Platelet rich plasma therapy

Platelet rich plasma therapy is a new treatment that is highly effective in relieving pain and can also provide long lasting healing of certain muscular conditions. The treatment is particularly good for patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee, shoulder, hip, spine as well as those with rotator cuff tears, chronic plantar fasciitis and injuries of anterior cruciate ligament. Platelet rich plasma therapy may improve pelvic pain and instability, is effective in the case of back and neck injuries, ankle sprain etc.

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy and How it Works

This treatment includes administration of the person's own plasma concentrated with platelets. It successfully alleviates pain associated with many pathological conditions and promotes long lasting healing.

In case of any injury the body sends platelet cells at the very site of the injury. These blood cells prevent bleeding and loss of blood and contain growth and healing factors. This is why they play a major role in the initiation of repair. Platelet rich plasma acts as a natural healing inductor and intensifies the body's response towards repair. The effects are achieved with the higher concentration of platelets at the site of the injury.

In order to obtain platelet rich plasma a small sample of a patient's blood is taken and it is then placed in a centrifuge. By centrifuging, the blood platelets are separated from other components of the blood. The product (concentrated platelet rich plasma) is then injected directly into and around the very site of physical injury. Since the blood is actually obtained from the patient there is no risk for transmission of any kind of infections and there is a low risk of allergic reactions. The procedure takes approximately an hour or two.

When is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy Indicated?

In athletes, repeated or overuse injuries are quite common. Such injuries lead to micro tears of the muscles and tendons. The effects can be detrimental and cause weakness and recurrent pain. Tendonitis is just one type of injuriy that can be successfully treated with platelet rich plasma therapy. Furthermore, the treatment is used in the cases of tendinosis, which is a chronic inflammation of tendons.

There is a variety of other medical conditions that can be effectively treated with platelet rich plasma therapy. For example, the treatment is highly effective for shoulder pain (rotator cuff injury, triceps tendonitis etc), foot and ankle pain (Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis etc), arm pain (biceps tendonitis, tennis elbow and wrist tendonitis), knee pain (Patella tendonitis) and hip pain (trochanteric bursitis, hamstring tendonitis, quadriceps tendonitis etc).