6145 N Northwest Hwy
PRP Therapy in Chicago
Platelet-rich plasma injections, placed under image guidance by an board-certified physician in anesthesiology and in pain medicine— after we’ve confirmed what’s actually causing your pain.
Board-certified in anesthesiology
Over 25 years in interventional pain medicine
Every injection image-guided
Diagnosis before treatment
- Diagnosis First
The injection is the easy part. The diagnosis is what matters.
- PRP is widely available in Chicago. You can get it at chiropractic offices, medical spas, and walk-in regenerative clinics across the metro area. What most of those settings can’t do is determine, before the needle goes in, which structure is generating your pain.
- That distinction matters more than the product. A platelet injection placed into the wrong tissue is an expensive way to change nothing.
Where PRP Sits here
- At the Chicago Institute for Neuropathic Pain, PRP sits inside a full diagnostic pain practice. Dr. Michael Rock is an board-certified physician in anesthesiology and in pain medicine who performs image-guided procedures every day.
FIND THE SOURCE
Before recommending PRP, he works out where your pain is coming from — using examination, imaging review, ultrasound, and where appropriate diagnostic blocks.
REACH THE TARGET
Then, if PRP is a reasonable option for that specific problem, it’s delivered under ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance so the platelets reach the target.
OR SAY NO
And if PRP isn’t the right answer, we’ll say so. We have a full range of other options — and no reason to sell you something that won’t help.
- About PRP
What PRP is
- PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma. We draw a small amount of your own blood, spin it in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, and inject that concentrate into the injured joint or tendon.
- Platelets carry the signaling proteins your body uses to start tissue repair and to modulate inflammation. The idea behind PRP is to deliver a concentrated dose of those signals directly to a structure that has stopped healing on its own.
- It uses nothing but your own blood. No donor material, no drugs, no synthetic implants.
Not sure whether PRP applies to your problem? That’s what the consultation is for.
- Conditions
Conditions we treat with PRP
Knee pain and knee osteoarthritis
our strongest indication
Low back pain
selected patients, after diagnostic workup
Neck pain
selected patients, after diagnostic workup
- Treatment Process
What happens at your appointment
01
Consultation and diagnosis
History, examination, review of any imaging you’ve had. This visit is billed to your insurance like any other office visit. If we need additional imaging or a diagnostic block to localize the pain generator, we’ll arrange it.
02
Candidacy discussion
Dr. Rock will tell you whether PRP is reasonable for your problem, what the realistic range of outcomes looks like, how many injections are likely, and exactly what it will cost. You get a written estimate before anything is scheduled.
03
Blood draw
About 30–60 mL, same as a routine lab draw.
04
Processing
Roughly 15 minutes in the centrifuge while you wait.
05
Injection
Placed under ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance. Local anesthetic is used for skin numbing. Most injections take a few minutes.
06
Recovery and follow-up
You go home the same day. We schedule follow-up to track your response and to time any subsequent injections in the series.
- Recovery
What to expect afterward
- Expect it to hurt more before it hurts less. Two to five days of increased soreness at the injection site is normal and, in fact, expected — the inflammatory response is part of how the treatment is thought to work. Ice and acetaminophen are fine.
- Avoid anti-inflammatories. No ibuprofen, naproxen, or similar NSAIDs for roughly two weeks before and after, since they may work against the mechanism. We’ll give you specific instructions.
- Give it time. Most patients who respond notice change between four and twelve weeks. This is not a treatment that works overnight, and anyone who tells you otherwise is overselling.
- Do the rehab. PRP works better alongside a structured strengthening program than on its own. We’ll coordinate this.
- It doesn’t work for everyone. Some patients see little to no benefit. If you’re in that group, we’ll move on to other options rather than selling you a second round.
- Cost
Cost and insurance
- PRP is not covered by insurance.
- Medicare and all major commercial carriers
- Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare
- Classify PRP for joint and tendon conditions as investigational and will not reimburse it.
- This is true everywhere, not just at our practice.
- That means PRP is paid out of pocket at the time of service.
- Your consultation and any diagnostic workup are billed to your insurance in the normal way, as standard office visits
- so you’ll owe whatever your plan’s usual copay or deductible is for a visit, not a separate PRP consultation fee.
- HSA and FSA funds can generally be used.
- Financing options are available.
- You will receive a written cost estimate before scheduling.
