PRP Therapy for Your Pain

If you’re a sports fan, you may have heard of Platelet Rich Plasma treatment (PRP). Pro athletes in almost all major sports have turned to PRP therapy to help them return to the field more quickly from injuries that might once have required long physical therapy or surgery.

Platelets, also known as thrombocytes, are small cell fragments that are created in bone marrow and found in blood. Their primary function is to promote clotting and stop bleeding from wounds. 

These platelets also contain proteins called human growth factors that can contribute to the healing of injury. Platelet Rich Plasma is created by taking the patient’s own blood and separating the platelets in a centrifuge. The platelets are then injected into the site of the injury where they deliver a powerful dose of growth factors to stimulate tissue and bone regeneration. This can help your body heal in a natural, yet enhanced way. 

PRP therapy is a highly successful and minimally invasive procedure.

PRP therapy is a regenerative treatment that can be used for many types of injuries and conditions. It’s particularly helpful in treating tissues that don’t heal on their own or areas of bone with little or no blood supply.

When used to treat tendon injuries, such as tennis elbow, patellar tendinitis or Achilles tendinitis, PRP therapy can help reduce pain, improve function of the affected joint and repair damage to the tendons. In this instance, a mixture of PRP and an anesthetic are injected directly into the injured tissue.

PRP therapy can be used to augment healing after orthopedic surgeries, such as ACL or rotator cuff tears. PRP can be used to increase the success rate of surgery by giving a boost of natural healing resources to the site involved.

In recent years, PRP therapy has become a growing tool in fighting osteoarthritis, particularly in the knee. The PRP is injected directly into the affected joint and can help reduce pain and improve function. It could also possibly slow, stop or even repair cartilage damage.

Platelet Rich Plasma therapy is actually pretty easy. The initial drawing of the blood to create the preparation is no more difficult than having blood drawn for routine lab work, and the injections are no more painful than any other shot that you might receive to treat one of the conditions, such as steroid shots or trigger-point injections.

Dr. Joseph Finstein MD specializes in PRP therapies, as well as a full spectrum of treatments for injuries of the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, foot and ankle. If you would like to know more about regenerative therapies, such as PRP, and how they could benefit you, please contact us today for a consultation.