By now, you may have heard about or seen news reports on the “miracle” of Platelet Rich Plasma, known as PRP for short. Or you may have read one or more of the blogs I’ve posted in this space. But you’re still not clear on exactly what PRP is and what it’s for. Rather than send you off to read through my many articles on the subject, here’s a review of the procedure that’s becoming the go-to treatment for a variety of injuries and painful conditions. Read on and discover other uses as well, such as cosmetic therapy.
What is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy?
PRP is a relatively new treatment that relieves acute or chronic pain by triggering the natural healing potential of the body with platelets from your own blood.
Blood is made up of red and white blood cells, plasma, and platelets. Following an injury, platelets in our bodies are activated and release healing proteins called growth factors, which help to speed up wound and tissue healing. PRP is a very good source of these growth factors because PRP can be taken from your blood quickly, easily and safely.
It’s a strong vote of confidence for PRP that more and more professional athletes are turning to the procedure as a quick and reliable solution. As you can imagine, high-earning athletes (and their teams) certainly wouldn’t try anything that might threaten their health and careers. Because PRP is a purely natural process that uses their own blood to kick-start and accelerate the healing process, it is considered a very low-risk for allergic reaction or rejection.
What is PRP used to treat?
PRP gives hope to patients suffering from a variety of painful injuries and/or chronic conditions, including:
- Fractures
- Rotator Cuff Tears
- Back and Neck Injuries
- Tennis Elbow
- Ankle Sprains
- Ligament Sprains
- Tendinitis
- Osteoarthritis of the Knee, Shoulder, Hip and Spine
- ACL Injuries
- Chronic Plantar Fasciitis
- Pelvic Pain and Instability
- Facet Joint Arthropathy
- New Wounds and Non-Healing Ulcers
PRP is all that…and more
Using the body’s own plasma to promote its natural healing potential has led to the development of other procedures, including:
How is the procedure done?
The simple, one-hour, non-invasive procedure is performed by an experienced pain management physician. At New Jersey Pain Care Specialists, after the area is anesthetized for comfort, a sample of the patient’s blood is drawn and spun down in a centrifuge machine to separate out and concentrate the platelets and growth factors for tissue healing. The PRP is then injected into the injured area.
Following PRP treatment, you are able to go home the same day and you can expect full recovery within a week. However, depending on the severity of your injury, it may require 3-4 treatments before the injured tissues are completely healed.
At the right time, a specially-designed physical therapy program will be prescribed to help your newly developed connective tissue mature into healthy and strong tendons or ligaments – so you can get back to enjoying an active, healthy lifestyle as quickly and happily as possible.
Although PRP is a relatively low-risk treatment, it’s important for doctors to know about your other medical conditions and current medicines to avoid complications and ensure the best possible results. Our staff at NJ Pain Care Specialists is always available and happy to answer your questions and discuss your situation.
At the present time, PRP Treatments are not covered by medical insurance.
