How effective is plasma enriched platelets as a healing therapy?

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How Effective Is Plasma Enriched Platelets As A Healing Therapy?

Š Chicagoland Medical. All Rights Reserved.


Athletes regularly face issues like torn tendons and injured muscles. Both amateur and professional athletes have turned to Plasma enriched platelets Therapy as an alternative form of treatment to invasive surgery. The treatment is done by the doctor taking a small vial of blood from the patient's own body and then spinning it in a centrifuge. The spinning makes sure that platelet-rich plasma is separated from red blood cells and white blood cells. This plasma is then injected into the patient's affected area, which begins the healing process. Theoretically, the growth factors that the platelets possess spur into action the entire healing process. Tiger Woods, the leading golfer around the world, got four injections for his knee before playing the professional tournaments in 2009. Doctors have been using PRP since the mid-1990s; however, it was used to heal injured bones or tissues following a plastic surgery. It was recently in 2008 that sports injuries began to be treated using PRP. Athletes who have been treated using Plasma enriched platelets therapy include runners to basketball players, football players and cheerleaders as well.

Š Chicagoland Medical. All Rights Reserved.


According to theory, an athlete suffers from a condition involving any sort of tendonitis (Achilles tendonitis, or patellar tendonitis) or tennis elbow, ignoring it can lead to serious complications in the future. When these tendon injuries become chronic in nature, there is a tear in that particular area which takes longer than the average time to heal such injuries. This where PRP comes in. The reason it is difficult to hear in such areas is due to the limited blood supply to that region. There aren't many side-effects to this therapy since it is a patient's own blood that is being injected. However, there is a slight chance of soreness appearing where it was injected. This may be the case for a couple of weeks from treating the injured location with PRP therapy. The reason being you're injecting fluid into an already sensitive tendon with a sharp needle. The pain goes away after a couple of weeks in most cases.

Š Chicagoland Medical. All Rights Reserved.


Plasma enriched platelets therapy has been used for treating various injury-related conditions. It has shown far more effectiveness in terms of pain and healing, compared to invasive surgeries. Some extreme injuries may require surgeries; however, PRP can prove to be an effective course of treatment.

Š Chicagoland Medical. All Rights Reserved.


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