# Straight answers about a sore shoulder *Shoulder Questions — Shoulder Regeneration Chandler* > Shoulder regeneration Chandler FAQ gives direct replies on PRP prices, insurance, torn tendons, self-care and clinic visits. Match your concern with the answers below. PRP is a shorter name for platelet-rich plasma. Staff draw blood, spin it in a machine, and keep the portion with extra platelets. These small parts of blood help close wounds and begin repair. The answers cover price, insurance, tendon tears, home care, and clinic visits. New weakness or a hot, swollen joint still needs an exam. ## Sources 1. A cross-sectional study contacted 273 of 317 US centres offering direct-to-consumer stem-cell therapy, posing as a 57-year-old man with knee osteoarthritis. The mean advertised price of a unilateral same-day stem-cell knee injection was $5,156 (SD $2,446), and centres claimed a mean clinical efficacy of 82% (SD 9.6%) - a figure with no support in the published evidence. The gap between the quoted number and the trial data is the single most useful thing a patient can be told before a consultation. Piuzzi NS, et al. — [The Stem-Cell Market for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Patient Perspective.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28738432/). *The journal of knee surgery*, 2018. DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1604443. 2. Medicare's National Coverage Determination covers autologous platelet-rich plasma ONLY for chronic non-healing diabetic, pressure or venous WOUNDS, and only under Coverage with Evidence Development inside an approved clinical research study. There is no Medicare coverage pathway for PRP as a treatment for osteoarthritis or any other joint indication, which is why these injections are quoted as cash prices. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — [Autologous Platelet-rich Plasma (Coverage with Evidence Development)](https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coverage/evidence/plasma). *CMS.gov*, 2012. 3. FDA states plainly that no stem cell, exosome, stromal vascular fraction, umbilical cord blood, Wharton's jelly or amniotic-fluid product has been approved for the treatment of ANY orthopedic condition - it names osteoarthritis, tendonitis, disc disease, tennis elbow, back pain, hip pain, knee pain, neck pain and shoulder pain individually. The only FDA-approved stem cell products in the United States are cord-blood-derived blood-forming stem cells for disorders of the hematopoietic system, and there are currently no FDA-approved exosome products. US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research — [Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products Including Stem Cells and Exosomes](https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/consumers-biologics/consumer-alert-regenerative-medicine-products-including-stem-cells-and-exosomes). *FDA*, 2020. 4. A GRADE-rated systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 randomized trials (807 participants) found that MSC therapy for chronic knee OA pain PROBABLY RESULTS IN LITTLE TO NO DIFFERENCE in pain relief at 3-6 months (WMD -0.74 cm on a 10 cm VAS against a minimally important difference of 1.5 cm) or physical functioning (WMD 2.23 on the SF-36 100-point subscale against a 10-point MID), both moderate certainty; at 12 months pain was again probably little-to-no-different (WMD -0.73 cm). The measured effect is real but sits BELOW the threshold at which a patient would notice it. Sadeghirad B, et al. — [Mesenchymal stem cells for chronic knee pain secondary to osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38777213/). *Osteoarthritis and cartilage*, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2024.04.021. 5. Medicare's national coverage policy covers autologous platelet-rich plasma ONLY for chronic non-healing diabetic, pressure and/or venous wounds, and only within an approved coverage-with-evidence-development study. There is no Medicare national coverage for PRP in shoulder osteoarthritis or rotator cuff disease, which is why these injections are billed to the patient directly. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — [Autologous Platelet-rich Plasma (Coverage with Evidence Development)](https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coverage/evidence/plasma). *CMS.gov*, 2024. 