Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Specialist

What are platelets?

Platelets are normal components of your blood, where they’re best known for clotting blood when you’re injured. That’s not their only job, however. They’re also actively involved in healing and restoring damaged tissues.

Platelets are rich sources of proteins called growth factors. Any time tissues are injured or diseased, platelets migrate to the area, stimulate new cell growth, and speed up tissue repair.

What is platelet-rich plasma?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a plasma that contains a higher concentration of platelets than the amount normally found in your blood.

PRP is made during your appointment by drawing a sample of your blood and then processing it in a centrifuge. As the centrifuge separates the platelets from other blood components, such as white and red blood cells, it ends up producing your own PRP.

What is platelet-rich plasma therapy?

PRP therapy refers to getting injections of concentrated platelets. When platelet-rich plasma is injected directly into damaged musculoskeletal tissues, the platelets do their normal job, which includes:

• Recruiting stem cells to the area
• Increasing the effectiveness of stem cells
• Reducing inflammation and pain
• Accelerating healing
• Triggering the production of collagen, muscles, and connective tissues
• Developing new blood vessels

PRP also helps prevent degeneration of healthy tissues surrounding your injury.

What conditions are treated with PRP therapy?

PRP therapy has been used for years to effectively treat degenerative disease and a broad range of sports injuries, such as tendon and muscle injuries.

The team at Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center may recommend PRP therapy to treat:

• Rotator cuff tears
• ACL injuries
• Meniscal injuries
• Ligament tears
• Tendon inflammation
• Osteoarthritis
• Achilles tendon injuries
• Bursitis
• Bone fractures

Because of its ability to regenerate musculoskeletal tissues, PRP therapy is also highly effective for healing joints throughout your body.

When you have a severe injury or extensive age-related degeneration, your doctor may combine PRP with stem cells to further boost tissue regeneration and healing.

If you have an injury that’s slow to heal, or you’d like to learn more about platelet-rich plasma injections, call Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center or make an appointment using the online booking feature.