What Age-Related Issues Can PRP Treat?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a revolutionary treatment for many issues, including age-related joint pain and injuries. Read on to learn what other issues PRP can treat as you age.
The Many Benefits of PRP Therapy
Injuries can happen to you at the most inconvenient of times — and when pain strikes, you want to get relief as quickly as possible. There are a lot of different options out there to get your pain under control, but sometimes surgery is the only option that fully heals your condition — or is it? Regenerative medicine is quickly becoming the treatment of choice for many providers, especially platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.
At Alpha Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, our team specializes in conditions that cause chronic pain, along with orthopedic injuries. Our team of orthopedic surgeons help you figure out if PRP therapy is right for you, and if so, how it helps to heal your body naturally.
PRP therapy and how it works
PRP therapy is a type of autologous treatment that’s used to help a number of different conditions heal naturally. Autologous just means that it’s derived from your own body, specifically your blood.
To understand how PRP therapy works, you have to first understand the different components in your blood that make up this treatment. Your blood is made up of liquid, also known as plasma, and cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Platelets are crucial in the process of clotting your blood when you sustain an injury; but they also contain growth hormones that aid in tissue restoration and healing. These proteins begin rebuilding the tissues in your injury almost immediately.
Because PRP stimulates your body to rev up healing in the injured area, your results won’t be immediate. However, your pain should begin to subside within a few days, with optimal results within weeks to months after your injection.
PRP injections are used for a variety of conditions, but at our facility, our doctors use it for conditions affecting your:
- Knees
- Hips
- Shoulders
- Ankles
It’s sometimes used for treatment of arthritis, but most commonly for injuries that affect your ligaments and tendons in these areas. However, it’s also commonly used for joint pain and injuries to your muscles as well.
The benefits of this treatment
PRP therapy has so many benefits to you and your body, especially because it’s derived from your own body. There’s nothing better than knowing that the treatment you’re receiving is completely natural and from your blood.
One of the biggest benefits of this treatment is that it’s minimally invasive — meaning less time in our facility and more time enjoying activities. PRP doesn’t carry a lot of risk for complications because it comes from your own blood and is basically an injection into the injured area.
Another benefit to PRP therapy is that it can sometimes take the place of surgical intervention to reduce your pain. In the past, surgery was the go to option for certain injuries because there just weren’t many other options. However, this treatment allows your body to rebuild injured tissue by stimulating growth cells, which reduces the need to go under the knife.
However, if you do need surgery, PRP can also be used to help you heal afterward. This treatment helps your body recover more efficiently after a surgical procedure, getting you back on your feet as soon as possible.
Your risk of complications, such as infection, is also decreased with the use of PRP. This is because of the fact that there isn’t any incision into your skin. Our doctors give PRP therapy through an injection into your joint or injury, so the only point of entrance into your body is where the needle is inserted.
PRP therapy allows your body to repair itself; and this lasts for a long time after you receive the initial injection. This is because the platelets in this treatment stimulate your body’s healing process, which continues for months to years after. This means your injury continues to heal, allowing you to enjoy all of the activities that you missed out on when you were in pain.
If you’re dealing with an injury or condition that you think PRP therapy could help, contact Alpha Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at one of our three convenient locations to schedule a consultation or find us online to set up an appointment today.
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