PRP (platelet-rich plasma) uses growth factors concentrated from your own blood. For back pain it is injected into a painful disc or the small facet joints. A small randomised trial (Tuakli-Wosornu, 2016) found people with disc pain who received PRP reported better pain and function than a control group. Evidence is still limited.
Who it may suit
- Disc-related back pain that has not settled with exercise
- Facet joint pain
- People looking to avoid or delay surgery
Back or leg pain for more than 6 weeks? Get the free guide and a doctor review of your scan.
What to expect
- Blood drawn and processed the same day
- Image-guided injection
- Effects, if any, build over weeks
PRP is sometimes combined with stem cell injections. A doctor decides what could fit after seeing your MRI.
Recent research from Asia
A 2025 randomised trial from China (PMID 40881828) found PRP injected into painful discs reduced pain, improved spinal function and improved water content of the disc on MRI compared with a control injection. A 2024 analysis of trials (PMID 38505505) suggested PRP gave better disability results than other injections at 6 months or more.
