood cells, then inject the concentrated PRP under ultrasound guidance directly  into the injured area. For example, if you have tendonitis in your shoulder, we’ll use ultrasound guidance to accurately place the PRP directly into the damaged tendon. These injections trigger a strong,  inflammatory response that stimulates healing. The first one to two weeks typically increases inflammation  and  discomfort, but this is part of the natural repair process. Over the next 2-3 months, inflammation  resolves, pain improves, and function is restored.

Beyond knees and shoulders, what other conditions do you treat with PRP injections?

PRP injections have been shown to be effective for a wide range of musculoskeletal issues. Some of the most well-studied include:

• Knee arthritis
• Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
• Rotator cuff tendinitis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Gluteal tendinopathy (often misdiagnosed as trochanteric bursitis)

We also treat:

• Hamstring tendinopathy
• Fascia tears (connective tissue around muscles and bones)
• Chronic ligament injuries, such as ankle instability
• Muscle tears—especially chronic ones
• Arthritic joints including the hip, shoulder, neck, low back, knee, ankle, and foot
• Nerve injuries and entrapments

What about Platelet Poor Plasma?

Additionally, we can use the platelet-poor plasma (PPP), which is the serum at the top of the centrifuge tube above the PRP layer. This has shown to be beneficial for  muscle tears.  We can either use this directly or pass this platelet poor plasma through a special filter to make a protein concentrate from the patient’s serum that is rich in alpha-2-macroglobulin, fibronectin and other anti-inflammatory proteins.  This can make the PRP even more effective in arthritic joints and soft tissue injuries.

How do you determine if someone is a good candidate for PRP treatment?

There are a few important factors that improve outcomes. The first is the health of the patient. PRP doesn’t work in isolation—your body has to do the healing. If someone is dealing with systemic health issues that impair healing, the results may be limited.  A healthy diet which includes plenty of protein and a variety of healthy vegetables is a good starting point.  Regular excercise and good sleep are also important to healing and recovery.

Medications are also a factor. Patients who are on chronic anti-inflammatories, statins for cholesterol, or steroids may see reduced effectiveness from PRP. These medications interfere with the body’s inflammatory and regenerative responses.

Age is a consideration, but not a limitation. I’ve treated patients into their 90s with positive outcomes—what matters more is how healthy and active they are.

The severity and chronicity of the injury also impact success. More advanced or long-standing injuries often require multiple treatments or an upgraded approach like stem cell injections. If the degeneration is too far along, surgery might still be necessary. But for many patients, especially those who catch issues early, PRP offers a highly effective, non-surgical path to recovery.

Are there any risks or downsides to PRP injections?

Overall, PRP is considered very safe. I’ve reviewed hundreds of studies over the years, and in nearly all of them, PRP is found to be  both safe and effective. The majority of the negative studies have methodological flaws, such as using a blood product that does NOT meet the definition of true PRP.  But like any procedure, it’s not entirely without risk.

The most common downside is the initial inflammatory response. Patients often feel more sore or swollen for a few days to a week or two after the injection. That’s expected and actually part of the healing process.

In terms of rare complications, there’s always a small risk of infection anytime you puncture the skin with a needle. However, PRP contains white blood cells and platelets that have natural antimicrobial properties, and with proper sterile technique, infections are extremely rare. In 16 years of doing PRP injections, I’ve never had a case of infection, largely because I take great care with skin preparation and patient instructions post-procedure. I recommend avoiding soaking in water (baths, hot tubs, pools) for 48–72 hours to give the skin time to seal.

One complication I encountered early in my career was deep vein thrombosis (DVT)—a blood clot in the leg. This occurred when patients were immobilized in a walking boot after receiving an injection. Platelets are designed to help clot, and if they end up in a small blood vessel and you don’t move that area, it can become a problem. I’ve since changed that protocol and haven’t seen a single case in over a decade.

So the primary risks are increased pain temporarily, low infection risk, and rare clotting issues, all of which are manageable with the right precautions.

How long do PRP injections last?

That depends entirely on what we’re treating.

If we’re targeting a tendon injury, like tennis elbow or a small rotator cuff tear, and we’re able to fully heal the structure, the result is often permanent. Once the tendon heals, it doesn’t need repeat treatment.

For arthritic joints, it’s a different story. Arthritis is a chronic condition. PRP helps by reducing inflammation and slowing the degeneration process, but it doesn’t rebuild cartilage. So while it can dramatically reduce pain and improve function, the effect isn’t permanent.  Interestingly, we have learned that while repeated steroid injections can lead to more rapid loss of cartilage in an arthritic joint, PRP has shown ability to slow the loss of cartilage with repeated injections.  So, in addition to pain relief for arthritis, we now know that it slows the progression of arthritis when 3 injections are performed. 

With a single PRP injection in an arthritic joint, patients typically get 1 to 2 years of relief. If we do a series of 2 or 3 injections over a 3 to 6 month period, results can last 3 to 5 years. For more advanced cases, we may combine PRP with stem cell therapy to create a more durable response. The key is matching the treatment plan to the severity of the condition and the goals of the patient.

What excites you most about the future of PRP treatments, particularly for patients in Boulder and the surrounding region?

I’m especially excited about what PRP can do for active, aging patients—and we have a lot of those here in Boulder. People in their 50s, 60s, and beyond are staying active longer, and they don’t want to be sidelined by chronic injuries or pain. Surgery often comes with long recovery times and mixed results. PRP is a powerful alternative that gets people back to doing the things they love, without the downtime.

It’s incredibly rewarding when patients send me photos from the trail, the ski slope, the climbing gym, or the backyard with their grandkids. That’s what gets me fired up—helping people return to the life they want with the people they care about.

We’re also seeing more patients traveling in from out of state or across Colorado. That tells me regenerative medicine is gaining traction. As science evolves, so do our protocols. And we’ll keep pushing to provide the most advanced, personalized care available.

Interested in PRP injections in Boulder or the surrounding area?

If you're struggling with joint pain, arthritis, tendon injuries, or lingering inflammation, PRP injections may offer the non-surgical relief you've been looking for. At Breakthrough Regenerative Orthopedics, Dr. Timothy Mazzola brings years of expertise and a patient-first approach to every treatment plan. Whether you're an active Coloradan looking to stay in motion or simply want to avoid invasive procedures, PRP could be a powerful tool in your recovery. Schedule an assessment today to find out if you're a candidate—and take the first step toward lasting healing and better function.