Ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
Your body's own regenerative power, applied with millimetre precision to the exact site of injury — in Lisbon and Almada.
Dr Miguel Reis e Silva
Medical Director of Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Medical Director and Founder of the Myalgia Clinics
What is PRP?
Platelet-rich plasma is obtained from your own blood. After a simple blood draw, the blood is centrifuged to concentrate the platelets — cells that carry growth factors, the "messengers" the body naturally uses to repair tissue and control inflammation.
This concentrate is then injected, under real-time ultrasound guidance, directly into the injury: a tendon, a joint or a muscle. The goal is to stimulate and speed up the body's own repair processes.
Because it is made from your own blood, PRP contains no drugs or foreign substances, which gives it a very favourable safety profile.
When is it indicated?
PRP may be considered for:
Persistent tendinopathies — Achilles tendon, patellar tendon ("jumper's knee"), lateral epicondylitis ("tennis elbow"), shoulder and hip tendinopathies;
Osteoarthritis — particularly of the knee, as an alternative or complement to hyaluronic acid;
Muscle injuries — especially in sport, to support recovery;
Plantar fasciitis that has not responded to conservative treatment;
Other injuries assessed case by case at consultation.
At Clínica Myalgia®, PRP is never a stand-alone treatment: it is part of a plan that may include physiotherapy, therapeutic exercise, movement analysis or custom insoles — because treating the injury without correcting the cause invites a relapse.
Why have PRP at Clínica Myalgia?
100% ultrasound-guided — ultrasound ensures the concentrate is placed exactly at the injury site, which is essential for the treatment to work;
Elite sport experience — our medical team uses PRP in the care of elite athletes and brings that rigour to everyone we treat;
Careful assessment — PRP isn't for everything or everyone; we only suggest it when the evidence and your specific case justify it;
Integrated approach — doctor and physiotherapist under one roof, in direct contact with each other;
Two locations — Lisbon (Carnide) and Almada.
How does the procedure work?
Medical assessment — medical history, physical examination, diagnostic ultrasound and review of any scans you already have. We confirm whether PRP is the right option or whether another approach (hyaluronic acid, hydrodilatation, physiotherapy alone) would make more sense.
Blood draw — a simple blood draw, similar to a routine blood test, done at the clinic on the day of the procedure.
Preparing the concentrate — the blood is centrifuged to separate and concentrate the platelet-rich plasma fraction. The whole process takes place in a closed, sterile system.
Ultrasound-guided injection — with local anaesthetic when indicated, the concentrate is injected into the exact site of the injury under continuous ultrasound visualisation. The whole procedure, from blood draw to injection, usually takes 30 minutes.
Recovery plan — specific guidance for the following days and integration with physiotherapy or progressive exercise, which are key to consolidating the result.
PRP, hyaluronic acid or Arthrosamid®?
Each option has its place. Broadly speaking: PRP aims to stimulate tissue repair and is particularly useful in tendinopathies and osteoarthritis; hyaluronic acid acts mainly on joint lubrication and inflammation; Arthrosamid® is a single-injection hydrogel designed for a long-lasting effect in knee osteoarthritis. At the assessment we explain the advantages and limitations of each for your case — and, when indicated, how to combine them.
Frequently asked questions
Does PRP treatment hurt?
The blood draw is just like a routine blood test. The injection is usually well tolerated, with local anaesthetic when indicated. A slight increase in discomfort over the following 48–72 hours is common — it is part of the inflammatory response the treatment aims to trigger, and it settles on its own.
How many sessions are needed?
It depends on the injury and on your individual response. For many tendinopathies and osteoarthritis, protocols of 1 to 3 injections are used, 2 to 4 weeks apart. The plan is set at the consultation and adjusted as you progress.
How soon will I feel better?
PRP is not an instant painkiller: it works by stimulating repair processes, so improvement is gradual, usually over several weeks. In tendinopathies, progress may continue for 2 to 3 months.
Can I take anti-inflammatories?
It isn't recommended. Anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, diclofenac and similar) interfere with how PRP works and should be avoided in the days before and the weeks after treatment. At the consultation we suggest alternatives for pain control and the exact interval to observe.
When can I return to sport?
It depends on the injury treated. As a rule there is a short period of relative rest, followed by a guided, gradual return — ideally supported by physiotherapy. We give you a specific plan at the end of the procedure.
Is PRP safe? Are there contraindications?
Because it uses your own blood, the risk of allergic reaction or rejection is practically non-existent, and ultrasound guidance reduces the risk of damaging nearby structures. Even so, some situations require prior assessment or rule out the treatment: active infection, clotting disorders or anticoagulant medication, some blood disorders and pregnancy. All of this is assessed at the consultation.
What is the difference between ultrasound-guided PRP and PRP without ultrasound?
PRP's effectiveness depends on the concentrate being placed exactly at the injury site — which is often only a few millimetres across. With ultrasound guidance, the doctor sees the needle and the target tissue in real time. Without imaging, placement relies only on external landmarks, with a greater chance of missing the target.