Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an injection-based treatment that harnesses your own blood’s natural healing properties to heal your own injury or to relieve your pain. PRP therapy is often used to address injuries in the tendons, ligaments, muscles, and skin, and its most popular application is to treat knee pain.
There are two key components involved in PRP injections, and those are plasma and platelets:
- Plasma is the liquid component of your blood, and it comprises water and proteins. It allows the red and white blood cells and the platelets to travel easily through your bloodstream.
- Platelets are the clear blood cells that help your blood to clot, such as in a scab. Their main purpose is to facilitate healing anywhere in the body.
Let’s talk about how PRP injection therapy works, and where you can go to receive this revolutionary nonsurgical treatment.
How Does PRP Therapy Work?
If you want to receive this treatment, your doctor will first extract a small blood sample from your arm. The doctor will then process the blood in a centrifuge to separate out the platelets, and then re-inject the platelet-rich plasma solution directly into the injured or painful area of your body.
The proteins in the plasma help to promote tissue renewal and cell proliferation, which hasten recovery. The platelets will perform their natural healing function, which is very powerful in the particularly high quantities of platelets that exist in platelet-rich plasma.
Proponents of PRP injections have observed that PRP promotes the healing of injuries and alleviates joint pain. Plus, because it uses your own cells, there is no risk of your body rejecting the treatment itself.
What Are the Benefits of PRP Injections?
Physicians use PRP injection therapy to treat various issues in the body, including the following:
- Tendon Injuries – Tendon injuries tend to heal slowly because tendons do not have a lot of blood vessels to foster speedy healing. To encourage recovery, PRP injections douse the area with healing platelets.
- Osteoarthritis – A recent study has found PRP to be very effective in treating osteoarthritis, especially knee arthritis.
- Post-Surgical Recovery – PRP can help patients to recover more quickly after surgery by infusing the area with an extra dose of healing platelets to the surgical site.
- Hair Loss – PRP injections into the scalp can promote hair growth and prevent further hair loss. Research shows that PRP is effective in treating androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness) if it is caught early.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy at NIVA Health
Our medical team at NIVA Health is here to help you discover a new way to finally achieve long-lasting pain relief, and that may indeed involve PRP injections. We will explain how it works and how it might benefit your particular joint pain or orthopedic injury.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a medical evaluation and possible treatment, call us today at (866) 377-5872 or fill out our appointment request form online now. You can also sign up for a free virtual consultation. We look forward to helping you live a healthier life!