- We do not use consultation-room pressure, and we don’t quote a price only after you’re in the chair.
- Treatment Fit
Is PRP right for you?
- PRP may be worth discussing if you:
- Have mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis of the knee, or a tendon problem that hasn’t resolved
- Have tried physical therapy, activity modification, and possibly cortisone without lasting relief
- Want to delay or avoid joint replacement, and understand that PRP is not a substitute for it
- Are willing to try an option with a reasonable chance of meaningful relief, knowing it takes weeks to judge and is not right for everyone.
- Why Choose Us
Why patients choose our practice for PRP
25+
Years in interventional pain
100%
Image-guided injections
In-house
Escalation if PRP falls short
A pain physician, not a technician.
Dr. Rock is board-certified in anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology, and has specialized in interventional pain medicine for over 25 years. Image-guided injection is what he does all day, every day.
Diagnosis before treatment.
We have the tools to find your pain generator — ultrasound, fluoroscopy, diagnostic blocks — rather than injecting a general area and hoping.
Every injection is image-guided.
Landmark-only injections miss the target more often than most patients realize, particularly in the hip and shoulder.
A real escalation path.
If PRP doesn’t work, we’re not out of options. Radiofrequency ablation, nerve blocks, neuromodulation, and minimally invasive spine procedures are all available in-house. That’s not true at a clinic whose only product is injections.
An honest evaluation
If you’re not a good candidate, we’ll say so. Our reputation in this city is worth more than a single procedure fee.
Where we do this.
All PRP procedures are performed at our Norwood Park office, Norwood Park — 6145 N Northwest Hwy, Chicago IL 60631. All PRP procedures happen here.
PRP consultations are available at Norwood Park — 6145 N Northwest Hwy · Lincoln Square — 4733 N Damen Ave.
- FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
For the right patient, the evidence says yes — and we’ll tell you honestly if you’re not that patient.
No. PRP is not FDA-approved for orthopedic conditions. The devices used to prepare it are FDA-cleared, and physicians may use PRP as part of the practice of medicine, but there is no FDA approval for treating joint or tendon pain. Any clinic advertising “FDA-approved PRP” is misinforming you.
No. Medicare and all major commercial insurers classify PRP for musculoskeletal conditions as investigational and do not cover it. Your consultation and diagnostic workup are billed to insurance in the normal way; the PRP procedure itself is paid out of pocket. HSA and FSA funds can generally be used.
Prices in the Chicago metro vary substantially. A published market study of Chicago-area clinics found meaningful differences by provider type, with non-physician regenerative clinics charging more on average than orthopedic practices. We publish our pricing in full and provide a written estimate before you schedule. See our prices →
Most protocols involve two to three injections spaced several weeks apart, and the research supports a series over a single injection for knee osteoarthritis. Tendon conditions are sometimes managed with one or two. We’ll give you an expected number at consultation.
Most patients who respond notice change between four and twelve weeks. Expect increased soreness for the first few days — that’s normal.
The blood draw is routine. The injection involves needle discomfort, and we use local anesthetic to numb the skin. Expect two to five days of soreness afterward, sometimes more than you had before. That settles.
No — avoid NSAIDs for roughly two weeks before and after, as they may interfere with the mechanism. Acetaminophen and ice are fine.
No, and this matters. PRP is concentrated platelets from your own blood. It does not contain a meaningful stem cell population. Clinics marketing PRP as “stem cell therapy” are using inaccurate language, and that language has been the subject of federal enforcement action.
No. The trials show improvements in pain and function, not cartilage regrowth. Claims of cartilage regeneration go beyond the evidence.
It may delay surgery for some patients. It is not a guaranteed alternative, and for advanced arthritis or a complete tendon tear, surgery may be the appropriate treatment. We’ll give you a straight answer about where you stand.
Because PRP uses your own blood, allergic reaction and rejection are not concerns. Main risks are infection (uncommon with sterile technique), bleeding, temporary pain flare, and — most commonly — the treatment simply not producing the benefit you hoped for.
Patients with active infection, certain platelet or bleeding disorders, active malignancy, or significant anemia. We screen for all of this.
Talk to us about whether PRP makes sense for you
The consultation is a real evaluation, not a sales appointment. You’ll leave knowing what’s causing your pain, whether PRP is a reasonable option, and exactly what it would cost.
