Treatment of unresolved lower back pain with platelet-rich plasma injections

Abstract

Background: Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a non-invasive modality that has been used to treat musculoskeletal conditions for the past two decades. Based on our research, there were no publications that studied the effect of PRP on unresloved lower back pain. The aim of this study was to report the clinical outcomes of patients who received PRP injections to treat unresolved lower back pain. Methods: 67 patients underwent a series one, two, or three PRP injections into the ligaments, muscle, and fascia surrounding the lumbar spine. Patients who received two treatments received injections a mean 24 days apart and patients who received three treatments received injections a mean 20.50 days apart. Baseline and posttreatment outcomes of resting pain, active pain, lower extremity functionality scale, and overall improvement percentage were compared to baseline and between groups. Results: Patients who received one PRP injection reported 36.33% overall improvement and experienced significant improvements in active pain relief. These same patients experienced improvements in resting pain and functionality score, yet these results were not statistically significant. Patients who received a series of two and three treatments experienced significant decreases in resting pain and active pain and reported 46.17% and 54.91% total overall improvement respectively. In addition, they were able to perform daily activities with less difficulty than prior to treatment. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that PRP injections may be a viable conservative approach to treat lower back pain. Additional research is needed to confirm these findings.

Keywords

• lower back pain
• platelet-rich plasma
• non-invasive modality
• regenerative medicine
• surgical alternative