What Should You Know Before Getting PRP Therapy in Nashville?
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Before a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection, know three things: what exactly you are being offered, who will perform it and how, and what it will cost you out of pocket. PRP is made from your own blood. It is not the same as the stem cell, umbilical cord, amniotic, and exosome products that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns consumers about, so the first question at any regenerative medicine clinic is which product is in the syringe. Expect to pay yourself, and ask your own doctor whether the evidence supports PRP for your specific condition. This page is general information, not medical advice.
Is PRP the Same as a Stem Cell Treatment?
No, and the difference matters because the regulatory warnings are different. PRP is prepared from a sample of your own blood. The FDA’s consumer information on regenerative medicine therapies lists a separate group of unapproved products: stem cells, stromal vascular fraction (fat-derived cells), umbilical cord blood and cord blood stem cells, amniotic fluid, Wharton’s jelly, ortho-biologics, and exosomes, “whether recovered from your own body or another person’s body.”
For those products, the FDA’s warning is blunt: “Before approval, these products require FDA oversight in a clinical trial.” It adds: “Please know that if you are being charged for these products or offered these products outside of a clinical trial, you are likely being deceived and offered a product illegally.” The agency says it has received reports of blindness, tumor formation, infections, and other harms from their use.
A clinic may offer more than one of these treatments under the same “regenerative” heading. Ask the clinic to name the product in writing: PRP from your own blood, or something else. If it is one of the products on the FDA’s list and you are not enrolled in an FDA-overseen clinical trial, the FDA’s guidance above applies.
Is PRP FDA-Approved?
Not for orthopedic uses, according to at least one local clinic’s own disclosure. Vita Nova Stem Cell Professionals, a Franklin clinic, states on its PRP page: “PRP is not FDA-approved for orthopedic indications, though FDA does regulate the devices used to prepare it.” Read plainly, that sentence puts the FDA’s role on the equipment used to prepare PRP, not on PRP as a treatment for a joint or tendon. Treat any claim that PRP is “FDA-approved” for a joint or tendon problem as a reason to ask for the exact approval.
Does Insurance Cover PRP?
Plan as if it will not. The same clinic’s page states that “Regenerative therapies are typically not covered by health insurance.” Coverage is set by your plan, so the only reliable answer is your insurer’s. Before you book, ask the insurer in writing whether PRP is covered for your diagnosis, and ask the clinic for a written price that states:
- The cost of one injection, including the blood draw, preparation, and any imaging guidance
- How many injections the clinic expects to recommend, and the total cost of that course
- Whether follow-up visits are included
- The refund or cancellation terms
What Should You Ask the Doctor Before an Injection?
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What is my diagnosis, and has it been confirmed by exam or imaging? | The plan should be tied to a named diagnosis |
| What does the published evidence show for my condition? | Ask for the studies on your condition, not on PRP in general |
| Who performs the injection, and what is their training? | The person and the credential should be named before the visit |
| Will the injection be guided by ultrasound or another imaging method? | It tells you how needle placement is checked |
| Which of my medications or conditions should I discuss before the injection? | Your own health history decides whether the injection is appropriate |
| What side effects and recovery should I expect, and when should I call you? | You should know the warning signs before you leave the clinic |
| What happens if it does not help? | A plan should name the next option, including non-injection treatment |
If you already have an orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine doctor, or primary care physician, take the clinic’s written plan to them for a second opinion before you pay.
What Does a Franklin PRP Clinic Disclose?
Vita Nova Stem Cell Professionals is a regenerative medicine clinic in Franklin. According to its website, the clinic is at 4601 Carothers Parkway, Suite 325, is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and lists Hemal V. Mehta, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, and Kate Sherman, PA-C, as providers. The clinic says it uses ultrasound or fluoroscopy guidance for injections, and its PRP page states both the FDA status and the insurance position quoted above. The clinic can be reached at 615-801-8005. If you are weighing the drive, see how far Franklin is from Nashville.
Whichever clinic you visit, the questions above apply the same way, and the written answers are what to compare.
What Should You Settle Before the First Injection?
Confirm the product is PRP from your own blood, get the evidence for your condition from your own doctor, and get the full price in writing before the first injection.