Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Q&A
Platelet therapy or platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a regenerative treatment that relieves pain by promoting healing of musculoskeletal tissue. This new state of the art injection procedure uses the body’s own platelets and cells to ease pain. This treatment has shown exciting success with osteoarthritis of the joints, tendinitis, bursitis, and sports related injuries like ligament sprains. At Texas Pain Intervention Clinic, we offer PRP injection to assist patients suffering from acute and chronic pain. Dr. Maheshwari can help you further understand the medical science behind PRP and help you determine if this advanced treatment is a fit for you.
What is it?
Platelets have healing and growth factors which initiate repair and attract the critical assistance of the body’s cells to heal tissue. Combined with the regenerative power of our body’s cells, the injury area will begin to heal. PRP therapy’s natural healing process intensifies the body’s efforts by delivering a higher concentration of platelets. To create PRP, a small sample of your blood is drawn and placed in a centrifuge that spins the blood at high speeds, separating the platelets from the other components. These platelets have been further refined and concentrated depending on their specific use. The concentrated platelet rich plasma is then injected into and around the point of injury, jump-starting and significantly strengthening the body’s natural healing signal. Because your own blood is used, there is no risk of a transmissible infection and a very low risk of allergic reaction.
How does it work?
When the body is injured, the normal response for the soft tissue is to deliver platelets. When PRP is injected into the site of pain or inflammation, the growth factors in the platelet can jumpstart the body’s healing process to repair damaged tissue and restore normal function. As inflammation goes down, the pain is reduced and most patients can move without the tightness and pain caused by internal pressure and swelling. PRP therapy is a good option for patients for whom other methods have failed.
All of the patient’s injections are completed with ultrasound or fluoroscopy (X ray) for precision guidance. At Texas Pain Intervention Clinic, our procedures are handled comprehensively and our medical team will assess the patient’s previous history, review of imaging and full exam to formulate a treatment plan.
What are the advantages?
The goal of PRP therapy is to help regenerate damaged tissue. PRP injections do not immediately remove pain, however, the focus is to heal the body. Improvements may be seen within a few weeks, gradually increasing as the healing progresses. Research studies and clinical practice have shown PRP therapy to be very effective at relieving pain and returning patients to their normal lives. Both ultrasound and MRI images have shown definitive tissue repair after PRP therapy, confirming the healing process. The need for surgery can also be reduced by treating injured tissues before the damage progresses and the condition is irreversible.
PRP treatments are considered state of the art procedures used to treat the following conditions:
- Osteoarthritis of the joints
- Injury to the neck and spine
- Knee, elbow, shoulder injuries
- Muscle and tendon tears
- Chronic plantar fasciitis
- Sports related injuries
- Pelvic instability and pain
- Ankle sprains and strains
- Ligament sprains, tears, and pulls