You may have heard about the benefits of PRP therapy in the news, or perhaps, from a fellow athlete. More and more, patients with knee and other types of joint pain are turning to PRP therapy to help heal damage caused by certain medical conditions or injuries. Doctors use PRP to improve healing after medical procedures, too.
What to Expect From Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma. Platelets are specialized elements in your blood that among other functions, promote cellular growth and healing, and protect tissue from the harmful effects of unproductive inflammation (which can result from the accumulation of damaged and dead tissue).
PRP therapy is innovative because it is actually involved in and helps to regulate the body’s productive inflammatory response – such as by drawing white blood cells to injured areas – which is essential to healing.
During PRP therapy, your doctor will have your blood drawn, and specially treated to concentrate the platelets in it. This typically involves a spin in a centrifuge, which will separate the red and white blood cells from the platelets and plasma. Then, the concentrated platelet solution is injected into your injured tissues. It is thought that this “super-enriched plasma” promotes healing and regeneration in damaged joints, in bone grafts, or in tissues that have undergone surgery.
PRP therapy has become a common treatment for knee pain caused by conditions such as arthritis or injury, including sports injury. PRP therapy aims to enhance restoration of healthy tissue.
Does PRP Work?
PRP therapy has been called a “new approach to tissue regeneration,” and more dentists and oral surgeons are hoping to use PRP-enhanced treatments for their patients. Studies show positive results that point to PRP’s ability to enhance the healing of tissues and encourage bone regeneration.
This is a novel approach for certain chronic conditions such as arthritis. For injuries or post-surgical healing, especially bone grafts, PRP use has helped reduce healing time and enhanced successful integration of bone grafts.
Doctors are using PRP treatments more often, and they are finding that older adult in particular benefit from it. PRP is commonly used for patients who suffer from moderate arthritic pain when other noninvasive, traditional treatments don’t work well enough. Patients have reported less knee pain and better mobility with PRP treatments.
If you have questions about PRP therapy and whether it may be right for you, or if you would like to learn more about our orthopedic services, please call Personalized Orthopedics of the Palm Beaches at (561) 733-5888. To schedule an appointment, you can call or use our secure online appointment request form.
