# These answers cover home care, scans, cost and nearby treatment *Shoulder regeneration Tempe — Straight Answers* > Shoulder regeneration Tempe questions answered about home care, warning signs, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), cost and nearby clinics. Regenerative care is non-surgical treatment that may use parts separated from your blood. The clinic draws blood, concentrates certain parts and puts that material into the sore shoulder. An exam comes first because several problems can cause the same ache. Here are straight answers to the questions people often ask. ## Sources 1. 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. 2. The RESTORE trial - a participant-, injector- and assessor-blinded RCT of 288 adults aged 50+ with symptomatic medial knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence 2-3) - compared three weekly intra-articular PRP injections against saline placebo, with co-primary endpoints of 12-month knee pain and medial tibial cartilage volume on MRI. PRP did not beat placebo on either. It is the single best-designed test of the specific claim that PRP changes joint structure, and it was negative. Bennell KL, et al. — [Effect of Intra-articular Platelet-Rich Plasma vs Placebo Injection on Pain and Medial Tibial Cartilage Volume in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: The RESTORE Randomized Clinical Trial.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34812863/). *JAMA*, 2021. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.19415. 3. A four-arm, multicentre, single-blind phase 2/3 randomized trial of 480 knee OA patients (KL II-IV) compared autologous bone marrow aspirate concentrate, autologous adipose stromal vascular fraction and allogeneic umbilical-cord-tissue mesenchymal stromal cells against a corticosteroid injection control. At 12 months NONE of the three orthobiologic injections was superior to another, or to the corticosteroid control, and none of the four groups showed a significant change in MRI osteoarthritis score from baseline. No procedure-related serious adverse events occurred. Mautner K, et al. — [Cell-based versus corticosteroid injections for knee pain in osteoarthritis: a randomized phase 3 trial.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37919438/). *Nature medicine*, 2023. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02632-w. 4. 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. 5. In a nationally representative Finnish population sample of 602 adults aged 41-76 who had bilateral 3-Tesla shoulder MRI regardless of symptoms, rotator cuff abnormalities were found in 98.7% of participants (25% tendinopathy, 62% partial-thickness tear, 11% full-thickness tear). Abnormalities were present in 96% of ASYMPTOMATIC shoulders. Only full-thickness tears were more common in symptomatic shoulders, and that difference all but disappeared after adjustment (absolute difference 0.8%, 95% CI -3.4% to 6.0%). Ibounig T, et al. — [Incidental Rotator Cuff Abnormalities on Magnetic Resonance Imaging.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41697693/). *JAMA Intern Med*, 2026. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.7903. 6. A 2025 meta-analysis of 15 randomized trials (1,785 participants) found corticosteroid injection ADDED to physical therapy produced small-to-moderate short-term improvements in pain and function, corticosteroid injection ALONE was not more effective than physical therapy, and at mid- and long-term follow-up corticosteroid was not more effective than physical therapy at all. Certainty of evidence was moderate to mostly very low. Lazzarini SG, et al. — [Effectiveness of Additional or Standalone Corticosteroid Injections Compared to Physical Therapist Interventions in Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39836429/). *Phys Ther*, 2025. DOI: 10.1093/ptj/pzaf006. ## Should I see a doctor for shoulder soreness or wait? Try lighter work and comfortable motion when the soreness began slowly. Book an exam if sleep, dressing, reaching or lifting remains hard. Get prompt care if a fall leaves the arm weak or the shoulder out of shape. Fever with heat, redness or swelling around the joint also needs quick care. ## What exercise helps a sore shoulder? Begin with easy motion and stop before the shoulder becomes sharply sore. A stiff shoulder may need gentle work in several directions. A sore tendon, the cord joining muscle to bone, may need slow strength work. Have the arm examined before exercise if an injury caused sudden weakness. ## What if my X-ray says bone on bone? That phrase describes wear seen on the X-ray. It doesn't tell the clinician how well you move, sleep or manage daily tasks. Bad arthritis may make a surgical opinion useful, even when you aren't ready for surgery. The visit can explain whether waiting matters and which non-surgical choices remain. ## What is platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, and can it help? PRP means platelet-rich plasma. The clinic draws a little blood and spins it to separate and gather more platelets. That prepared portion is then put into the sore shoulder. Results vary by shoulder problem, and studies haven't proved that PRP rebuilds a tendon or joint. ## What does blood-based regenerative care cost in Arizona? There isn't one price for every type of blood-based care. Preparation, follow-up and the number of visits can change the total. Request the full cost in writing before you choose. Also ask what follow-up is included if the soreness doesn't improve. ## Where can I discuss non-surgical shoulder care near Tempe? McClintock Road becomes Dobson Road at the Chandler line and leads toward the Chandler clinic. Scottsdale may be easier to reach from northern Tempe. Take notes about strength, movement, sleep and earlier care. QC Kinetix offers consultations with a medical provider, the clinician who examines you before discussing blood-based treatment for the sore shoulder. ## An exam comes before choosing shoulder care QC Kinetix offers regenerative treatment options that may use concentrated blood parts in the sore shoulder. A medical provider is the clinician who examines your movement, strength and earlier care. Take notes about the injury and the daily task you miss. Call (602) 837-PAIN to reach the clinic team. Book a free consultation: --- Plain help for a sore shoulder. Learn why a shoulder may ache, which home steps may help and when nearby non-surgical care is worth discussing. Plain help for understanding shoulder soreness, home care and the next visit. This site is operated by the owners of the QC Kinetix Phoenix-area clinics, including the Chandler and Scottsdale locations referenced here, and the owners benefit when a reader books a consultation. © 2026 Tempe Shoulder Table. General education only, not a diagnosis or medical advice for an individual shoulder.