Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Why Platelet-Rich Plasma Is The Ultimate Fix For Musculoskeletal Injuries

Out of all countries in the world, the US contributes to the major chunk of breakthroughs in healthcare and related sciences. Every year brings with it new treatments for one or more of the various health ailments that trouble humanity at large. At the same time, some other procedures cater to improving performance through quick recovery and accelerated healing.

Amongst these ground-breaking breakthroughs, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy has been slowly gaining ground among medical circles and patients alike. Given the number of ailments it treats, this regenerative medicine therapy is nothing short of a miracle to have graced the field of medicine.

What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy?

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) was first developed in 1970 and used successfully by Ferrari et al. in 1987 for autologous blood transfusion during heart surgery. But it has gained widespread acceptance and popularity in the last two decades for all the right reasons,

Let us find out what this therapy entails and why it is gaining such crazy popularity.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy utilizes the natural healing properties of your body to accelerate recovery in the affected part of your body. It involves injecting the PRP through Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections directly into the damaged body tissue.

How Does PRP Therapy Work?

Your blood consists of solids and liquids. The liquid part of your blood is called plasma and consists of proteins, water, and salts, whereas the solid part is made up of platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells. Amongst all these, platelets are majorly responsible for blood clotting and the healing of injuries.

In PRP therapy, a sample of the patient’s blood is processed through a centrifuge to increase the platelet concentration between four to six times the initial concentration, hence the name “Platelet-Rich Plasma.” These platelets are then activated by adding thrombin and calcium chloride, which significantly increase the release of growth factors in the surrounding tissue.

These growth factors lead to accelerated healing of the damaged tissues, which makes PRP therapy a preferred option over uncertain and immobilizing surgeries.

Simply put, getting injected with PRP is like air-dropping the best of Navy Seals at the extreme frontlines of the battle to neutralize the enemy!

What Ailments Is PRP Therapy Effective Against?

It is no surprise why PRP therapy has become proliferated over the last few years. Given the scope of its application, PRP therapy is changing the lives of thousands by taking away their pain and helping them live longer and healthier lives. Which is why there is a considerable spike in people searching for  PRP injection near me on Google.

PRP therapy has shown considerable promise in treating the following medical conditions:

  1. Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease that leads to gradual degeneration of the joints. PRP has shown to be effective in slowing the progression of osteoarthritis. PRP injection in the knee, ankles, shoulders, and hip joints have shown to reduce inflammation, improve lubrication and even enable the growth of cartilage in some cases.

  1. Non-Healing Wounds

PRP therapy helps bring activated platelets in contact with stubborn, long-term wounds that refuse to heal. This helps in inducing coagulation by fighting infection and assists in healing the wound sooner.

  1. Chronic Tendon Injuries/ Tendonitis

PRP has been revolutionary in treating chronic injuries, which are most common among athletes and active individuals alike. PRP is the most effective in treating a jumper’s knee, tennis elbow, and tears in the rotator cuffs. Due to the poor blood flow to the tendons, these injuries are typically quite tough to heal; PRP helps in concentrating the platelets at the location of maximum damage and helps the tissue regenerate more quickly.

  1. Muscle And Ligament Related Injuries

These injuries can span from pulled hamstrings, pulled or strained thigh muscles, and plantar fasciitis to early tearing of the tendons. PRP cures these injuries with relative ease and works faster than other traditional procedures, which are ineffective at curing them completely.

  1. Nerve Damage And Injury

Neurosurgeons are turning towards PRP for treating various nerve injuries of the peripheral nervous system. PRP does an exceptional job at reducing pain, regenerating nerve tissues, and restoring proper function.

  1. Back And Spine Injuries

PRP has proven to be monumental in preventing the need for risky surgeries by treating bulging/ herniated discs, sacroiliac joints, and facet joints in the back. Injecting plasma at these sites is promising as it effectively promotes tissue healing and reduces pain and inflammation.

Are PRP Injections Effective?

The effectiveness of PRP therapy varies for every individual, which is why a particular section of the medical community believes it is no better than a placebo. But a study of 230 tennis elbow patients proved that 84% of the patients had more than 25% reduction in pain.

The following reasons make PRP therapy an absolute favorite of professional athletes:

  1. Unlike complicated and tedious surgeries, plasma injections have no negative impact on the patient’s endurance, athletic vigor, and stamina.
  2. Any long-term side effects or complications other than mild pain, swelling, and stiffness at the injection site for a couple of days are extremely rare.
  3. No need for long durations of rest or rehabilitation and no post-surgical recovery.
  4. PRP injections are applied under ultrasound guidance after applying local anesthesia, making it accurate and significantly improving the quality of results.

What Should You Expect From A PRP Therapy?

The healing duration depends upon the injury’s extent and the patient’s initial response to the treatment. There is a remarkable improvement in the early post-therapy period (2-3 weeks), where patients report immense alleviation in the pain and discomfort they experience. The healing may take a few weeks for minor injuries, while complicated injuries may take a couple of months.

Six to nine months is the duration of effectiveness of a single Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injection. Generally, most patients do not need more than 1-2 sessions, but multiple sessions are often required for complete regeneration of the damaged collagen.

Please consult your doctor before preparing for these shots because only he can guide you in the right direction.

Conclusion

There are far fewer studies supporting Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy, but the results speak for themselves. Not only is PRP effective, but it is also trusted by doctors and professional athletes alike. PRP may delay or prevent surgery. It may help considerably with pain and inflammation. No wonder that the likes of Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, and Alex Rodriguez have opted for PRP and benefited from it. If you suffer from chronic injuries or wounds that resurface and refuse to go away, or if you are troubled by terrible joint pains, then a PRP shot is definitely worth a shot.

 

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