PRP Treatment
PRP Treatment
PRP Injections in the East Valley of Arizona for Joint Pain and Soft Tissue Injuries
If you’re dealing with chronic joint pain, osteoarthritis, or a tendon or ligament injury that hasn’t responded to conventional treatment, PRP injections in the East Valley of Arizona may offer a path forward before turning to surgery or long-term pain medication. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a regenerative therapy that uses the growth factors and bioactive proteins concentrated in your own blood to support your body’s natural repair process from the inside out.
At Solutions Regenerative Medicine in the East Valley, Arizona, Dr. Mareshah Dunning, NMD approaches PRP as a precision procedure rather than a one-size-fits-all injection.
PRP at a Glance
What it is:
A concentrated preparation of platelets, growth factors, and healing proteins from a small sample of your own blood. Different formulations vary in platelets, white blood cell, and red blood cell content.
What it’s used for:
How it works:
The visit:
Results timeline:
At Solutions Regenerative Medicine:
What Is PRP and How Does It Work?
PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, is a concentrated preparation made from a small sample of your own blood, drawn and processed the same day before being injected into an injured joint or connective tissue. The concentrated platelets carry growth factors and signaling proteins that support your body’s natural healing response at the injection site.
To make PRP, a small sample of blood is drawn and spun in a centrifuge, which separates and concentrates the platelets well above their normal level in circulating blood. That concentrated plasma is then injected directly into the area generating your pain.
Once placed in the tissue, the growth factors in PRP signal the surrounding cells, recruit the body’s own repair cells, and help shift the local environment toward healing. PRP intentionally activates your body’s natural repair process. This is fundamentally different from a corticosteroid injection, which quiets inflammation temporarily but does not support the underlying tissue. For patients who have been told they have reached the limit of cortisone shots, want to avoid surgery or long-term pain medications, or are looking for a more sustainable solution, PRP may offer a next step that works with the repair process rather than suppressing symptoms.
Why Are PRP Results So Different From One Clinic to the Next?
PRP results vary widely because “PRP” is not a single standardized product. It is a procedure, and two injections both called PRP can differ dramatically in strength. This is the single most important thing to understand before choosing a PRP provider.
Two preparations both labeled “PRP” can differ by 5 times or more in total platelet dose, by a factor of one hundred in white blood cell content, and by 50 times or more in red blood cell contamination. A few variables drive most of that difference:
- Platelet dose. Research increasingly points to a dose threshold: PRP preparations delivering a higher total platelet count consistently separate from lower-dose preparations in clinical trials (Bensa et al., 2025, PMID: 39751394). An under-dosed injection and a properly dosed one are not the same treatment.
- Leukocyte composition (which white blood cells). Two preparations can differ dramatically in white blood cell content, and not all white blood cells are equal: neutrophils release catabolic enzymes that work against tissue repair, while monocytes polarize into the M2 macrophages that drive it. Modern formulations are selectively depleted in the inflammatory neutrophils while retaining the reparative monocytes, an approach increasingly favored for both joint and tendon applications.
- Red blood cell contamination. Excessive red blood cell carryover in PRP is not a neutral contaminant. Hemoglobin and iron released from red blood cells can drive oxidative stress and have been shown to damage cartilage at the injection site, working against the regenerative environment. Modern buffy-coat systems are designed to minimize red blood cell contamination in the final preparation.
- Activation method. Some preparations are pre-activated with calcium chloride or thrombin before injection, which forces immediate growth factor release before the prep reaches the tissue. Others are injected non-activated and rely on contact with tissue collagen at the injection site to activate the platelets in place, allowing sustained growth factor release over several days (Harrison et al., 2011, PMID: 21398575).
- Preparation system. Different commercial kits and manual methods produce very different final products. Some basic kits do not reliably reach therapeutic platelet concentrations, while characterized systems with documented concentration factors give the provider a known dose range to work with.
