PRP and Cell Therapy

What is PRP & Cell Therapy?

PRP and cell-based therapy are regenerative treatments, not surgery. Using a small sample of your own blood or tissue, Dr. Melamed concentrates the platelets and growth factors your body already uses to repair itself, then places them precisely where the pain is coming from. The aim is to quiet inflammation and give an irritated disc, joint, or soft-tissue structure a better environment in which to settle down.

This sits firmly on the conservative side of the ladder. For the right patient, it can be a meaningful step between failed physical therapy and any thought of an operation — a way to address the source of pain without incisions, hardware, or downtime. It is honest to say it is not a cure-all: whether it helps depends entirely on the diagnosis, and Dr. Melamed will tell you plainly when it is worth trying and when it is not.

Am I a candidate for PRP & Cell Therapy?

PRP and cell therapy tend to make the most sense for earlier or milder degenerative changes, facet joint irritation, and soft-tissue pain that has not responded to rest and rehab. It is a poor fit for severe nerve compression, significant instability, or advanced structural collapse — problems that regeneration cannot reverse. The starting point is always an accurate diagnosis, so the treatment is matched to a target it can actually influence.

How does PRP & Cell Therapy work?

In the office, a small blood draw or tissue sample is processed to concentrate the platelets, growth factors, or cells. Using live imaging guidance, Dr. Melamed delivers that concentrate directly to the painful structure — a disc, a facet joint, or the surrounding soft tissue — so it lands exactly where it is needed rather than nearby.

The injection itself takes only a short time and is done under local anesthetic. Because nothing is cut or removed, there is no incision to heal and no hardware left behind. Some patients feel a temporary increase in soreness as the area responds, which typically eases over the following days.

What is recovery like?

Most people return to normal daily activity quickly, often the same day, with a short break from heavy or high-impact exertion while the area responds. Any benefit tends to build gradually over weeks rather than arriving overnight, and Dr. Melamed reviews your progress before deciding whether to repeat, adjust, or move to a different plan.

What are the benefits of PRP & Cell Therapy?

• ✓Non-surgical — no incisions or hardware
• ✓Uses your own blood or tissue
• ✓Image-guided for precise placement
• ✓Same-day, in-office procedure
• ✓A genuine conservative step before surgery
• ✓Minimal downtime

What conditions does PRP & Cell Therapy treat?

• Early or mild degenerative disc changes
• Facet joint irritation and inflammation
• Soft-tissue and tendon pain around the spine
• Persistent low-grade back pain that has failed rest and rehab