The Many Benefits of PRP

If you've ever been injured or suffered from a degenerative condition, you know that the treatments can be invasive and uncomfortable. Further, these treatments sometimes merely mask the pain, not fix the problem. 

In recent years, however, a regenerative medicine approach such as platelet-rich plasma therapy has gained popularity for its noninvasive nature and healing properties.

At Peninsula Orthopedic Associates, our team offers a variety of treatment options for many orthopedic conditions. Our staff has amazing orthopedic surgeons who evaluate whether PRP therapy is a good option for you.

What exactly is PRP?

PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma, and it’s a type of regenerative medicine that’s used for a variety of different conditions. The platelets for this therapy come from your own blood, which makes it easier on your body than counting on outside materials.

Your blood is made mostly of a liquid that’s known as plasma. However, it also contains solid components, which are your red and white blood cells and your platelets. So why are your platelets important? 

The platelets in your body are imperative for your blood’s ability to clot after an injury. But they have another vital facet: They contain growth factors, which allow your body to heal from a multitude of injuries and conditions.

The way our team gets these all-important growth factors into the problem area in your body starts with a simple blood draw. Your blood is then spun down in a centrifuge, which separates the whole blood from the platelets. 

By separating the platelets and amassing them into a larger concentration in plasma, you get a bigger number of growth factors injected into your injured area to stimulate the healing of tissues in your body.

The many advantages of PRP

PRP is an up-and-coming treatment for many conditions, including orthopedic injuries. It can also help your body heal more efficiently after a surgical procedure. PRP offers several benefits over other procedures.

Safe

PRP therapy is very safe, because it comes from your own body and blood. Other treatments may use donor tissue or blood, which comes with its own risk. However, by harvesting the platelets from your body, you bypass many of these risks.

Minimally invasive

Another advantage of PRP therapy is that it’s minimally invasive compared with other types of treatment. While it does require a blood draw and an injection into your body, these procedures carry much less risk than surgery to repair your injury.

Quick and painless

The PRP injection is also a relatively quick and painless procedure. The whole procedure takes about an hour or so, and the only discomfort might be from the injection site, which is numbed up beforehand. 

Your platelets are a very important part of your body’s healing process, and PRP has the ability to harness the healing properties to speed up your recovery.

Could it work for you?

While PRP is an amazing treatment, it’s not for every injury or condition. To determine if this treatment is for you, our team of orthopedic specialists evaluates your condition and looks at other treatments you’ve tried.

They may also order imaging studies like an MRI to determine the amount of damage in the area where you’re having pain. If they determine you have one of the following conditions, you may benefit from this type of treatment:

• Muscle injuries
• Tendonitis
• Ligament tears
• Broken bones
• Arthritis

PRP may also help if you’ve had recent surgery to repair one of the above conditions. It works with the procedure to help speed up the healing process in the area of your procedure. 

If you'd like to try regenerative medicine for your condition, call one of our conveniently located offices, two in Daly City and one in Atherton, California, or book an appointment online with one of our doctors today.