As readers of my blog know, I am a strong believer in Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy and have written about the remarkable benefits I’ve seen time and again from the procedures we’ve performed at New Jersey Pain Care Specialists. So, naturally, I was pleased when I discovered an interview in which one of the world’s most extensively credentialed and well-known sports health experts, Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, recommended PRP for all kinds of sports injuries. (The procedure is also effective for non-injury conditions, including hair loss, cosmetic surgery, periodontics. pet care and more.)
Known as the Running Doc™, Dr. Maharam told The New York Daily News that he recommends PRP for injuries such as muscle, ligament and tendon tears, Achilles tendon injuries, plantar faciitis, tendonititis of the elbow, shoulder ailments, meniscus and labral tears in shoulders, knees and hips, back pain, arthritis, etc.
Here are excerpts from the Daily News interview:
“Most sports medicine physicians now consider PRP injections as major an advance in sports medicine as the MRI…a treatment to speed healing and quickly get runners back to running, to cut healing times by half or more.
“Here is how PRP works: A physician takes a sample of your blood and using a special centrifuge, spins it down for 14 minutes. This separates out a layer of platelet rich plasma, with white blood cells (lymphocytes which activate the platelets), which is then injected into the area needing regenerative therapy.
“This accelerates healing so fast it is truly remarkable. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hines Ward had this done in the two weeks before his MVP Super Bowl and did great. I have seen patients do just as well, though sometimes it takes two or three treatments.
- It works faster than treating injuries without it, getting athletes back to their sport quicker.
- PRP works naturally and we all like that. If you think of a cut, platelets come in to coagulate the area but also send out “signals” for the body to bring in multiple healing factors (stem cells). Putting PRP there multiplies this response by a factor of seven or more.
- It can be done in a doctor’s office in a little less than one hour.
- The injection does not weaken structures like cortisone does, it actually strengthens them.”
I am very pleased to have the support of a world-renowned health expert for a treatment that New Jersey Pain Care Specialists is deeply committed to. While some professionals are just catching on, our physicians already have a world of experience in performing this safe and simple, non-surgical, outpatient procedure.
Please contact us to discuss the possibilities of PRP and how it can work for you.
At the present time, Stem Cell Therapy is not covered by medical insurance.