6. In the MOON Shoulder prospective cohort of 452 patients with symptomatic, ATRAUMATIC full-thickness rotator cuff tears, physical therapy succeeded in more than 70% of patients at 10 years: only 115 (27.0%) had surgery at any point over the decade. Patient-reported outcomes improved with physical therapy and did NOT decline over 10 years in those who never had surgery. The strongest predictor of early surgery was low patient expectation of physical therapy, not tear anatomy. Kuhn JE, et al. — [The Predictors of Surgery for Symptomatic, Atraumatic Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears Change Over Time: Ten-Year Outcomes of the MOON Shoulder Prospective Cohort.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38980920/). *J Bone Joint Surg Am*, 2024. DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.23.00978. 7. FDA states verbatim that stem cell, stromal vascular fraction, umbilical cord blood, Wharton's jelly, amniotic fluid and exosome products 'have [not] been approved for the treatment of any orthopedic condition, such as osteoarthritis, tendonitis, disc disease, tennis elbow, back pain, hip pain, knee pain, neck pain, or shoulder pain.' The only FDA-approved stem cell products in the United States are blood-forming (hematopoietic progenitor) cells from umbilical cord blood, approved only for disorders of blood production, and there are currently NO FDA-approved exosome products. U.S. Food and Drug Administration — [Consumer Alert on Regenerative Medicine Products Including Stem Cells and Exosomes](https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/consumers-biologics/consumer-alert-regenerative-medicine-products-including-stem-cells-and-exosomes). *FDA (Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research)*, 2020. ## How much does shoulder PRP cost? There isn't one dependable Chandler price. Ask for a written quote naming the exam, blood draw, procedure, and later checks. It should say whether staff use a scan while placing the blood portion that holds extra platelets. It also needs to show whether you are paying for one visit or a series. A knee price won't tell you the cost of shoulder care. ## Is PRP for the shoulder covered by insurance? Coverage is uncommon for shoulder PRP. Medicare's national rule covers it only for certain wounds that won't heal, not shoulder soreness. Other health plans make their own decisions. Ask the clinic for the billing code, then call your plan. Request a written answer before agreeing to pay. Insurance may decide who pays, but it can't tell you whether the care will help. ## What does shoulder regeneration mean? Shoulder regeneration is a broad name for care meant to work with the body's repair process. These treatments don't use surgery. PRP may be one option. The clinic separates a platelet-rich portion from blood drawn from your arm. The word regeneration doesn't mean worn cartilage or a torn tendon has grown back. Ask exactly what the clinic expects the care to change. ## Does PRP help a sore shoulder? The answer depends on why your shoulder hurts. Human studies of irritated or partly torn cuff tendons give mixed results. Some found modest relief, while others found little added help people could notice. PRP used during tendon surgery may change a later scan without making people feel better. That doesn't answer whether PRP alone will help. Ask whether the research matches your tendon or joint trouble. ## Will a torn rotator cuff heal on its own? A torn tendon may not join together on its own. Still, many slow tears feel and work better after guided strength work. Stronger nearby muscles help hold and move the arm. That can make daily tasks easier even when the tear remains. Seek a timely exam for new weakness after a fall, since waiting may narrow your choices. ## What can I do before a clinic visit? Avoid motions that cause sharp soreness, but don't leave the arm still all day. Try easy movement and light strength work without feeling worse later. Note how the ache began, what wakes you, and which tasks are hard. Bring a written medicine record and a past scan. QC Kinetix in Chandler offers a consultation with clinic staff about its non-surgical regenerative care. ## Bring your shoulder notes to the visit Note how the ache began, which movements hurt, what wakes you, and which activity you miss. Take the names of your medicines, any past scan, and the written reply from your insurance plan. Call (602) 837-PAIN or use the booking link to choose a time. Book a free consultation: --- Clear help for a sore shoulder. A clear guide to a sore shoulder, safe self-care, urgent symptoms and Chandler options. A clear guide to shoulder aches, safe self-care, urgent symptoms and the Chandler clinic. This site is operated by the owners of the QC Kinetix Phoenix-area clinics, including the Chandler location, and the owners benefit when a reader books. © 2026 Chandler Shoulder Ledger. General education, not medical advice for an individual shoulder; seek care from a clinician who can examine you.