Is PRP better than a cortisone shot?

A cortisone (corticosteroid) shot works by suppressing inflammation and can bring relief within days, but that relief is often temporary and repeated use can have downsides for cartilage and soft tissue over time. PRP works more slowly, by stimulating the body's own repair response, and is not intended for repeated frequent use the way cortisone sometimes is. Neither is universally "better" — the right choice depends on the specific condition, how much cartilage damage is present, and whether the goal is short-term relief or a longer-term approach.

Multiple studies comparing PRP to corticosteroid injections for knee osteoarthritis have found corticosteroid provides faster short-term relief, while PRP tends to show more durable benefit at the 6-month mark and beyond.

Patients are walked through this trade-off directly rather than being steered toward one option by default — the goal is matching the treatment to what the patient actually needs at that point in their condition.