- Pain generator identification and image guidance. PRP only works if it actually reaches the tissue or tissues generating your pain. Providers who pattern-recognize from a static MRI or X-ray and inject without confirming the pain generator may deliver the prep to the wrong tissue, or treat only part of what is actually contributing to your pain. Diagnostic injection and image guidance for placement reliably prevent this failure mode.
- Patient vitality and inflammatory environment. Even an ideal preparation lands differently in different bodies. Vitamin and mineral status, hormone balance, metabolic health, chronic inflammation, and lifestyle factors all shape whether your body can use the regenerative signal PRP delivers. The next section walks through these patient-side variables.
This is also why national headlines about PRP can seem to contradict each other. When researchers pool studies that used different doses, different leukocyte levels, and different systems, the results look mixed because the studies were not testing the same thing. Understanding this is the foundation of how Dr. Dunning approaches PRP at Solutions Regenerative Medicine.
How Does Dr. Dunning Prepare and Deliver PRP at Solutions Regenerative Medicine?
Dr. Dunning treats PRP as a precision procedure: confirming the actual pain generator, dose-targeting the preparation, selecting the right formulation for the tissue, and placing every injection under image guidance.
Before any PRP injection, she confirms the actual source of pain through diagnostic injection, combining local anesthetic with a therapeutic agent (such as a steroid, prolotherapy solution, or A2M) selected for the specific case and patient. From there, patients can choose to continue at this level of treatment or progress to PRP for more substantial regenerative support.
For preparation, she uses an EmCyte PurePRP TWO system, a buffy-coat platelet concentration system independently characterized in published research. The system captures approximately 85 to 90% of your platelets and concentrates them about 6 times above baseline (often higher), placing the final preparation squarely in the therapeutic dose range research links to better outcomes, rather than the under-dosed preparations that basic kits often produce.
She selects a neutrophil-depleted, monocyte-retaining preparation for both joint and tendon applications. This depletes the preparation in the inflammatory white blood cells that release enzymes working against tissue repair, while preserving the reparative cells that help drive tissue healing (Lana et al., 2019, PMID: 31700202; Chisari et al., 2021, PMID: 34863223).
PRP is injected non-activated, allowing your body’s tissue collagen to activate the platelets at the injury site for sustained growth factor release over several days, rather than pre-activated preparations that burst-release everything before reaching the tissue (Harrison et al., 2011, PMID: 21398575). Total dose and injection volume are matched to both the target tissue and the individual patient, including those prone to significant post-injection flare, who may benefit from dividing the cumulative dose across more visits.
What Conditions Can PRP Injections Treat?
PRP has been studied across three main categories of musculoskeletal conditions, with strong published support in each.
Joint conditions. Knee osteoarthritis is the most extensively studied PRP application, with systematic reviews and network meta-analyses consistently showing PRP outperforms both hyaluronic acid and corticosteroid for pain and function (Meheux et al., 2016, PMID: 26432430; Jawanda et al., 2024, PMID: 38331363). The same evidence-supported approach extends to joints throughout the body, including hip osteoarthritis, shoulder (glenohumeral and acromioclavicular) arthritis, elbow and wrist arthritis, thumb-base (CMC) and finger arthritis, and ankle (tibiotalar and subtalar) and small joints of the foot.
Tendon and ligament conditions. Chronic tendinopathies are among the best-supported PRP applications in the published literature, with randomized trials demonstrating benefit for rotator cuff tendinopathy and partial tears (Fitzpatrick et al., 2017, PMID: 27268111), lateral and medial epicondylitis or tennis and golfer’s elbow (Mishra et al., 2014, PMID: 23825183), patellar tendinopathy or jumper’s knee (Dragoo et al., 2014, PMID: 24481828), gluteal tendinopathy and greater trochanteric pain (Fitzpatrick et al., 2019, PMID: 30840831), and plantar fasciitis (Hohmann et al., 2021, PMID: 32822236). PRP is also applied to Achilles, hamstring, quadriceps, peroneal, posterior tibial, and other tendinopathies, de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, trigger finger, and to ligament and meniscus injuries throughout the body including the knee (ACL, MCL, LCL, meniscus), ankle (ATFL, CFL, deltoid), and thumb (UCL).
