If you’ve been researching alternatives to cortisone injections for joint pain, you’ve probably encountered terms like PRP, biologics, orthobiologics, umbilical cord tissue, and regenerative medicine. Unfortunately, the internet often makes these treatments sound interchangeable. They aren’t.
PRP is made from your own blood. Umbilical cord tissue products come from donated human tissue. They are prepared differently, regulated differently, and—most importantly—the clinical evidence supporting them is not the same.
At A Better You, we believe patients should understand those differences before deciding whether an advanced joint injection belongs in their treatment plan. Here is what you should know.
First: What Is PRP?
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is an autologous product, meaning it comes from your own body.
A small amount of your blood is drawn and processed, usually with a centrifuge, to produce a preparation containing a higher concentration of platelets. That preparation is then injected into the targeted area.
Platelets are best known for their role in blood clotting, but they also contain proteins and signaling molecules involved in the body’s normal biological response to tissue injury.
The biggest advantage of PRP? We actually have human clinical research on PRP for knee osteoarthritis. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons states that PRP may reduce pain and improve function in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.
But there is an important second half to that statement: the strength of that recommendation is currently limited.
Why? Because PRP isn’t one standardized product. Different systems produce different concentrations of platelets, white blood cells and other components. Studies also use different injection protocols and treat patients with different degrees of arthritis.
So while PRP is promising and may be appropriate for selected patients, it is not a guaranteed treatment for knee pain or arthritis.
What Is Umbilical Cord Tissue Matrix?
Umbilical cord tissue matrix products are very different from PRP.
Rather than being produced from your own blood, these products are derived from donated human umbilical cord tissue obtained from screened donors and processed by a tissue manufacturer.
At A Better You, patients who may be candidates for this category of treatment can discuss the product we refer to as PROTEIN RICH SUPPORT (PRS).
PRS does not require us to draw your blood and prepare PRP. That distinction understandably makes PRS interesting to some patients—particularly those who don’t want a blood draw or who simply want to understand what other options may exist.
But there is something even more important that you should know.
Is PRS the Same Thing as Stem Cell Therapy?
No—and we don’t market it that way.
You may see clinics advertising umbilical cord products as “stem cell injections,” “regenerative injections,” or treatments that supposedly regrow cartilage. We believe patients deserve more careful language.
We do not promise that PRS contains viable stem cells that will regenerate your knee. We do not promise that it will regrow cartilage. We do not promise that it will reverse arthritis. And we do not promise that it will prevent you from eventually needing joint replacement.
Those claims go beyond what should responsibly be promised to a patient.
Is Umbilical Cord Tissue FDA-Approved for Arthritis?
This distinction is also important.
Umbilical-cord-derived products are not FDA-approved treatments for osteoarthritis, knee pain, shoulder pain or other orthopedic conditions.
That does not mean every human tissue product is identical or that every product has the same regulatory classification. Human cells, tissues, and cellular/tissue-based products are subject to a complex FDA regulatory framework.
It does mean that patients should be cautious when anyone markets an umbilical cord injection as though the FDA has approved it to treat arthritis. We won’t tell you that.
Instead, if PRS is being considered, we will discuss the specific product, what is known about it, what remains uncertain, its regulatory status, potential risks, alternatives, and whether considering it makes sense for your particular situation.
So Which Has Better Evidence: PRP or PRS?
If we’re talking specifically about clinical evidence for knee osteoarthritis, PRP currently has the stronger body of published human evidence. That deserves to be said plainly.
PRP has been evaluated in numerous clinical studies, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has concluded that it may reduce pain and improve function in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis—although the evidence remains inconsistent enough that the recommendation is limited.
We do not have equivalent high-quality evidence demonstrating that an umbilical cord tissue matrix is superior to PRP for knee osteoarthritis.
So why would someone even ask about PRS? Because choosing an injection isn’t only about choosing the product with the most exciting name. It’s about the patient.
