Platelet-rich plasma injections (also known as PRP therapy) are made up of a concentrated dose of a patient’s own platelets. The treatment is currently being researched and studied in clinical trials, and helps to promote advanced healing in wounds and injuries of the soft tissue, joints, and bones. PRP therapy has received attention in the media in recent years as an increasingly popular method of treatment for professional athletes suffering from chronic, potentially career-ending injuries that may no longer be responsive to traditional treatments and surgery.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections
The first step of PRP therapy is to extract a blood sample from the patient. The sample is then run through a centrifuge to separate the platelets from red blood cells and the other components of blood. The platelet-rich plasma injections introduce human growth factor to the damaged tissue that can spur the production of reparative healing cells.
The implications of PRP therapy for difficult to treat or treatment-resistant injuries and illnesses is very exciting for the medical community. Orthopedic surgeons and ACL specialists like Dr. Eric Millstein in Beverly Hills see the potential for treatment options beyond the traditional, more conservative treat-ments and surgery. At the moment, patients who undergo PRP therapy still require rest and a course of stretching and strength training rehabilitation after the procedure. However due to the fact that the treatment consists of a patient’s own blood and genetic material, the risk of infection and adverse effects is relatively low.
Platelet-rich plasma injections are also showing potential in treatment for osteoarthritis.
