Injection therapy covers a lot of ground, and the differences between the common options matter more than the general category suggests. Cortisone, platelet-rich plasma, and prolotherapy all involve injecting something into or around a joint or soft tissue, but they work through entirely different mechanisms and suit different kinds of problems, which is exactly why the same injury can get three different injection recommendations from three different providers.
Key Takeaways
- Cortisone injections reduce inflammation directly and tend to work quickly, but the effect is typically temporary, often lasting weeks to a few months.
- PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, uses a concentrate of the patient’s own blood to try to stimulate tissue repair, and generally takes longer to show an effect than cortisone.
- Prolotherapy involves injecting an irritant solution intended to trigger the body’s own healing response in a weakened ligament or tendon.
- The practical next step: a proper diagnosis of what’s actually causing the pain matters more than which injection type sounds most appealing.
What Does a Cortisone Injection Actually Do?
Cortisone is a corticosteroid, a powerful anti-inflammatory medication injected directly into or around an inflamed joint, tendon or bursa. It tends to work relatively quickly, often within a few days, by reducing the inflammation causing pain rather than repairing any underlying tissue damage. That’s the tradeoff worth understanding: cortisone treats the symptom effectively but doesn’t address whatever is actually wearing down the joint or tendon, and repeated cortisone injections in the same area over time carry their own risks worth discussing with a provider, since the medication can weaken surrounding tissue with frequent use.
How Is PRP Actually Different?
Platelet-rich plasma involves drawing a small amount of the patient’s own blood, spinning it to concentrate the platelets, and injecting that concentrate into the injured area. The theory is that platelets carry growth factors that can help stimulate the body’s own repair process in tendons, ligaments or joints. Pro Motion Calgary’s injection therapy in Calgary options include PRP alongside more traditional approaches, generally used for chronic tendon injuries or joint issues that haven’t responded well to more conservative treatment. Unlike cortisone, PRP doesn’t produce an immediate effect; any benefit tends to build gradually over several weeks.
What Is Prolotherapy, and How Does It Differ From Both?
Prolotherapy involves injecting a solution, often a concentrated dextrose sugar solution, into a weakened ligament or tendon attachment point. The idea is that the mild irritation from the injection triggers the body’s own inflammatory healing response in a spot that hasn’t fully healed on its own, essentially restarting a stalled repair process. It typically requires a series of injections spaced weeks apart rather than a single treatment, and results build gradually rather than immediately, which makes patience a genuine part of the treatment rather than an inconvenience around it.
How Should a Patient Actually Choose Between Them?
The right option depends entirely on what’s actually causing the pain, not which treatment sounds most advanced. A few questions worth discussing with a provider:
- Is the primary problem inflammation, a structural injury, or a chronically weakened ligament?
- How quickly does relief actually need to happen, and is a temporary fix acceptable while a longer-term plan develops?
- How many sessions does the recommended approach typically require?
- What happens if the first treatment doesn’t produce the expected result?
Matching the Treatment to the Actual Problem
None of these injection types is a universal answer, and the right choice depends on an accurate diagnosis more than personal preference for one approach over another. A provider who explains why a specific injection fits a specific problem is doing more useful work than one offering the same recommendation to every patient who walks in.
Pro Motion Calgary Rehabilitation Clinic offers cortisone, PRP and prolotherapy among its injection therapy options, matched to what an assessment actually finds rather than a default recommendation.