If you’ve been researching injection options for a painful knee, shoulder, or back, you’ve probably come across both prolotherapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Both aim to support the body’s own repair process, and both are offered at Venturis Clinic. They work differently, though, and have different research behind them.
The short version
- Prolotherapy injects a solution, such as dextrose or an oxygen-ozone mixture, to stimulate a healing response.
- PRP concentrates platelets from your own blood and injects them, delivering growth factors to the area.
Side-by-side
| Prolotherapy | PRP | |
|---|---|---|
| What’s injected | Dextrose or oxygen-ozone mixture | Concentrated platelets from your own blood |
| Blood draw needed | No | Yes |
| Proposed mechanism | Stimulates a local healing response | Delivers concentrated growth factors |
| Typical course | Series of sessions | Often fewer sessions |
| Cost per session | Generally lower | Generally higher |
| Insurance | Generally not covered | Generally not covered |
| Common uses | Ligament laxity, tendinopathy, knee osteoarthritis, SI joint | Knee osteoarthritis, tendinopathy, some soft-tissue injuries |
What the research shows
Prolotherapy
- Knee osteoarthritis has the strongest support, including randomized trials and a systematic review (Sit et al., 2016) showing improvement compared with control injections.
- Rotator cuff tendinopathy and SI joint pain have smaller supporting trials.
- Evidence for general chronic low back pain is mixed.
PRP
- PRP has a large body of research, especially in knee osteoarthritis, with many studies reporting benefit.
- Results aren’t uniform. A large randomized trial (Bennell et al., JAMA, 2021) found PRP did not significantly outperform saline injections for knee osteoarthritis symptoms at 12 months.
- Differences in how PRP is prepared make studies hard to compare.
Head-to-head Few high-quality trials directly compare prolotherapy and PRP. Neither can be called clearly superior across the board.
How the choice is usually made
- The area and type of problem: ligament laxity versus tendon degeneration versus joint arthritis.
- Prior treatments, and how you responded.
- Budget: prolotherapy generally costs less per session but may involve more sessions.
- Personal factors: comfort with a blood draw, and certain medications or blood conditions that affect platelet function.
- Your goals and timeline.
Some plans use one approach, and some use both at different stages. This is discussed at your consultation.
Who administers each
At Venturis Clinic, PRP is administered by medical staff. Your consultation covers who will perform your procedure and what to expect.
Risks for both
- Common: post-injection soreness, swelling, and stiffness.
- Uncommon: bruising or infection.
- Rare with ozone: serious complications if gas enters a blood vessel.
Serving Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and all of Oklahoma
Venturis Clinic sees patients from Oklahoma City and surrounding areas, including Tulsa, and from across Oklahoma. Learn more about prolotherapy in Oklahoma City or PRP therapy.
Frequently asked questions
Is PRP better than prolotherapy? Not clearly. Both have supporting research in certain conditions, and few trials compare them directly.
Which is cheaper? Prolotherapy is generally less expensive per session, though it may require more sessions.
Can I do both? Some treatment plans use both, depending on the problem and response.
Does PRP require a blood draw? Yes. PRP is made from a sample of your own blood. Prolotherapy doesn’t require one.
Not sure which is right for you? Book a free 15-minute discovery call.
Individual results vary. This page is for educational purposes and is not a guarantee of outcome.
By Alvin Philipose, DC, ICCP
Sources
- Sit RWS, et al. Annals of Family Medicine. 2016;14(4):314–322.
- Bennell KL, et al. Effect of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma vs placebo injection on pain and medial tibial cartilage volume in patients with knee osteoarthritis: the RESTORE randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2021;326(20):2021–2030.