LA Pain and Joint Center

Top-Level Team

Compassionate Care

Skillful Staff

Thank you for visiting LA Pain and Joint Center.

Regenerative medicine has revolutionized the way we practice medicine due to recent advancements in medical science. Regarding platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy practice, LA Pain and Joint Center is leading the way. As one of the early adaptors in Los Angles, our experience in PRP procedures and the use of world-class medical products provide effective treatments for wellness and overall health.

We specialize in minimally invasive PRP therapy for numerous health conditions like hair loss, acute sports injuries, osteoarthritis, and torn ligaments and tendons. Using advanced plasma and platelet extraction techniques, proprietary concentration methods, and injections, we deliver a high concentration of PRP to attain optimal outcomes.

We understand how chronic pain can affect your daily life, and we are committed to assisting you to recover quickly. Our goal is to offer the optimal treatment that maximizes performance while resulting in quick recovery through the selective use of minimally invasive techniques like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy in comfortable settings.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure that relieves many patients, including athletes and active persons who endure chronic pain from osteoarthritis or injuries. It uses platelets from the patient’s blood to rebuild the damaged cartilage or tendon. The therapy relieves pain and jumpstarts the recovery process.

PRP is made from your plasma and your platelet concentration. The idea of the therapy dates back to the 1970s when medical practitioners used it to transfuse patients with low platelet counts. The treatment became widely available and is now used to treat complicated health conditions like musculoskeletal injuries.

We work closely with doctors in our facility by sharing notes and collaborating to find a solution to your needs. By developing a protocol and accessing our physicians, you can be confident of receiving a personalized and comprehensive approach to your treatment.

Services

The conditions we treat include:

some of our services

About US

Chronic pain can affect different aspects of life. That means choosing the correct physician is essential. Fortunately, at LA Pain and Joint Center, we make your decision-making process easy.

Our mission is to relieve your pain, restore your function and end your suffering. We use the most advanced and proven pain management techniques to treat chronic and painful acute health conditions. We offer state-of-the-art care and design personalized treatment plans with your long-term health in mind.

Our core values include:

  • Humanity — We recognize that patients do not care how much we know until they realize we care. We treat all patients with dignity and respect.
  • Service — Our compassion is revealed in all opportunities to serve patients. We are passionate about our commitment to customer service.
  • Value — We take pride in offering excellence and value. Additionally, our services are pocket-friendly.
  • Integrity — Our practice is founded on professional ethics, honesty, and integrity.
  • Team concept — As human beings, we recognize our limitations. Suppose further treatment and evaluation are needed from other physicians in or outside our community in the course of care. In that case, the matter is discussed with the patient, and efforts are made to facilitate the best treatment outcomes. The win-win model is key to our success and is applied to all orthopedic involvement and patients regardless of their activity level or age.
  • Quality — Our commitment to quality is part of all aspects of our organization, from the facility's appearance to the selection and training of our personnel. We are unwavering in our dedication to offering the highest quality services and are respected in our profession and community for our excellence.

Our mastery and access to the most advanced regenerative medicine protocols set us apart. Appreciating the therapy's potential, we harvest platelets and plasma to activate natural recovery. Looking at the complexity and potential risks associated with invasive surgical procedures, it is apparent that PPR is the solution. Harnessing the therapy’s effectiveness, we have managed to assist hundreds of Los Angeles residents in returning to their everyday routine.

We Prioritize Our Patients

Our doctors encourage patients to be proactive about their pain management treatments and engage in their care. While patients’ needs vary depending on their conditions, we aim to ensure all patients achieve an improved quality of life.

We will work closely with you to identify the root cause of the pain and discuss your health goals. During your initial consultation, we will discuss your symptoms, conduct a physical exam, and review your health history. A review of your medical history informs us of your overall health, medications administered, and any disease that can affect your health.

We are relentless in the pursuit of patient improvement and satisfaction. We will listen to your concerns and dedicate as much time to every patient as required.

The physical exam permits us to narrow down the potential causes of the pain. We will look for swellings, redness, mobility issues, and trigger points to develop a hypothesis. We confirm the hypothesis by administering diagnostic imaging tests like:

  • MRIs
  • CT scans
  • Ultrasound
  • X-rays

The imaging tests help us visualize your tendons, joints, bones, muscles, ligaments, and cartilages, clearly showing your underlying issue and whether you qualify for plasma-rich platelet therapy.

We will recommend a treatment plan and collaborate with your doctors and other medical experts to ensure the plan suits you. Once the PRR treatment starts, we will monitor your recovery process.

