The top-notch pain management doctors at Genesis Medical Center are now offering platelet rich plasma therapy. While not a direct stem cell treatment, PRP is amazing 
at healing injury and calling in one’s own stem cells to assist. Here are the answers to some FAQs.
What is platelet rich plasma therapy?
The treatment, known as PRP therapy for short, involves the injection of blood that has a concentration of platelets significantly higher than the normal baseline concentration. The procedure involves a simple blood draw from the patient’s arm. The blood is then placed into a centrifuge machine, which spins it rapidly for ten to fifteen minutes.
That process concentrates the growth factors and platelets. The fluid is separated into three layers, and the middle layer is then used for injecting into the problem area.
How long has PRP therapy been around?
Platelet rich plasma therapy has been in use for many years in several medical specialties including cardiovascular,
ophthalmology, wound healing, urology and more. Recently, it has shown significant effectiveness in musculoskeletal disorders including arthritis, sports injuries and tendon/ligament inflammation and tears.
Are there different types of PRP therapy?
The answer is yes, however, it is not known which type is better. There are kits that minimize the amount of white or red blood cells. However, we don’t know which one is better clinically. All of them seem to have effective outcomes.
For what conditions is PRP therapy indicated?
There are now over a dozen high-level research studies showing the benefits of PRP therapy for elbow and achilles tendinitis, degenerative arthritis, rotator cuff tendinitis, knee tendinitis, plantar fasciitis and ligament injuries such as in the knee.
What are the outcomes been with PRP therapy?
Thankfully, there have been a number of research studies over the last 5 years looking at the outcomes. They have been amazing for all types of injuries such as soft tissue inflammation and tears along with arthritis. Often times, athletes are able to avoid surgery and get back on the field quickly.
Is it a risky procedure?
The answer is no. It uses your own blood and immediately processes it for injection into the injured area. The injection occurs under sterile technique. There is often significant discomfort for the first two days after the procedure, but typically it settles down after that.
The bottom line is that platelet rich plasma therapy has been immensely effective as a non-operative method of pain relief and increasing function in patients.
Call today for your complimentary consultation with the top board-certified pain, orthopedic and regenerative medicine doctors in Orange County!
