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Vita Nova Stem Cell Professionals offers Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy as part of a broader regenerative care menu, delivered from our Franklin office roughly twenty minutes from downtown Nashville. PRP procedures are performed by Dr. Hemal V. Mehta, MD, with Kate Sherman, PA-C, as part of the clinical team, using image-guided administration and care plans built specifically around your condition and history.
If you have already cycled through cortisone, physical therapy, or rest without lasting relief, or if you are looking at PRP as an early step before committing to other interventions, you are in the right place to get a clear answer about whether it fits your situation.
What PRP Actually Is
You start with a routine blood draw. The same kind you have probably had a dozen times for other lab work, and it takes about as long. From there, the sample goes into a centrifuge in our office, where it spins for ten to fifteen minutes. The centrifuge separates the blood into layers and concentrates the platelet-rich portion, which is the part that carries the growth factors and signaling proteins involved in tissue repair.
That concentrated plasma is then injected directly into the area that hurts, under real-time ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance so the physician can see exactly where the needle is. Because the material is your own blood, there is no rejection risk, no donor screening uncertainty, and minimal allergic reaction risk.
The mechanism is biological. PRP supports your own repair process by delivering more of your own healing material to the spot that needs it. PRP is not FDA-approved for orthopedic indications, though FDA does regulate the devices used to prepare it. We discuss this clearly with every patient before any procedure.
Where the Evidence Is, and Where It Is Not
PRP is a meaningful option for a specific patient profile and the wrong tool for several others. Knowing which group you fall into is the first thing we settle in the consultation.
PRP has the strongest body of clinical research for chronic tendon conditions among the orthopedic uses it is studied for. Tennis elbow, achilles inflammation, patellar tendon problems, and rotator cuff tendinopathy are the conditions where PRP has shown patient-reported improvement most often. Tendon tissue has limited natural healing capacity because of its relatively poor blood supply, which is one of the reasons regenerative approaches have been studied for tendon conditions in the first place.
PRP is also frequently considered for partial tears of joint structures, including partial rotator cuff tears, partial meniscus injuries, and labral pathology where surgery is being weighed but not yet committed to. The evidence here is more variable than for tendinopathy, but for the right patient profile, particularly those who want to avoid or delay an operation, it can be a meaningful option.
For mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis, particularly of the knee, PRP has been associated with patient-reported benefit in pain and function, though both the size of the benefit and how long it lasts vary considerably between patients.
PRP is unlikely to help in several specific situations:
- Complete tendon ruptures and complete rotator cuff tears. These generally require surgical reconstruction.
- Severe, advanced osteoarthritis with bone-on-bone contact. Typically beyond what PRP can meaningfully address.
- Acute fractures. PRP is not the standard of care for acute fracture management.
- Active infection in the affected area. Not an appropriate indication.
- Severe joint instability. Structural mechanical problems that require surgical fixation.
- Neuropathic pain. Pain originating in the nervous system rather than from tissue damage.
Our Approach
How We Approach PRP at Vita Nova
- A deliberate centrifuge protocol with documented platelet concentration. Different protocols yield different concentrations. We use a deliberate, documented process rather than a default setting.
- Image-guided administration. Real-time ultrasound or fluoroscopy lets the physician confirm the needle is exactly where it needs to be. A missed injection is a wasted session.
- PRP as part of a broader regenerative care plan, not a standalone product. Because we also offer A2M and autologous stem cell therapy, a single physician evaluation can determine whether PRP, one of the alternatives, or a combination is the right fit for your specific condition.
- A physician-PA team that develops every care plan jointly.Mehta and Kate Sherman review imaging and history together before recommending any direction.
- Direct conversations about candidacy. A clinic that has never told a patient “no” is selling a product. We tell patients directly when PRP is not the right path for them.
It is common for patients to arrive at our Franklin office having tried PRP at another clinic without ever seeing a centrifuge, an ultrasound screen, or a documented protocol, and without ever being told that PRP might not have been the right tool for their condition in the first place. That is often where the consultation begins.
Regenerative therapies are typically not covered by health insurance. We provide transparent pricing during consultation, before any commitment is required.
Where
PRP Within Our Regenerative Menu
PRP is one of three regenerative approaches we offer, alongside alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) therapy and stem cell therapy. They are not interchangeable. PRP is often the first regenerative option we consider for chronic tendon problems, in part because it has been studied and used longer than the alternatives. A2M tends to be considered when the priority is slowing cartilage breakdown rather than supporting active tissue repair, and stem cell therapy is typically considered when PRP and A2M responses have been limited or when the extent of tissue change calls for a stronger biological intervention. Cell-based regenerative therapies, including stem cell therapy, are not FDA-approved for most orthopedic indications. For more, see our A2M therapy page, our autologous stem cell therapy page, and our broader non-surgical pain options guide.
Expectation
What to Expect
The procedure itself is straightforward. The blood draw and centrifuge spin take fifteen to twenty minutes combined. The injection takes a few minutes more, performed under image guidance. Most patients are in and out of the office within an hour for a single session.
The injection causes mild discomfort, often described as pressure followed by a brief sharp sensation. Some soreness and mild swelling at the treatment site is normal in the days following the procedure and typically resolves within a few days to a week.
PRP is not fast-acting in the way cortisone is. Cortisone gives you relief in twenty-four to forty-eight hours and then fades. PRP works the opposite way: slowly, building over weeks and months. You may notice early changes within a few weeks, but meaningful benefit often takes two to three months to become apparent. For chronic tendon conditions, a series of two to three sessions over several weeks is common.
PRP is not a guarantee. Some patients report meaningful, durable improvement and resume activities they had given up. Others report modest changes. A small number of patients notice minimal difference. We discuss this variability with every patient before any procedure rather than after, and patient selection is the single biggest factor in what to realistically expect.
Schedule NOW
Schedule a PRP Consultation
If you are weighing PRP against surgery, against another injection, or against doing nothing, the next step is a consultation that functions as an evaluation rather than a sales conversation.
We treat the consultation as the assessment, not as a sales meeting. Imaging, history, and goals are reviewed by Dr. Hemal V. Mehta and Kate Sherman together, and the recommendation that follows is direct: whether PRP is appropriate, whether another regenerative option might fit better, or whether a different path entirely makes more sense. There is no obligation, no pressure to commit, and no recommendation that does not match what we genuinely believe is in your interest.
Our office is located at 4601 Carothers Parkway, Suite 325, in Franklin, Tennessee. We serve patients across Williamson County and the broader Nashville metropolitan area. Consultations can be scheduled through our contact page or by phone at 615-801-8005.
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