Popular among young athletes and active adults alike, PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy is utilized to help treat everything from injured tendons to joint pain. It helps to speed up healing using your body’s own natural abilities.
PRP treatment is a safe and effective medical therapy that harnesses your own blood platelets’ healing capabilities. Platelets are the clear, colorless blood cells that help form blood clots – and they are best known for their role in forming scabs. When you get injured, platelets rush to the site of injury and bind together to stop the bleeding and to start the healing process.
Let’s talk about how PRP treatment works in orthopedics, and where you can go for a consultation and treatment that works to drastically reduce or even eliminate your joint pain.
What Is PRP Treatment?
PRP treatment is performed by your doctor via a relatively brief injection procedure. Your orthopedic doctor first draws blood from your arm. The blood sample is then processed in a centrifuge there in the office, and the platelets are isolated from the rest of your blood cells. Once the concentration is ready, it is re-injected directly into the injured or painful area to trigger healing.
How Does PRP Therapy Relieve Pain?
PRP treatment can relieve joint pain, and it may even reverse some of the damage caused by orthopedic injury or disease. This healing power is thanks to your platelets’ growth factors, which include:
- Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)
- Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)
- Epidermal growth factor (EGF)
- Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)
- Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)
- Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
These growth factors activate a series of beneficial processes, including angiogenesis, whereby new blood vessels form to support wound healing. Likewise, they promote cellular and tissue repair and regeneration.
PRP Treatment for Musculoskeletal Injuries and Joint Pain
Orthopedic doctors often use PRP injection treatment to address a wide range of sports injuries and degenerative joint conditions. When your tendons or ligaments are injured, bioactive growth factors can alert various mechanisms to alleviate the pain.
It is useful in treating orthopedic injuries, such as:
- Achilles tendon tears
- ACL injuries (anterior cruciate ligament in the knee)
- Hamstring muscle injuries
- Plantar fasciitis (causing heel pain)
- Rotator cuff tears
- Tennis elbow
PRP Treatment in Pembroke Pines and Lauderdale Lakes, FL
Since PRP treatment is derived from your own blood, there is no risk of immune rejection. It is a minimally invasive procedure that involves no incisions and leaves no scars. You will remain fully awake during the entire PRP procedure, and you can go back to your normal activities afterward – just try to keep pressure off of the treated area as your doctor recommends.
If you are interested in finding out whether you’re a good candidate for PRP treatment, talk to the experts here at Total Orthopaedic Care. Our board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic doctors will give you a thorough evaluation and talk to you about the treatments that would work best for you.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, contact our friendly staff today by calling us at (954) 735-3535 or by completing our online appointment request form now. We have convenient locations in Pembroke Pines and Lauderdale Lakes. We look forward to helping you enjoy your active lifestyle once again!
