What is PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) Therapy?

Platelet Rich Plasma, or PRP, is a special treatment used for both acute (recent) or chronic (long-standing) injuries. Commonly PRP treatment is used on sports injuries, Osteoarthritis and tendon injuries. These injuries include sprains, strains, and tears in parts of your body such as the foot, ankle, knee and elbow. They happen when the collagen fibers, which make up your body’s tendons, get damaged. Without help, this damaged tissue might not heal well because it doesn’t get enough blood.

PRP therapy uses a part of your own blood (platelets) to support healing. These platelets specialize in starting a healing process and blood clotting. To acquire the platelets, your blood is placed in a tube and a machine is used to separate the platelets from the other parts of the blood. Then the platelets are put back into the injured area. This personalized treatment gives specific healing support for each patient based on their unique situation.

Potential Benefits of PRP Therapy

PRP therapy is not just good for lessening pain, but also for supporting the healing process. It’s a promising treatment for people suffering from ongoing pain and difficulty using their injured parts.

  • PRP can be an efficient treatment for persistent, painful injuries.
  • Patients may experience significant symptom reduction and return to a pain-free lifestyle within a few weeks.
  • PRP promotes the growth of new tendon cells, and draws healing cells to damaged tendon tissues.
  • The therapy may help to avoid the need for surgical intervention or prolonged use of pain medications.
  • It may enable athletes to return to competition sooner, employees to resume work quickly, and individuals to get back to their regular activities faster.

What is PRP Used For?

PRP is a versatile therapy primarily employed to treat a range of musculoskeletal injuries. It’s particularly favored among professional athletes across various sports including football, baseball, and basketball. They find it useful due to the natural and accelerated recovery it provides.

Some key uses and benefits of PRP include:

  • Providers sometimes recommend PRP in patients suffering from hamstring tendonitis, tennis elbow, and plantar fasciitis.
  • Promising results have been observed when PRP is used to alleviate arthritis pain in the hip, knee, shoulder, and sacroiliac joint.
  • PRP therapy is advantageous over steroid injections which can weaken tissues and exacerbate arthritis over time. In contrast, PRP works to fortify tissues and enhance the health of surrounding structures.

The ABC Wellness Medical PRP Therapy Protocol

The first step in our PRP protocol is your initial consultation to see if you are a candidate for this treatment. We will consider your pain condition, diagnostic tests and prior treatment history.

If you are a candidate for PRP, then you will be scheduled to come in for an ultrasound-guided injection. Ultrasound guidance is crucial because if the PRP is not injected into the correct location perfectly then it will not work as effectively.

What to expect from our treatment protocol:

  • Shorter Downtime and Quicker Rehabilitation
  • Not Use of General Anaesthesia
  • Same Day, In-Office Procedure
  • Non-Surgical, Safe Procedures
  • Precise Placement with Ultrasound Guidance

The Healing Process

The healing cascade takes 4-6 weeks to signal for your body’s cells and regenerative processes to repair and rebuild damaged tissue. Patients often see significant improvement in symptoms and many report a gradual improvement and return of function. Three treatments may be needed to obtain optimal results.