What Is PRP Therapy?

Despite all the modern advancements and research into how the body heals itself after injury, much is still not known about the specifics, as healing involves multiple factors and is unique to each person. This has led to the formulation of various plans to deal with injuries as urgently as possible, especially for professional athletes who need their bodies to make a living. PRP Reston therapy is an example of an effective plan that can be used to encourage this process. More about PRP therapy and what it involves is discussed further below.

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy?

PRP is a unique substance used to encourage healing properties to parts of your body if they get damaged or injured. Plasma is the part of your blood with abundant proteins and water that trigger blood clotting while enhancing cell growth. PRP has been developed by isolating plasma from the blood and then concentrating it.

The therapy works by introducing this PRP to your injured tissues and will trigger your body to make healthier cells that encourage healing. Specialists speculate the tissues of the body heal quicker since the growth factors for tissues have higher concentrations in the introduced injections.

This is a relatively new treatment plan, so research on it is still ongoing, but the number of successful cases is encouraging, so it is worth looking into.

PRP Injection Process

  •         A healthcare professional first gets a blood sample whose amount depends on the area in which the PRP is injected.
  •         This blood is put in a centrifuge that spins it rapidly, resulting in the separation of the components of your blood taking as little as fifteen minutes.
  •         The separated plasma is taken and prepared for introduction to the desired site by a technologist.
  •         An imaging instrument like ultrasound is used to identify the specific sites for injection, like the tendon, before your physician injects it.

Uses of PRP Therapy

There are multiple applications for this treatment plan, and some examples include:

Tendon injuries

Tendons are thick strands of tissue that attach muscles to bones. They heal relatively slowly after damage; hence this therapy can be beneficial. Physicians use these injections to deal with issues like:

  •         Achilles tendonitis located at the ankle
  •         Tennis elbow
  •         Jumper’s knee involves pain in the knee’s patellar tendon

Hair loss

Prevention of hair loss and encouragement of new hair growth can be achieved through PRP injections. It has effectively dealt with male pattern baldness, scientifically known as androgenic alopecia.

Postsurgical repair

Physicians may apply the therapy following surgery to repair a damaged ligament like the anterior cruciate or tendons like the rotator cuff.

Acute injuries

Physicians have used the injections to handle common sports injuries like knee sprains or pulled hamstring muscles.

Osteoarthritis

People with this condition can be helped by injecting PRP into the knee. This is more effective than hyaluronic acid injections, a standard treatment for osteoarthritis.

Injuries to various body parts can take varying times to heal, and this can cause serious disruptions to your daily activities. PRP therapy is a welcome solution for faster healing. For more about PRP therapy, check our website, or call our offices in Reston, VA.

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