Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
Many famous and professional athletes have used PRP therapy with amazing results.
In recent years, medical studies have shown that the body’s ability to heal itself is a very powerful tool to recover from injuries. Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a form of regenerative medicine that can harness those abilities and amplify the natural growth factors your body uses to heal tissue.
Platelet rich plasma injections (PRP) is regarded as a revolutionary modality of care in regenerative medicine
What is plasma and what are platelets?
Plasma is the liquid portion of whole blood. It is composed largely of water and proteins, and it provides a medium for red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets to circulate through the body. Platelets, also called thrombocytes, are blood cells that cause blood clots and other necessary growth healing functions.
Platelet activation plays a key role in the body’s natural healing process.
What is platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and what are PRP injections?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy uses injections of a concentration of a patient’s own platelets to accelerate the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints. In this way, PRP injections use each individual patient’s own healing system to improve musculoskeletal problems.
PRP injections are prepared by taking a few tubes of the patient’s own blood and processing it to concentrate the platelets. The concentrated and activated platelets are then injected directly into the patient’s injured or diseased body tissue. This releases growth factors that stimulate and increase the number of reparative cells the body produces.
What to expect from PRP therapy?
Depending upon the initial extent of injury, the overall process of healing may take a few weeks, and rarely, up to a few months. While most patients do not require more than 1 -2 injections, you should know that complete regeneration of damaged collagen may require multiple sessions. In the early post-therapy period (2-3 weeks after the PRP injection), most patients report remarkable improvement in the severity of symptoms such as pain and discomfort.
If you are looking to restore the anatomical and physiological health of your joints and soft tissue elements, take advantage of our medical wellness evaluation to see if you are a candidate for Platelet Rich Plasma therapy.
