Yen

UPDATE: Last summer, I had 2 prolotherapy treatments and 2 PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) injections in my right elbow.

During a follow-up exam after the the second prolo treatment, the doctor said progress wasn't as expected and recommended PRP. In PRP, they spin a sample of your blood to separate the plasma so it is very rich in platelets, then inject that into the affected tissue (that's the simple definition).

Both treatments are very painful (a very affective form of torture), but PRP's aftermath was excruciating. For about 2 days it felt like my forearm was being torn off while a large serrated blade was pushed through it. I took Vicodin every 4 hours (I hate taking meds but this pain was absolutely intolerable -- worse than Shingles!). The pain began to subside after a few days and I returned to work, my arm basically useless for a couple of weeks. After about a month I was able to drive again, but my elbow still felt like a bad headache. Eventually the post-treatment pain completely went away.

Today, the tendinitis pain in my right elbow is almost completely gone. Prior to treatment I rated it a 7 out of 10; now I'd rate it 0-1! I can make a fist without any pain. I can prune roses without any pain -- unheard of last year! My left elbow did not receive these treatments and is more painful now; however, I've learned to do things differently (lifting, grasping, etc) and I still wear the BandIt elbow braces on every bike ride.

I believe without a doubt that the PRP treaments, and possibly also the Prolotherapy, greatly helped in healing my elbow. I can't think of any other reason, since I am riding more than ever and performing other tasks that I was unable to do last year. If my new insurance (Kaiser) paid for it I'd consider it again for the left elbow, but it's not nearly the problem my right elbow was last year.