When you have suffered from an injury or have a degenerative disease, you may have looked into platelet-rich plasma therapy, which is also known as PRP therapy. The plasma in a person’s blood contains certain proteins that allow a person’s blood to clot and these proteins have healing aspects. Researchers have determined that when a person uses their own plasma injected into areas of injury, the growth factors in the plasma can encourage the body to heal quicker than normal. A knee pain doctor will be able to answer your questions about PRP therapy.
What do doctors use PRP therapy for?
Researchers have found that PRP therapy can be used for many different conditions. If you are suffering from knee pain, osteoarthritis or even tendonitis then PRP therapy may be of use to you. Here are a few of the main things that PRP therapy is used for:
- Osteoarthritis. If you suffer from knee pain that is caused by osteoarthritis, you know that it can be debilitating just getting out of bed in the morning. PRP injections in the knee have been shown to help many people with osteoarthritis and improve their knee mobility and function.
- Hair Loss. Many people who suffer from hair loss have actually reported hair growth after undergoing PRP injections. Doctors will go through the process of drawing your blood and separating the plasma so that they can inject it into your scalp.
- Tendon Injuries. One of the slower types of injuries that a person may get is a tendon injury. The muscles in our bodies are connected to bones by tendons, which are tougher bands of tissue. Problems like tennis elbow or jumper’s knee can be relieved through the use of PRP therapy.
What is the PRP process?
The PRP process is fairly simple. First, a doctor or nurse will take a sample of your blood. Then, depending on where it is getting injected, they may need to take a smaller or larger sample of your blood from you. Next, they will place your blood into a centrifuge so that your plasma can separate. This is a fairly quick process. Once they prepare the sample for injection, your doctor will use specialized imaging technology to locate the precise area that they will inject your PRP into.