Platelet-rich plasma treatment, also known PRP, is a therapy that utilizes concentrated levels of plate-lets from a patient’s own blood to treat soft tissue injuries. Fans of the New York Yankees (CC Sabathia in particular) and other professional sports teams may be familiar with the procedure, as it has become something of a treatment method of choice for many professional athletes in recent years, due to its accelerated healing potential over more traditional and conservative forms of treatment.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment in Los Angeles
PRP works by taking a sample of a patient’s own blood, which is then run through a centrifuge at sev-eral stages to separate the blood’s components. Once a dose has been prepared, it is injected into the patient’s injured tissue or joint space, where the platelets produce human growth factor, a sub-stance responsible for generating healing and regenerative cells in the damaged tissue.PRP treatment has far shown promise as a viable treatment option for many injuries and diseases of the joints and soft tissue, like osteoarthritis. PRP is most commonly used to treat injuries in the following areas:
PRP treatment has far shown promise as a viable treatment option for many injuries and diseases of the joints and soft tissue, like osteoarthritis. PRP is most commonly used to treat injuries in the following areas:
- Joints
- Bone
- Muscles
- Ligaments
- Tendons
- Cartilage
While the risk for adverse effects is relatively low due to the fact that the treatment is derived from the patient’s own blood, patients undergoing PRP will still have to rest, and in many cases complete a course of physical therapy as with surgery and traditional treatments that includes stretching and strength training.
In the case of professional athletes suffering from chronic and potentially career-ending injuries, PRP can provide hope for a new approach once all other treatment options have been exhausted.
Next, read more about platelet-rich plasma injections.
