Heal Faster With Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

Sports athletes and active individuals across the nation are using a new treatment to heal their bodies naturally after an injury. Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy is helping ease the pain of these individuals and heal musculoskeletal injuries by using platelets from their own blood to repair damaged tendons and cartilage. This revolutionary treatment not only combats pain but it speeds up the body’s healing process so that you can get back to exercising and moving freely in no time. Find out what to expect during a Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy treatment and how it can benefit your physical health with this guide!

What Is Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy?

Those who suffer from musculoskeletal conditions or sports-related injuries benefit greatly from a relatively unknown treatment called platelet rich plasma therapy, or PRP. Platelet rich plasma therapy helps heal these types of injuries and reduce pain quicker than other traditional methods have previously done. PRP therapy uses your own blood platelets to repair certain areas of the body, including damaged cartilage and tendons. Since the therapy uses your own body as its own form of treatment, the healing process occurs faster and naturally. Blood is also called plasma, which contains platelets full of protein that are essential for healing. By injecting the damaged area with these platelets, the body uses the protein to mend the injury. What’s nice about platelet rich plasma therapy is that it is non-surgical and the procedure takes about one to two hours to perform. After your blood is drawn, the platelets are separated using a centrifuge before being injected into your body via an ultrasound machine. The ultrasound machine is used to aid the doctor as he/she injects you with the platelets to ensure accuracy. This centrifugation process increases the concentration of platelets found in your blood, which is necessary for the body to heal faster. Once injected, the body quickly forms cells that are essential during the healing process.

How PRP Can Help You

The process of PRP is relatively simple as it uses your own body’s platelets to increase the reparative cells that are needed to restore damaged tissue. Athletes are usually those who use PRP therapy so that they can get back into the game quicker and prevent future injury. However, many medical professionals are currently using PRP therapy in the dental, orthopedic, neurosurgical, ophthalmological and urological fields. Studies have found that platelet rich plasma therapy has been proven to successively treat inflammation and infection, eliminate the need for narcotics, heal chronic musculoskeletal conditions and increase soft-tissue healing. Patients suffering from Achilles tendonitis, rotator cuff tears, osteoarthritis, meniscus injuries and tennis elbow, along with other musculoskeletal conditions, all benefit from PRP therapy treatments, as well. Since these treatments use your own blood as medicine, there is no risk for an allergic reaction or transmissible infections, which sometimes occur with other types of blood transfusions. Additionally, there is no need for general anesthesia, surgery or hospital stays with PRP therapy; the only thing that is required of you after each treatment is that you rest and don’t physically exert yourself too much for six weeks. After that, you will be reevaluated to see how well the treatment worked and whether or not you will need another injection. If you are suffering from a chronic or complex condition, it may be necessary to have multiple rounds of injections for ultimate healing.

Who Can Use Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy?

While athletes and those patients suffering from musculoskeletal injuries benefit most from PRP therapy, they’re not the only ones who can be treated. Depending on your injury or condition, you can opt for platelet rich plasma therapy injections to help you heal faster. Patients who regularly use anti-inflammatory medications or opioids are prime candidates for PRP therapy since it can reduce their need for these oftentimes addictive medications. Of course, you will first need to be evaluated by a medical professional to determine whether PRP therapy is right for you, but after discussing your health history, injury type and individual goals, PRP could be the best option. Many studies are currently being undertaken to identify how well PRP therapy works when treating other medical conditions, like knee arthritis, chronic tendon injuries and even bone fractures, but more research and time will be needed to gauge the effectiveness of combining PRP with other treatment options.

Heal Faster From Injury With Our Help!

At Texas Spine & Sports Therapy Center, we offer platelet rich plasma therapy injections to help our patients heal from their injuries and get back on their feet again. Whether you’re an athlete or suffering from a chronic injury, we can help. Call our office at (512) 806-0015 to schedule a FREE consultation. Call today to begin the process towards a healthier, happier life!