The use of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is becoming very popular because of its effectiveness in treatment of a variety of conditions from arthritis & sports injury to hair loss and facial rejuvenation. This treatment uses your own blood and the amazing healing properties of concentrated peptides and platelets in your blood to accelerate healing in a specific area.
What is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)?
Platelet-rich plasma contains two elements:
- Plasma – the yellow liquid portion of blood
- Platelets, a type of blood cell that plays an important role in healing throughout the body
Platelets are well-known for their clotting abilities, but they also contain growth factors (the good stuff!) that can trigger cell reproduction and stimulate tissue regeneration or healing in the treated area.
Platelet-rich plasma is simply blood that contains more platelets than normal.
To create platelet-rich plasma, I take a blood sample from you, the patient, and place it into a device called a centrifuge that rapidly spins the sample, separating out the other components of the blood from the platelets and concentrating them within the plasma.
Then, we use the serum and the platelets, rich in growth factors, in joints of the knees or shoulders and target areas of the body like tendons that need repair. Stem cells can also be added when using PRP in joint injections.
These injections increase the bioactive proteins and hormones (growth factors) that accelerate the healing process, reduce pain and slow the aging process.
What You Need to Know About PRP –
PRP treatment can help support wound healing in trauma and joint injury. The technique can also address male pattern baldness, stimulate the growth of hair transplants and enhance other cosmetic procedures.
PRP injections are effective for joint injury, tendon, ligament and muscle injuries, skin rejuvenation, post-surgical healing, and osteoarthritis.
The results of PRP treatment are most noticeable after several weeks for joint injections and six months for scalp injections, though treatments are effective for months to years, they are not permanent; patients may require additional injections at the direction of their doctor.
Because the treatments use a patient’s own tissues, PRP injections are safe and can be administered alone or used in conjunction with other procedures like stem cells noted above.
Risks & Side Effects of PRP Therapy
A PRP injection is a low-risk procedure and does not usually cause major side effects. As mentioned above, it involves a blood draw, so, you should make sure you are hydrated and have eaten beforehand to prevent feeling lightheaded.
After the procedure, you may experience some soreness and bruising at the injection site.
Because PRP injections are made up of your own cells and plasma, the risk of an allergic reaction is much lower than with other injectable medications like corticosteroids. Less common risks of PRP injections include:
- Bleeding
- Tissue damage
- Infection
- Nerve injuries
If you are considering PRP injections, be sure to talk with Dr. Nally and his staff about all the benefits and risks.
Call and schedule your appointment today: (623) 584-7805