For many patients living with chronic joint pain, tendon injuries, or degenerative conditions, the path forward can feel limited. Physical therapy helped… but not enough. Medications dull the pain… but don’t fix the problem. And now surgery has entered the conversation — bringing uncertainty, recovery time, and permanent structural change.
But what if there were an option in between?
An approach that doesn’t simply mask symptoms.
Doesn’t rely on long-term medication.
And doesn’t require going under the knife.
This is where Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy has changed the landscape of modern musculoskeletal medicine.
At Ascent Healthcare, PRP has become one of our most valuable tools for patients who are on the fence about surgery — offering a natural, regenerative solution designed to stimulate real tissue repair.
What Exactly Is PRP?
PRP stands for Platelet-Rich Plasma.
Platelets are best known for clotting blood when you get a cut. But what many people don’t realize is that platelets also contain powerful growth factors and signaling proteins responsible for initiating healing in injured tissues.
When your body is hurt — a torn tendon, an arthritic joint, a strained ligament — platelets are the first responders. They arrive at the site, release healing signals, recruit repair cells, and stimulate tissue regeneration.
PRP therapy simply concentrates this natural healing response.
We take a small sample of your blood.
Spin it in a specialized centrifuge.
Separate and concentrate the platelets.
Then precisely deliver them to the area needing repair.
The result is a high-potency dose of your body’s own healing cells, placed exactly where they are needed most.
No foreign substances.
No synthetic drugs.
Just your own biology — focused and amplified.
How PRP Helps Patients Avoid or Delay Surgery
Many surgical recommendations come after conservative care has failed. But surgery is not always the only remaining option — and in many cases, PRP provides a meaningful middle path.
PRP is commonly used to treat:
• Knee, hip, and shoulder arthritis
• Tendon injuries (rotator cuff, Achilles, elbow, patellar)
• Ligament sprains and instability
• Chronic back or neck soft-tissue injury
• Sports-related overuse injuries
In these conditions, pain often comes from degeneration, inflammation, or micro-tearing of tissue — not something that always requires cutting, stitching, or replacing.
PRP works by:
• Reducing inflammatory signaling
• Stimulating new collagen formation
• Improving blood supply to damaged tissue
• Encouraging structural repair at the cellular level
For many patients, this leads to:
• Reduced pain
• Improved mobility
• Faster recovery
• Delayed or avoided surgery
And when surgery truly is necessary, PRP can still improve pre-surgical tissue health and post-surgical healing.
A Different Philosophy of Care
At Ascent Healthcare, PRP is never offered as a stand-alone injection. It is part of a larger framework built on osteopathic principles and structural medicine.
Pain rarely exists in isolation. A damaged knee may stem from hip instability. A shoulder injury may originate from spinal dysfunction. A degenerative joint may be aggravated by poor movement patterns or chronic inflammation.
That’s why we combine PRP with:
• Osteopathic manipulative treatment
• Structural alignment correction
• Cold-laser therapy
• Non-surgical spinal decompression
• Lifestyle and recovery guidance
This integrated approach ensures that when we stimulate tissue repair, the body is positioned to maintain that healing long-term.
Our goal is not just to get you out of pain today — but to keep you out of pain tomorrow.
Is PRP Right for You?
PRP is not a miracle cure, and it is not appropriate for every condition. But for many patients who are:
• Considering joint replacement
• Facing tendon or ligament surgery
• Struggling with chronic arthritis
• Wanting to avoid long recovery times
• Looking for non-pharmaceutical solutions
PRP provides a compelling alternative worth exploring before committing to irreversible surgical intervention.
The procedure is performed in-office.
Minimal downtime.
Low risk profile.
No general anesthesia.
No extended rehabilitation period.
Most importantly — it uses your own body’s innate healing intelligence rather than overriding it.
A Final Thought for Patients on the Fence
Surgery has its place. There are times when structural repair or replacement is necessary. But too often, patients are told that surgery is the only remaining step — without being shown every available option in between.
PRP fills that gap.
It represents a shift away from symptom suppression and toward true regenerative medicine — helping your body do what it was designed to do: heal.
If you are living with persistent joint or soft-tissue pain and have been told surgery may be next, we invite you to explore whether PRP is appropriate for your case.
At Ascent Healthcare, we restore function — not just mask symptoms.
Dr. Charles Bingham, DO
Ascent Healthcare
