Platelet Rich Plasma
Platelet Rich Plasma Injection Therapy (PRP therapy) is used for treating soft tissue injuries including tendon, muscle and ligaments.
PRP therapy utilises the healing properties in blood to allow a healing reaction to occur in a tissue that is not healing on its own. Since it’s a part of your own blood, it would be free from transmissible diseases, and cannot cause hypersensitivity or allergic reactions. This process involves the withdrawal of blood in the usual manner, separating and concentrating the PRP from the whole blood, and then injection of the PRP into the treatment area.
We also need to understand what the function of platelets in our body is. Platelets are cells in blood that are responsible for helping to clot the blood, and for the synthesis and release of growth factors. When there is an injury to the skin (and blood vessel walls), proteins are released that cause circulating platelets to bind to the area and help create a blood clot to stop the bleeding. It is the clotting process that activates these platelets and causes them to secrete growth factors to help repair the damaged area. The goal of PRP therapy is to resolve pain through healing, it could prove to have lasting results. Initial improvement may be seen within a few weeks, gradually increasing as the healing progresses.