Dr. Nitish Mandal
Sports injuries
A tendon, ligament, or joint has not settled after rest, physio, or going back to training too soon. You want the sport, the gym, or the weekend game back, without jumping to surgery.
Who is this page for?
Sports injuries here means tendon and ligament problems and related joint pain, not only elite athletes. Weekend training, gym strain, and racquet or running injuries sit in the same group.
PRP and prolotherapy are used. Both need accurate placement by a trained pain physician.
How does a sports injury feel when it will not settle?
- A tendon or ligament that still hurts when you train.
- A joint that swells or aches the day after sport.
- You can train around it for a while, then the same movement brings you back to square one.
Why does placement matter?
PRP and prolotherapy only help if they reach the injured tissue. Guessing from the skin surface is not the same as placing the injection at the tendon, ligament, or joint.
The visit starts with which movement recreates the pain, then chooses PRP, prolotherapy, or a different plan.
What have you already tried?
- Rest, ice, and a brace.
- Physiotherapy that helps until you return to the same load.
- Advice to stop the sport altogether.
PRP or prolotherapy: how do I know which one?
PRP
- Platelet Rich Plasma from your own blood, concentrated, then injected at the pain site.
- Also used for tendon and ligament problems and selected joint pain.
- Preparation takes about 30 minutes. The injection is brief.
Prolotherapy
- A non-surgical approach intended to stimulate the body's repair processes.
- Local anaesthetic and a glucose solution are injected around injured tissues.
- The procedure takes around 10 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
- I am not a professional athlete. Can I still come?
- Yes. Gym, running, racquet sports, and training injuries are in the same group as organised sport.
- PRP or prolotherapy: how do I know which one?
- That is decided after examination. PRP uses concentrated platelets from your blood. Prolotherapy uses a glucose solution around injured tissue. Both need accurate placement.
- Can I go home the same day?
- Yes. Both are clinic procedures. PRP preparation takes about 30 minutes. Prolotherapy takes around 10 minutes.
- When can I return to the gym?
- After the injured tissue is identified. Both procedures are clinic visits. Return-to-training is not a same-day promise.
Not every sports injury needs PRP or prolotherapy. Some need rest and a better training plan. Some still need a surgeon. The first visit is to find the injured tissue, then choose care that fits.
Reviewed by Dr. Nitish Mandal, MBBS, MD, FIPM, TIPM (Nashville). Clinics: Koramangala and J.P. Nagar.
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I am not a professional athlete. Can I still come?
Yes. Gym, running, and racquet injuries sit in the same group. PRP and prolotherapy are listed, with accurate placement by a pain physician.