Moreover, our treatment philosophy focuses on an active, hands-on approach while integrating active participation in the recovery process and empowering patients with self-management tips before and after the therapy

Patients throughout Los Angeles have numerous reasons to choose us, including:

  • Minimally invasive treatment
  • Instant appointments
  • Expert care from lifelong educators
  • World-class pain management from experienced physicians
  • We are an evidence-based practice — We use techniques and methods based on research-based literature. We use the most current, valid, and relevant literature when deciding on patients’ care. It allows us to integrate research into practice and to be accountable to patients.

Uncompromising Safety Measures

Infection control and prevention in our clinic are essential to us. To protect ourselves and our patients, we maintain cross-contamination and sterilization processes using recommended standards by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Our Team is Highly Trained and Experienced

When it comes to our medical experts, we want you, our well-esteemed patient, to be confident that our team is fellowship-trained, board-certified, experienced, and skilled. We take pride in offering the care and services you require to live a fulfilled life.

And to achieve this, we are dedicated to continual learning and education. We attend conventions, meetings, and lectures to remain informed of new medical techniques and the latest equipment and products. Additionally, we are members of different professional associations. It assists us in staying abreast of recommendations and changes in our profession.

Building trust by treating patients is key to our practice’s success. We recognize how restless some patients can be about injections. Our competent team is committed to offering you exceptional, individualized care and services to make your visit as relaxing, pleasant, and comfortable as possible.

LA Pain and Joint Center uses medical procedures designed and patented by us to offer PRP therapy. From degenerative health conditions to sports-related injuries affecting your musculoskeletal system, we target the following areas with advanced methods that ensure better life quality.

  • Elbow therapy — Whether you have arthritis or another joint disease limiting mobility in the elbow, we can provide PRP therapy for overuse elbows causing pain.
  • Shoulder therapy — PRP improves shoulder mobility. The therapy treats pain due to tears in the rotator cuff, overuse injuries, and shoulder labrum.
  • Hand and wrist therapy — We treat hand and wrist health conditions like hand arthritis, hand injuries, and basal joint.
  • Spine therapy — PRP therapy is fundamental in treating spinal and cervical conditions caused by herniated discs.
  • Hip therapy — The procedure permits our skilled medical experts to alleviate hip pain caused by bursitis, injuries, osteonecrosis, and arthritis.
  • Knee therapy — Arthritis pain, overuse, meniscus tears, and ligament injuries are now treatable. Thanks to Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy.
  • Ankle and foot therapy

If you want to learn more about the areas we treat or schedule your consultation with our orthopedic, please contact us at 323-475-9288. We will be glad to serve you with personal and compassionate care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your body works wonders by healing itself. It can adapt and adjust using essential mechanisms whenever it faces an ailment. Over the years, the medical field has advanced significantly, and physicians have ways to amplify the ability, thus promoting the healing process. PRP is a significant medical advancement that encourages tissue healing.

To understand the therapy, you need first to know that platelet-rich plasma is made of two major components, namely:

  • Platelets are blood cells responsible for blood clots formation. They are fundamental to the body's healing functions.
  • Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood consisting of mostly water and protein. Plasma transports red blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells throughout the body.

Here is what to expect during the PRP injection:

  1. Your doctor will draw your blood sample. Your sample size depends on where the PRP therapy will be administered.
  2. Then the blood is placed into a centrifugal machine for approximately 15 minutes. The machine spins quickly, causing blood components to separate.
  3. The medical expert takes the separated plasma and prepares it for injection into the injured site.
  4. Doctors use imaging like ultrasound to identify areas for injection like tendons. Then the doctor will inject the PRP into your affected area.

The rationale for injecting PRP into your damaged tissues is to stimulate the body to grow new and healthy cells. It increases blood flow and promotes healing. Since the tissue growth factors are concentrated in the injections, body tissues recover faster.

Since the procedure is neither painful nor invasive, you do not require anesthesia. You can compare the process to blood donation. However, patients with challenges tolerating needles can have local anesthesia to manage mild discomfort.

Typically, the process takes about two hours and can be performed on an outpatient basis. You can also return to your routine after the treatment.

Some of the conditions treated using PRP injections include:

  • Hair loss — Doctors inject PRP into the scalp to prevent hair loss and promote hair growth.
  • The injections can help osteoarthritis patients. According to a study conducted in 2015, the injections are more effective than hyaluronic injections.
  • Doctors use PRP injections to treat acute sports injuries like knee sprains and pulled hamstring muscles.
  • Doctors use the treatment to treat chronic tendon conditions like Achilles tendonitis at the ankle, tennis elbow, and jumper’s knee.
  • Sometimes medical experts use the injections after a surgical procedure to repair torn ligaments and tendons.

