Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Specialist

What is platelet-rich plasma?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a type of regenerative medicine, an emerging field that uses cells and other substances extracted from human tissue to promote healing and new growth.

The platelets in your blood are vital for making the blood clot when you hurt yourself. They also promote healing because they contain potent cells called growth factors. These growth factors in your platelets are responsible for healing the damage and generating new, healthy tissue.

What happens when I have PRP therapy?

Stage one of your PRP therapy session is for a team member at Interventional Pain Management, Stem & Regenerative Cell Therapy to take the blood from you and extract the platelets.

Your provider then injects the concentrated form of platelets to the injured area. After having the injection, you can go home.

Since PRP uses your own blood, there aren’t going to cause any complications, side effects, or allergic reactions, which can be an issue sometimes with other types of treatment.

It is normal to feel soreness or some ache for a couple of days after your PRP therapy. This generally indicates that the treatment is starting to work, and the discomfort should wear off quite quickly.

What can PRP therapy treat?

Regenerative medicine is still a relatively new science, so there are new uses for PRP coming to light all the time.

The team at Interventional Pain Management, Stem & Regenerative Cell Therapy has so far had great success in treating patients who have damage to connective tissues like ligaments and tendons and muscle injuries that aren’t healing well.

The team also sees improvements in patients who have joint or back pain, both when the pain is because of an injury and when it develops because of degenerative conditions like arthritis.

To find out more about the potential benefits of PRP therapy, call Interventional Pain Management, Stem & Regenerative Cell Therapy today, or book an appointment online.
 

More information on PRP: 

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy?

PRP is a treatment that uses concentrated platelets to treat injuries. Platelets are a type ofblood cell that contains growth factors that can regenerate tissue and speed up the healing process. All PRP injections are given under direct ultrasound guidance to insure accurate placement of the PRP to the damaged area.

The entire process of PRP takes only 45 minutes:
1. Blood is taken from your arm using a special kit similar to a normal blood test.
2. Next, the blood drawn is placed in a centrifugation machine to separate the platelets from the blood.
3. Then, platelets are extracted to have a concentrated form of platelets to be used for the injection.
4. Lastly, PRP is injected to the injured area.

What are the Benefits of PRP?

There are many benefits to PRP including:

• PRP increases the speed of the body’s natural healing process
• PRP is minimally-invasive and may eliminate more invasive and expensive options such as surgery or long-term medication
• PRP has been shown to relieve pain and results are generally permanent

How Many Treatments are Needed?

Most patients have successful outcomes with just one injection. If needed, a series of three injections may be required to have a successful outcome. These series of injections would be done several weeks apart.

Is PRP for Me?

PRP therapy is for any musculoskeletal injuries that have failed to heal despite traditional treatment options. It can treat all musculoskeletal structures including ligaments, tendons, joints, and muscles. Ask Dr. Arora if PRP therapy is right for you.

Are There Side Effects?

Overall, the procedure has minimal risks. Since PRP uses your own blood, there is no-risk for transmitted blood-injections and adverse reactions are rare. After the procedure is done, it is normal to feel soreness or some pain for about 3 days. Pain medication can be given if this is experienced.

Does Insurance Cover PRP?

Since PRP is a relatively new procedure, most insurance companies do not currently cover PRP therapy. Ask Dr. Arora for finance options.

Pre-Procedure Instructions

1. Stop any anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) medications that you are currently taking (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen, Celebrex, etc.) 5 days before the procedure. Additionally, stop blood thinners (e.g., aspirin, Plavix, Coumadin, etc.) that you are currently taking 7 days
before the procedure.
2. Have a family member or a friend to provide transportation to our clinic.

Post-Procedure Instructions

1. Have a family member or a friend to drive you home.
2. Blood thinners can be taken 24 hours after the procedure.
3. Continue to avoid ant-inflammatory medication 6-weeks after the procedure.
4. There may be irritation in the affected area after the procedure. This is normal and part of the healing process. If this is experienced, ice the area 3-4 times per day for 15 minutes for the next 3 days.
5. If you experience a fever, redness, and swelling at the affected area, please call our office because this may be a sign of infection.
6. Limit movement of the affected area for the first 3 days after the procedure.
7. Avoid lifting or strenuous activity for the first 7 days.