WHEN YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT TREATMENT
Tell us which joint and how long. Those two answers determine most of what we say back. If you have had injections already, add how many and what each one did — that sequence shapes the plan more than any imaging does.
We will tell you whether this is something we treat, and if it is not, who does. A consultation that ends in a referral elsewhere is a legitimate outcome.
How to reach us
Messages are answered during clinic hours. This form is not monitored for urgent problems — if something is worsening quickly, call rather than write. In an emergency call 911; if you are in crisis, call or text 988.
Where we are
The clinic is on Natural Bridge Road next to DePaul Hospital, just off the I-270 and I-70 junction and west of the airport. Free surface parking outside the door, ground-floor entrance, full-size elevator.
PRP STL
12174 Natural Bridge Rd, Suite 303
St. Louis, MO 63044
Hours
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Free surface parking directly outside, a ground-floor entrance and a full-size elevator. No garage to circle and no steps on the way in.
If you need something specific to attend comfortably, tell us when you book and we will arrange it rather than improvise on the day.
How long to allow
Allow two to four hours for an injection appointment, and bring someone who can drive you home. A consultation on its own is much shorter and you can drive yourself to it.
No sedation is used for these procedures. The recovery time is about the flare settling enough to get you home comfortably, not about anesthesia wearing off. What the visit involves.
What to bring
- Any imaging of the affected area, and the report if you have it
- Recent labs, particularly a metabolic panel and an A1C if you have had one — they change what we can tell you (why)
- A list of what you have already tried, and roughly when
- Everything you take, including supplements and anything over the counter
Referring a patient
Call the number above and ask for the clinical line rather than sending a fax into a line. You will speak to someone who can answer clinical questions, and consultations are generally available within the same week.
Coding, coverage reality and what comes back to you are set out on the page for referring physicians.
Before you call, it may save you a trip
Several pages here will tell you not to have an injection, and they are the ones worth reading first.
- Am I a candidate? — the four questions that decide it
- What we treat, and what we decline
- Not covered is not the same as unproven
- Risks and side effects
- Recovery timeline — why week two feels like nothing
What happens after you call
- A short conversation about which joint and how long. Enough for us to say whether an assessment is likely to be worth your time.
- An assessment appointment, usually within the same week. Allow an hour, and expect most of it not to be an injection.
- An opinion at the end of it, including the opinion that this is a poor bet for you, or that a surgeon is the better answer.
- Treatment only if it is indicated, on a separate visit in most cases, so the decision is made with a clear head rather than in the moment.
- Follow-up at six weeks and three months, and an honest reckoning at the second one.
Why the first visit often has no needle in it
Candidacy is decided before anything is drawn, and that decision needs an examination, ultrasound where it changes the answer, your imaging read against the examination, and a look at the metabolic picture. A clinic that injects at the first visit has usually skipped at least two of those.
It also means a proportion of people leave without treatment and without a bill for one. That is a legitimate outcome of an assessment, and it is most of what the assessment is for.
If you are not sure it is worth the call
A reasonable test: have you had this problem more than three months, and have you genuinely attempted a loading program rather than rest? If the answer to the first is no, most of these conditions resolve on their own and you may be paying for a recovery you were going to have. If the answer to the second is no, the loading program is the treatment with the better evidence and it costs less than anything we sell.
If the answer to both is yes, the call is probably worth making. The longer version of this test.
What we will not ask you for
- Your address. The form collects name, email, phone and message only.
- Your insurance details, as a gate. PRP is not covered and we are not going to run a benefits check to tell you something we already know.
- A commitment before an assessment. Nobody is asked to buy a package, and there is no package to buy.
- A reason for waiting this long. People wait because of work, money and because they were told to. None of that needs justifying here.
Getting here
The clinic is on Natural Bridge Road next to DePaul Hospital, just off the I-270 and I-70 junction and west of the airport. If you know the hospital, you know the building — we are the medical offices beside it.
- From the north or east: I-270 south to the Natural Bridge Road exit.
- From St. Charles County: I-70 east across the river, then I-270 south.
- From west county: I-270 north to Natural Bridge Road.
- From the airport: Natural Bridge Road west, about five minutes.
Free surface parking directly outside, a ground-floor entrance and a full-size elevator. Routed drive times from eleven communities.
Common questions
Do I need a referral?
No, though we are glad to have one and we write back to referring physicians. For physicians.
Can you tell me the price over the phone?
We do not publish prices and will not quote one without seeing your case — but call and ask, and you will get a straight answer about your situation. Coverage.
How soon can I be seen?
Consultations are generally available within the same week. What to expect.
Will I get an injection at the first visit?
Often not. Candidacy is decided before anything is drawn. How we assess.
Which address should I go to?
We will tell you when you book. For most of St. Charles and West County it is Natural Bridge. Service area.
Related reading
- How treatment is paid for
- Areas we serve
- What to expect
- About Dr. Padda
- Information for referring physicians
What we need from you on the phone
Two answers do most of the work: which joint, and how long. If you have had injections already, add how many and what each one did — that sequence shapes the plan more than any imaging does.
If you have had surgery, say when and what was done. If you are taking something for the pain, say what and how much. Nobody will react to it, and an accurate picture is the only thing that makes the rest of the conversation useful.
What you will get back
- A straight answer about whether this is worth your time. Sometimes that answer is no, and you will get it on the phone rather than after a visit.
- An appointment usually within the same week, timed around your shift if you work one.
- An hour that is mostly not an injection — examination, ultrasound where it changes the answer, and your imaging read against the examination.
- An opinion, including an unwelcome one. If a surgeon is the better answer, or a loading program would do more than anything we sell, that is what you will be told.