Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is made from a sample of your own blood (about 30-60 ml). The process concentrates the platelets found in the blood sample. The PRP contains high amounts of growth factors your body uses to heal injuries. Clinical data has shown that concentrated growth factors enhance and accelerate your body’s normal healing process.
Potential Benefits of PRP Include:
Diminished pain, reduced infection rates, accelerated tissue regeneration, and reduction of overall healing time. The use of PRP is a safe and clinically accepted procedure with minimal side effects for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain.
PRP injections utilize a portion of the patient’s own blood to promote healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints as well as intervertebral discs in the spine. Clinical studies have shown that PRP can help reduce pain and improve tissue healing.
After a blood draw, the sample is placed into a specialized centrifuge to separate the PRP from the rest of the blood. Typically, 5-10 ml of PRP remain for injection. The platelet concentrations are 5-20 times higher than in the original sample, depending on the technique and the indication. This concentrate is then injected precisely under image guidance (typically ultrasound or x-ray fluoroscopy) into the injured tissue. The typical time for this outpatient procedure is about 30 minutes.
Yes. PRP has been used clinically for over a decade with minimal side effects. Aside from typical procedure discomfort and occasional short term post-procedure pain, side effects and complications are minimal. The risk of infection is smaller than with other type of injections because the contents of PRP naturally counteract any infection. PRP is made under direct physician supervision.
