Could an old childbirth tear still be affecting you (or someone you love)?

Childbirth can leave changes that persist long after the delivery.The real miracle is that every woman does not have significant bleeding and pain long-term after a baby passes through such a small space--and many do, especially in the posterior vagina.

Some women continue to experience tenderness, discomfort, scar tightness, altered sensation, pain with intercourse, or other changes years after an episiotomy or a spontaneous perineal tear.

These injuries usually heal, but not always without lasting symptoms. Recent research has renewed interest in whether platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, may help support healing and tissue quality in this area.Physicians offering the O-Shot® procedure have been providing this treatment for years (and have seen the lives of many women changed for the better), based on decades of research showing that PRP can improve tissue health and strength and remodel scars, but finally, the research has reached a level that cannot be ignored.

Why PRP?

PRP is prepared from a small sample of your own blood and contains a concentrated mixture of platelets and platelet-derived signaling proteins involved in tissue repair, new blood-vessel formation, inflammation, and remodeling.

The O-Shot® uses PRP as a regenerative, cellular treatment for vaginal and vulvar tissues.

What does the research show?

A newly published 2026 scientific review examined PRP specifically for episiotomy and childbirth-related perineal injury.

The authors identified five primary clinical studies involving PRP and obstetric perineal injury.

In the most directly relevant randomized trial, 200 women undergoing episiotomy were assigned to PRP or standard treatment.

Among the 176 women who completed follow-up, the investigators reported:

• better early wound-healing scores,

• better scar scores,

• less pain, and

• no wound gaping in the PRP group compared with seven cases in the control group.

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Other smaller reports have described PRP use in women with severe childbirth-related perineal tears, episiotomy wound breakdown, and chronic pain following episiotomy.

Promising, but not yet proven

The scientific evidence is encouraging, but it is important not to overstate it.

The existing randomized episiotomy trial had important methodological limitations, and the authors of the 2026 review describe the present evidence as a promising but still preliminary signal rather than proof that PRP is effective.

A new prospectively registered randomized clinical trial, PRP-EpiHeal, has therefore been designed specifically to study PRP for episiotomy repair using more rigorous methods and blinded assessment.

Researchers are also calling for studies of longer-term outcomes that matter greatly to women — including scar quality, chronic perineal pain and sexual function.Even more encouraging, the risks of PRP have been shown to be near zero. No one can promise a risk-free procedure, but PRP fights infection and has even been shown to have tendencies to decrease the chances of cancer in some skin conditions.

Could the O-Shot® be worth discussing?

If you have persistent pain, tenderness, scar sensitivity, tightness, altered sensation, or changes in sexual function after childbirth, PRP treatment may be an option worth discussing.

Even though physicians at the Cellular Medicine Association have been seeing great results for years, the O-Shot® has not yet been proven in large randomized trials specifically for old episiotomy scars or chronic postpartum perineal symptoms. The current research provides a biological rationale and encouraging early clinical evidence, but not certainty.

Every woman’s anatomy, symptoms, and childbirth history are different. An examination and consultation can help determine what may be contributing to your symptoms and whether PRP treatment is appropriate for you.

Schedule your Consultation today