What to Do After a PRP or PRF Injection

Written by Dr. Sonam Maghera, MD, Sports & Interventional Musculoskeletal Medicine · Last reviewed: October 2026

These are the instructions I give my own patients before and after a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) or PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) injection. They cover what to avoid beforehand, how to manage pain, and a week-by-week recovery timeline for joint and tendon injections.

Please read first: This page is for general education and is not medical advice. It doesn’t replace the instructions of the physician who treats you. If your doctor has given you different instructions, follow theirs. Post-injection protocols vary between clinicians, and there is no single standardized PRP aftercare protocol. Most recommendations come from expert consensus and clinical experience rather than head-to-head trials.

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Before your Injection

1 week before

  • Stop anti-inflammatory medications and supplements. This includes ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Voltaren, including the gels), ketorolac (Toradol) and CBD. These may reduce how well your platelets work.

  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is fine to take.

  • If you take ASA (Aspirin) for your heart, a stroke or another medical condition, do not stop it on your own. Talk to the doctor who prescribed it and the physician doing your injection first.

  • Plan ahead. Lighten your schedule for the day after your injection, and arrange a ride home if you’d like one.

  • Fill prescriptions early. If your physician has prescribed pain medication, fill it ahead of time so you have it at home.

3–4 days before

  • Avoid high doses of turmeric/curcumin and omega-3 (fish oil) supplements.

1 day before

  • Avoid intense exercise.

Day of your injection

  • Eat and drink normally before your appointment.

After your Injection: Everyone

  • Pain relief: Use acetaminophen (Tylenol). Avoid anti-inflammatory medications for 1 week after your injection.

  • Ice: Ice is fine for pain: 10 minutes on, 20 minutes off.

  • Heat: Avoid heat, hot tubs and saunas for 1 week.

  • Water: Showering is fine. Don’t soak the area in baths, pools or hot tubs for the first 24 hours.

  • Activity: Plan on reduced physical activity for about 4–7 days. See your joint or tendon timeline below.

  • First 3 days: Keep an eye on pain, warmth and swelling. Some increase in pain over the first 24 hours is expected. If you’re concerned, contact the clinic where you had your procedure.

  • Infection: Infection is rare. Warning signs include fever, or swelling, redness, heat or pain at the injection site that persists or gets worse. If you notice any of these, go to the nearest emergency department right away.

If You Had a Joint Injection

  • What to expect: Most people have only a mild increase in pain for the first 24 hours, and many feel fine. Acetaminophen is usually all that’s needed.

  • First 48 hours: Avoid strenuous activity with the treated joint.

  • Days 3–7: Start range of motion and light, low-impact exercise at about 50% of your usual intensity. Good options are a stationary bike, an elliptical or swimming.

    • No running, jumping or high-intensity classes yet.

    • Avoid prolonged weight bearing for a leg injection, or heavy lifting for an arm injection.

  • Weeks 2–4: Slowly increase activity and begin strengthening the muscles around the joint, ideally with a physiotherapist. Keep your cardio low-impact for now.

  • Weeks 3–4 onward: Return to sport gradually, adding impact back one step at a time: longer walks first, then jogging, then jumping, then your sport.

  • How much is too much? Some discomfort during activity is fine. If the joint swells or is more sore the next day, back off for a day or two, then try again.

If You Had a Tendon or Ligament Injection

  • What to expect: Tendons are usually more painful than joints after PRP. Pain often increases over the first 24 hours, then settles slowly. Discomfort at the injection site can last days to weeks.

  • Pain medication: Acetaminophen alone may not be enough for the first few days, so your physician may prescribe a short course of stronger pain medication. Take a dose before your appointment only if your physician has told you to, and never drive after taking it.

  • First hour: Keep the area still. If you need a brace, splint or sling, your physician will discuss it with you.

  • First 48 hours: Avoid strenuous activity with the treated area.

  • Days 3–7: Do very gentle stretching and range of motion only.

    • Avoid prolonged weight bearing for a leg injection, or heavy lifting for an arm injection.

  • Weeks 2–6: Start strengthening slowly and progressively, working back up to your pre-injection loads. Gradual loading signals the tendon to remodel and heal. A physiotherapist can guide you through this.

  • Shockwave therapy: If it’s part of your treatment plan, it can usually start around week 4.

  • Weeks 3–4 onward: Return to sport and activity gradually, adding speed, jumping and longer sessions one at a time.

  • How much is too much? Discomfort up to about 3–4 out of 10 during exercise is fine, as long as it settles within a day.

Results and Follow-up

  • Improvement takes time. PRP and PRF don’t work like a numbing or a cortisone injection. Any improvement develops gradually as the tissue goes through healing and remodelling, and it can take 8–12 weeks to notice benefits.

  • Feeling worse at first is common. It’s not unusual to have more pain 1–4 weeks after the injection.

  • Repeat injections. Some conditions, such as knee osteoarthritis, may respond better to more than one injection. Your physician will discuss whether a repeat injection makes sense at your follow-up.

  • Results vary. Results depend on the condition, its severity and individual factors, and no outcome is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I ask my patients to avoid anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, naproxen and similar) for 1 week before and 1 week after their injection. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is fine.

  • Yes. Pain often increases for the first 24 hours, especially after tendon injections. Some people feel worse for 1–4 weeks before they start to notice improvements.

  • Light, low-impact activity usually starts around days 3–7. Strengthening usually starts in weeks 2–4 for joints and weeks 2–6 for tendons. A gradual return to sport usually starts from weeks 3–4.

  • I recommend avoiding heat, hot tubs and saunas for 1 week after your injection.

  • Improvement, when it happens, is gradual and can take 8–12 weeks to notice.

  • Yes. I use the same protocol for PRP and PRF.

Learn More:

This information is general education based on my own clinical protocol. It does not replace an assessment or instructions from your own healthcare provider. If you think you have an infection or another urgent problem, go to the nearest emergency department or call 911.