PRP vs. PRS: The Simple Comparison
PRP
- Where does it come from? Your own blood
- Does it require a blood draw? Yes
- Does your blood have to be processed? Yes
- Is there clinical research for knee osteoarthritis? Yes, although results vary and PRP preparations are not standardized
- Is it guaranteed to work? No
PROTEIN RICH SUPPORT (PRS)
- Where does it come from? Processed donated human umbilical cord tissue
- Does it require your blood to be drawn? No
- Is it the same as PRP? No
- Do we market it as a stem cell treatment? No
- Is it FDA-approved to treat osteoarthritis or joint pain? No
- Do we claim that it regrows cartilage? No
- Is it guaranteed to work? No
“Then Why Would I Consider PRS?”
That’s exactly the kind of question we want patients to ask.
An advanced treatment should never be chosen because of a flashy advertisement, a celebrity endorsement, or a promise that sounds too good to be true.
A patient may want to discuss PRS because:
- Cortisone is no longer providing adequate relief
- The patient wants to understand nonsurgical options before considering joint replacement
- PRP has already been tried without satisfactory results
- The patient doesn’t want to undergo a blood draw and PRP processing
- The patient wants to understand whether a donor-derived tissue product is an option worth considering
- The patient understands that the evidence and regulatory status differ from PRP and wants to make an informed decision
Notice the word discuss. We don’t believe everyone who asks about PRS should receive PRS.
The Most Important Decision May Not Be PRP vs. PRS
Here’s what often gets lost when patients research joint injections online: the injection is only one part of the decision.
Before deciding between PRP, PRS, another injection, rehabilitation—or surgery—we first need to determine why your joint hurts.
Knee pain could involve osteoarthritis, meniscal pathology, tendons, ligaments, patellofemoral dysfunction, bursitis, altered biomechanics, or several problems occurring together. Shoulder pain presents another set of possibilities. Hip, ankle, elbow and wrist pain each require their own assessment.
Injecting the newest or most expensive product into the wrong problem doesn’t make it the right treatment.
What About “Bone-on-Bone” Arthritis?
Severity matters.
Someone with early or moderate degenerative changes is not necessarily in the same clinical situation as someone with severe joint-space loss, deformity and advanced osteoarthritis.
There comes a point when the most responsible recommendation may be an orthopedic surgical consultation rather than another injection. If that’s where you are, we should tell you. That’s part of good medicine.
Our Approach Is Different
At A Better You, the consultation isn’t simply “which injection would you like?” It’s “what is causing your pain, what have you already tried, and what are you trying to get back to doing?”
Maybe you want to play pickleball again. Maybe you want to walk through the airport without looking for somewhere to sit. Maybe you want to exercise, travel, golf, garden, climb stairs, or simply get through the grocery store without thinking about your knee.
That’s the outcome that matters. Then we work backward to determine which options deserve consideration:
- Sometimes that may be PRP
- Sometimes a patient may want to discuss PRS
- Sometimes another nonsurgical treatment makes more sense
- And sometimes the right answer is an orthopedic referral
PRP or PRS: Which One Is Right for You?
There isn’t an honest one-size-fits-all answer. And anyone who tells every patient that one injection is always “better” should make you ask more questions.
The appropriate choice depends on:
- Your diagnosis
- The severity of the joint damage
- Your age and overall health
- Your previous treatments
- Your response to previous injections
- Your activity level
- Your treatment goals
- Your tolerance for uncertainty
- The evidence, risks, limitations and regulatory considerations associated with each option
That’s why we start with the evaluation—not the injection.
Ready to Understand Your Options?
If cortisone isn’t working anymore, you’ve been told you have arthritis, or you’re simply trying to understand whether PRP or another nonsurgical option deserves consideration, schedule a joint consultation at A Better You.
Bring your previous X-rays or MRI reports if you have them. We’ll evaluate what’s happening, review what you’ve already tried, and discuss the options that reasonably fit your situation.
And if you’re interested in PROTEIN RICH SUPPORT (PRS), we’ll explain what it is—and equally importantly, what it isn’t. If PRP makes more sense, we’ll tell you. If PRS is reasonable to discuss, we’ll explain why. And if neither is the right choice, we’ll tell you that too.
Because you’re not coming to us simply to buy an injection. You’re coming to find out what your next best step should be.
Schedule your consultation today and let us help you understand which options are reasonable for your joint.