Our doctors will advise you on preparing for the treatment during your initial consultation. We will ask you to:

  • Stop all steroid injections one month before your injection
  • You should not donate plasma or blood three weeks before your PRP injection
  • Stop systemic steroids or blood-thinning agents a week before the treatment
  • Stop taking anti-inflammatory medications at least four days before the process
  • Ensure you take a nutritious breakfast and drink a lot of water on your PRP treatment day

We invite you to contact us at 323-475-9288 to learn more about preparing for the procedure.

Since PRP involves injecting a substance into your skin, you can expect side effects. The treatment is autologous; it contains substances from your body. Consequently, reducing the risk of allergic reactions from injection or other medications like hyaluronic acid or cortisone. However, you can experience risks from your injection, including:

  • Pain in your injected area
  • Nerve injuries
  • Tissue damage
  • Infection

Our doctors will gladly discuss the potential risks and ways to minimize them with you.

PRP therapy can be administered to any patient irrespective of race, age, or sex.  Generally, patients with the following qualities qualify:

  • Early to mid-degeneration
  • Experiencing immobility or interference with daily living due to pain
  • Failure with conservative treatment methods
  • Overall good health

The procedure has more significant effects on younger patients than on senior citizens. However, that does not mean it is ineffective for an older patient; a younger person has a more enhanced response to the therapy.

However, as with many medical procedures, there are considerations. For instance, a person with joint degeneration or end-stage osteoarthritis is not an ideal candidate. Additionally, medications like anticoagulants can hinder the ability to undergo treatment. Other patients can have a lot of risks associated with the treatment, including those who:

  • Are expectant
  • Are anemic
  • Suffer from diabetes, liver, heart, bleeding, blood, or skin condition
  • Have a condition that can worsen after an injection, like metastatic disease or an infection

Moreover, if you are allergic to cow products, please contact your physician at 323-475-9288. You risk experiencing an allergic reaction if your platelet-rich plasma is combined with bovine thrombin, an addictive derived from cows.

After the injection, our doctors advise patients to rest and limit their activity. You should also avoid extensive use of your injected area, mainly if it is a joint. However, movement is encouraged; it boosts joint recovery by permitting more PRP absorption into your neighboring tissues.

You can experience pain at your injection site the first three days following the injection. Do not worry; it means the body is recovering.

Avoid taking any medication after the therapy. Most drugs impair recovery and can result in adverse effects.

Avoid going to a sauna, taking a hot bath, or using a tanning bed. Do not use heat pads or ice at the injection site three days after the therapy. Also, you should not shower within 24 hours following the PRP treatment.

After the third day, you can return to your daily exercise routine. If you experience discomfort, apply ice to your injected site for approximately twenty minutes thrice a day. Additionally, you can use anti-inflammatory agents.

Refrain from smoking, caffeine, and alcohol two weeks after the process.

Schedule follow-up sessions with your physician to monitor your recovery.

Since plasma-rich platelets therapy is intended to boost healing, you will not notice an immediate difference after the treatment. However, in a couple of months, the injected area can start healing faster than anticipated if you have not received any PRP injection.

The cost of the therapy varies depending on the disease being treated. For instance, you will pay more for PRP therapy for hair loss compared to musculoskeletal pain. Nevertheless, the therapy is pocket-friendly in the long run considering its benefits.

Generally, patients pay costs out-of-pocket. Insurance providers consider PRP an experimental treatment and do not cover it. At LA Pain and Joint Center, we have dedicated resources in our finance department to ensure your road to Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy is affordable.

What Our Patients Say

Our practice is patient-driven, and your satisfaction is the only outcome that matters. Below are testimonials from our previous patients.

What Our Patients Say

Our practice is patient-driven, and your satisfaction is the only outcome that matters. Below are testimonials from our previous patients.

Contact a Competent and Experienced PRP Therapist Near Me

At LA Pain and Joint Center, we are committed to offering the most integrative, skilled, personalized, and affordable services in a comfortable setting. With compassion and sensitivity, our highly trained doctors prioritize your health. We believe that you should be able to perform at your best. Therefore, we provide an unsurpassed degree of care supported by evidence based on a holistic approach and by the latest technological advancements. We also work with our patients to help them recover and return to what matters to them as soon as possible.

We pride our practice on a commitment to integrity, quality care, and excellence through our PRP therapy. With us, you will receive the individualized attention you deserve, feel well cared for, and get the most out of your effort, money, and time.

Do not hesitate to visit our office or contact us at 323-475-9288. Your body will thank you.