Spine, sacroiliac, and nerve conditions. Emerging research supports PRP for sacroiliac joint pain, where one randomized trial demonstrated PRP outperformed corticosteroid at 3 months (Singla et al., 2017, DOI: 10.1111/papr.12526). PRP is also applied to cervical and lumbar facet joints, select disc-related conditions, and peripheral nerve hydrodissection for entrapment conditions such as carpal tunnel and other nerve compressions.
PRP tends to show the most benefit in mild-to-moderate joint degeneration. In advanced, bone-on-bone arthritis the response is typically more limited, and Dr. Dunning will discuss realistic expectations for your specific stage rather than overpromise. PRP is also used outside the musculoskeletal system, including aesthetic applications, so ask whether it fits your specific goals.
What Should I Expect During and After a PRP Injection?
A PRP visit is an in-office procedure that takes about 1 to 1.5 hours from your arrival through the image-guided injection. The appointment includes a focused intake, physical exam to confirm the target tissue, paperwork, your blood draw (similar to a routine lab test), processing in a centrifuge for roughly 10 to 15 minutes, and the injection under ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance, with numbing used as appropriate.
Dr. Dunning will ask you to avoid NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, meloxicam, and similar) for a period before and after the injection because they block the pathways PRP needs to deliver its repair signal. Natural anti-inflammatory supplements like fish oil and turmeric support the body’s natural healing pathway, but may be held before the procedure due to their blood-thinning properties depending on the type of injection. Dr. Dunning provides specific timing in your pre-procedure instructions.
Because PRP intentionally activates your body’s natural healing response, it is normal to feel a “flare” afterward: soreness, mild swelling, or aggravation at the injection site. Flares typically last 2 to 3 days, and in some patients can persist up to 7 to 10 days. This is an expected part of the process, not a complication.
Improvement is gradual: most patients begin to notice change within 4 to 8 weeks, with peak benefit at 2 to 3 months. Depending on your condition and goals, treatment may involve 1 to 3 injections, with symptomatic relief often lasting 12 to 24 months and a maintenance course considered after that. Dr. Dunning’s comprehensive approach often produces better outcomes than the published averages because she addresses multiple variables most studies do not control for, including dose, formulation, image guidance, and patient-side optimization.
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What Does the Published Research Show?
Published research is most supportive of PRP for knee osteoarthritis and chronic tendon injuries, and consistently shows PRP to have a strong safety profile.
For knee osteoarthritis, a 2024 network meta-analysis of dozens of trials found PRP outperformed both hyaluronic acid and corticosteroid for pain and function at 6 months and beyond (Jawanda et al., 2024, PMID: 38331363). Research published in 2025 further found that PRP preparations delivering a higher total platelet dose consistently outperformed lower-dose preparations, which reinforces that how PRP is prepared matters as much as whether it is used (Bensa et al., 2025, PMID: 39751394). A 610-patient trial with 5-year follow-up further showed that PRP slowed cartilage volume loss on MRI compared to placebo, suggesting a disease-modifying effect when adequate doses are delivered (Chu et al., 2022, DOI: 10.1007/s00167-022-06887-7). Multiple-injection courses have outperformed single injections in published trials for knee osteoarthritis, supporting a series of 2 to 3 injections rather than a single shot in most cases (Tao et al., 2023, PMID: 37236291; Yurtbay et al., 2021, DOI: 10.1007/s00402-021-04230-2).
