A recent study has revealed that, after extensive research, it has discovered strong evidence to believe that injecting Achilles tendons injuries with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is not any more effective than using a placebo, when it comes to effectively dealing with pain and increasing levels of activity.

There has been much hope associated with the use of these shots which look to treat tendon injuries without the requirement of a surgery. PRP shots work by taking a little of the patient's blood and then isolating from it the platelet-rich plasma, which is rich in protein and some other substances which play a key role in healing.

The PRP is then injected into the tendon area, which reportedly speeds up the healing process, cuts back on pain and improves functionality.

But the new study has stressed that PRP has not been able to live up-to the expectations, at least when it comes to treating chronic Achilles tendinopathy, which is a chronic tendon injury which is related to overuse that can end up severely restricting activity.

"These findings are important and clinically relevant as PRP is thought to be growing in popularity and recent reviews supported its use for chronic tendon disorders. We do not recommend this treatment", said study leader Robert J. de Vos, MD,

Details of the study have been published in the January 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.