Moving You Forward: Platelet Lysate for Joint and Back Pain
Joint and back pain can make everyday life hard. It can get in the way of work, chores, and time with family. Platelet
lysate for joint pain is now available at Albany & Saratoga Centers for Pain Management (ASCPM), giving the right patients one more option to manage pain in the spine and joints.
What Is Platelet Lysate?
Platelet lysate comes from a patient's own blood. First, a clinician draws blood and spins it down to gather the platelets. Then, those platelets go through a controlled process that breaks them open and releases the growth factors stored inside them. As a result, the solution can be injected into the area that hurts, such as a joint or the space around the spine, where it supports the body's own healing and may help lower inflammation (Centeno et al., 2017; Valtetsiotis et al., 2024).
Platelet lysate is related to another treatment called platelet rich plasma, or PRP. Both come from a patient's own blood. However, platelet lysate is different because the platelets are broken open before the injection. This releases their growth factors right away, instead of waiting for the platelets to activate inside the body (Valtetsiotis et al., 2024).
What the Research Shows
Joint Pain
Most research on platelet lysate focuses on knee osteoarthritis. For example, a 2024 review of lab studies and patient studies shows that platelet lysate lowers arthritis symptoms for up to one year, working about as well as PRP and giving similar pain relief to hyaluronic acid shots (Valtetsiotis et al., 2024). Similarly, an earlier study follows adults with early to moderate knee arthritis, who show real improvement at 32 and 52 weeks after three injections (Al-Ajlouni et al., as cited in Valtetsiotis et al., 2024). Even so, researchers note that the benefits tend to be strongest around six months and then slowly fade, so larger studies are still needed to confirm these results (Valtetsiotis et al., 2024).
Back Pain
In addition to joint pain, platelet lysate is also being studied as an epidural shot for lumbar radicular pain, the pain that shoots down from a squeezed or irritated nerve in the lower back. In one large study, 470 patients who receive epidural platelet lysate shots report much lower pain and better function at every follow up visit, with an average improvement of about 50 percent after two years, while about 6 percent experience mild side effects (Centeno et al., 2017). Because of these results, the researchers point to platelet lysate as a possible substitute for steroid shots in this setting, especially since epidural steroids have limited long term proof and can cause body wide side effects (Centeno et al., 2017).
Platelet Lysate as an Alternative to Corticosteroids
Steroid injections are a well proven treatment, and they remain part of ASCPM's plans for spine and joint pain because they work well for many patients. Steroids can bring fast, real relief from inflammation and pain, and large studies show that their long term risks are usually small when used within recommended limits (Donovan et al., as discussed in Migliore, 2022).
Even so, steroid shots have some limits, which is why some patients look for other options:
- Limited number of shots. Doctors usually recommend no more than three or four steroid shots per joint each year, due to concern about effects on cartilage with repeat use (Kelly & Heron, 2025).
- Relief that fades. Some patients notice that each repeat shot gives shorter or weaker relief (Kelly & Heron, 2025).
- Possible effects on tissue over time. Ongoing research on repeat steroid shots raises questions about cartilage and joint structure over time, and the findings so far are mixed (Kelly & Heron, 2025; Migliore, 2022).
Given these limits, platelet lysate may be considered as an alternative to another steroid shot, especially when a patient wants to try a different way to manage ongoing joint or back pain. Because platelet lysate comes from the patient's own blood, it does not add the body wide steroid exposure that comes with repeat steroid dosing (Centeno et al., 2017).
Who May Be a Candidate
Platelet lysate is not right for every patient or every type of pain. Instead, whether it is a good fit depends on the joint or spine problem, past treatments, and overall health, so a full evaluation is the best way to find out. ASCPM is led by Dr. Martin Ferrillo, who is double board certified, along with Dr. Dooley.
Safety and Considerations
Because platelet lysate comes from a patient's own blood, the risk of allergic reaction or disease spread is low. So far, side effects are mostly mild and short term, such as soreness where the shot is given (Centeno et al., 2017). Still, results differ for each patient, and researchers continue to call for larger, well controlled studies to define the best candidates, dosing schedule, and long term results (Valtetsiotis et al., 2024).
Cost
Platelet lysate is not covered by insurance. Instead, ASCPM offers this treatment as an affordable self pay option.
Talk to Your Clinician
Every patient's pain is different, so the right treatment plan depends on a full evaluation. If you are dealing with joint or back pain and want to know if platelet lysate could help, fill out the form below or call to set up a visit.
Call 518.463.0171 or visit ascpm.com to request an appointment.
ASCPM, Albany & Saratoga Centers for Pain Management
painless@ascpm.com | ascpm.com
This information is for education only. It is not a substitute for a full medical evaluation. Results vary, and not every patient is a candidate for every treatment.
References
Centeno, C., Markle, J., Dodson, E., Stemper, I., Hyzy, M., Williams, C., & Freeman, M. (2017). The use of lumbar epidural injection of platelet lysate for treatment of radicular pain. Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics, 4(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40634-017-0113-5
Kelly, E., & Heron, N. (2025). Pain management of hip osteoarthritis with corticosteroids vs injection therapies: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-025-08666-0
Migliore, A. (2022). Evidence suggests that intraarticular corticosteroids are effective (short term) and safe (long term). Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. https://www.oarsijournal.com/article/S1063-4584(22)00890-1/fulltext
Valtetsiotis, K., Di Martino, A., Brunello, M., D'Agostino, C., Poluzzi, R., Ferri, R., Mora, P., Traina, F., & Faldini, C. (2024). Platelet lysate for the treatment of osteoarthritis: A systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies. La Chirurgia degli Organi di Movimento. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12306-024-00827-z