On safety, a large 2025 review of more than 76,000 patients found PRP had the lowest rate of adverse events among common joint injections, including a lower rate than corticosteroid (Bensa et al., 2025, ESSKA Orthobiologics Initiative, DOI: 10.1002/ksa.70230). Because PRP is made from your own blood, there is no risk of rejection or disease transmission. For chronic tendon conditions, earlier research suggested leukocyte-rich PRP was generally better suited than leukocyte-poor PRP (Fitzpatrick et al., 2017, PMID: 27268111). Updated research has shifted clinical practice toward a neutrophil-depleted, monocyte-retaining preparation for both joint and tendon applications, because the inflammation-driving neutrophils work against repair while the monocyte fraction polarizes into the M2 macrophages that drive tissue remodeling (Lana et al., 2019, PMID: 31700202; Chisari et al., 2021, PMID: 34863223). Dr. Dunning discusses what the current evidence does and does not support for your specific condition during your consultation.
Why Choose Dr. Dunning for PRP in the East Valley of Arizona?
Dr. Mareshah Dunning is one of few naturopathic physicians in Arizona who delivers PRP with both ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance and treats PRP as a precision procedure: confirming the pain generator, dose-targeting the preparation, and placing it where it can do the most good.
She is an RMSK-certified diagnostic ultrasonographer and faculty lead for the Regenerative Medicine Honors Track at Sonoran University of Health Sciences, where she trains future physicians in diagnostic ultrasound and ultrasound-guided injection. She practices at Solutions Regenerative Medicine in the East Valley, affiliated with the Neil Riordan Center for Regenerative Medicine, and serves as a board member of the Naturopathic Orthopedic Medicine Academy.
As a naturopathic physician, Dr. Dunning also looks beyond the injection itself. She evaluates the whole person, including the diagnosis, the tissue environment, and the foundational health factors that influence how well you heal, and optimizes those conditions so PRP has the best possible environment to work in. For patients across the East Valley, including Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and Scottsdale, she is often the last stop before surgery who provides a real path forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do PRP injections cost?
PRP is generally considered an elective procedure and is not covered by insurance, so it is typically an out-of-pocket cost. The total depends on the area treated and the number of injections recommended. Solutions Regenerative Medicine discusses all costs transparently during your consultation, and Health Savings Account (HSA) funds can usually be applied. Superbills may be available for you to submit to your insurer, though reimbursement is not guaranteed.
How many PRP sessions will I need?
Most patients receive 1 to 3 injections depending on the condition, tissue, and how they respond to the first treatment. Many patients return for a single maintenance injection around the 12-month mark as results gradually taper. Dr. Dunning builds a specific plan for you during your consultation.
Is PRP better than a cortisone shot?
PRP and cortisone do different jobs. A cortisone injection reduces inflammation quickly but temporarily and does not support the underlying tissue. PRP works more slowly, with your body’s natural repair process, and has a strong published safety profile. Cortisone remains a legitimate, evidence-based tool that Dr. Dunning often uses diagnostically to confirm a pain source, and the right choice depends on your condition and goals, which she helps you weigh.
Does a PRP injection hurt, and what is recovery like?
The blood draw feels like a routine lab test, and injection discomfort varies by the area treated. Afterward, it is normal to feel a flare of soreness, mild swelling, or aggravation at the site. Flares typically last 2 to 3 days, and in some patients can persist up to 7 to 10 days. That flare is the expected healing response, not a complication. Most patients return to light activity quickly and follow individualized guidance from Dr. Dunning on resuming full activity.
Is PRP safe?
PRP has a strong safety profile. Because it is made entirely from your own blood, there is no risk of rejection or disease transmission. A 2025 review of more than 76,000 patients found PRP had the lowest rate of adverse events among common joint injections. The most common effects are temporary soreness and swelling at the injection site. As with any injection, there is a small risk of infection, which Dr. Dunning minimizes with strict sterile technique at Solutions Regenerative Medicine.
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Solutions Regenerative Medicine
2152 E Broadway Rd.
Tempe, AZ 85282
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