PRP

What is PRP therapy?

Your blood contains four ingredients:

• Red blood cells
• White blood cells
• Platelets
• Plasma

Your platelets play a crucial role in clotting your blood, but they’re also a source of powerful healing resources, namely growth factors, or proteins. When you’re injured, your platelets arrive on the scene to stem your bleeding through clotting. At the same time, they also release growth factors, which accelerate rebuilding and repair on a cellular level.

But your body works at its own pace, which is where PRP therapy comes in. By isolating your platelets and redirecting them to your damaged tissue, the doctors at Neuro Pain Consultants provide a much-needed boost to speed up the inflammatory cascade and subsequent healing.

What conditions can PRP therapy address?

PRP therapy is fast gaining acceptance as a viable adjunct treatment for any number of soft tissue problems, including:

• Ligament or tendon tears
• Arthritis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Herniated disc
• Muscle damage
• Tendinitis
• Joint pain

The doctors at Neuro Pain Consultants also use PRP therapy as a post-surgical tool to give your body the resources it needs to recover more quickly.

How does PRP therapy work?

If you and your doctor decide that you may benefit from PRP therapy, they draw 10 milliliters of your own blood from the large vein in your elbow. Using a centrifuge, they separate out your platelets, creating a concentrate that’s 5-10 times higher (normally your blood contains 6% platelets).

Once prepared, your doctor mixes the platelets back in with your plasma and injects the solution into the tissue that needs a regenerative boost. For your comfort, your doctor anesthetizes the injection site and uses ultrasound guidance to ensure that the platelets are introduced accurately.

The entire process takes just 10 minutes and you’re free to go home afterward. Over the following 4-6 weeks, your body sets to work to rebuild itself from within. During this time, you’ll need to be patient and follow your doctor’s instructions when it comes to using your injured area again.

If you’d like to explore the world of regenerative medicine, and PRP therapy more specifically, call Neuro Pain Consultants or use the online scheduling tool to set up an appointment.

Individual results may vary.