Are you dealing with any of these injuries or conditions?
- Arthritis
- Bursitis
- Lower back pain
- Tendinitis
- Sprained muscles
- Nerve damage
If so, then you may want to know about the many treatment options that are available to alleviate these conditions.
Of course, doing things like getting some extra rest, applying ice packs, and taking a couple of ibuprofen are obvious treatments. However, what if you are looking for an option that actually heals your painful injury?
That’s where Platelet Rich Plasma, or PRP, comes in.
Keep reading to learn more, and when you’re ready, contact Integrative Physical Health to schedule an appointment.
PRP Isn’t Just for Athletes
Not so long ago, it was usually professional athletes who got PRP injections, but that has changed in recent decades. Today, everyone from casual athletes to people who engage in repetitive tasks may consider PRP therapy to help heal an injury.
This innovative technique uses the body’s own healing capabilities to speed up recovery after an injury. A low-risk, minimally invasive procedure, PRP treatments are safe and tend to be quite effective.
Little recovery time is involved, and there’s no need for an anesthetic. Frequently, these in-office treatments can be performed in about half an hour.
What Is PRP?
Platelet-rich plasma therapy involves withdrawing some of the patient’s blood. This blood is then spun at high speeds in a centrifuge machine in the doctor’s laboratory. High-speed spinning causes the blood to separate into various layers.
One of these layers is incredibly rich with platelets and stem cells, two components that are essential to natural healing in the human body. A technician isolates this layer, puts it in a syringe, and then it is injected back into the patient.
Because the treatment involves only the patient’s own blood, there is no risk of rejection or an adverse reaction. Nonetheless, these treatments can be extremely effective at promoting healing.
What kinds of conditions and injuries can PRP therapies be used to treat? It turns out that there are many.
Arthritis
Patients who are suffering from osteoarthritis may benefit from PRP injections. Many people have already experienced reduced pain, better joint function, and the reduction of damage to the cartilage. In fact, some patients have even found that some of their damaged cartilage has been repaired thanks to PRP.
Doctors who have studied the effects of PRP treatments on patients with osteoarthritis believe that the injections inhibit the body’s inflammatory response and actually slow down the development of arthritis. In some patients, the therapy helps to form new cartilage and increases the amount of natural lubricating fluid that the body produces in the joint, which has the effect of reducing joint friction.
Moreover, PRP injections contain proteins that actually can reduce the painful sensations that are frequently associated with arthritis.
Tendinitis
The condition known as tendinitis involves the irritation or inflammation of a tendon. Tendons are fibrous, thick cords that attach muscles to bones. When someone develops tendinitis, they may experience sensations of tenderness and pain close to the joint.
Tendinitis may occur in almost any tendon. However, these are the varieties that are the most common:
- Swimmer’s shoulder
- Tennis elbow
- Pitcher’s shoulder
- Golfer’s elbow
- Jumper’s knee
These conditions sometimes can be treated with rest and some over-the-counter pain relievers. However, when the condition becomes chronic or is acute, then it may be necessary to seek more powerful treatment options.
Platelet-rich plasma frequently is used to treat tendon injuries. This is critical because tendon injuries are not easy to heal. This is partly because of the repetitive motions that are associated with these injuries but also because tendons don’t receive a lot of blood flow.
Accordingly, PRP injections are the ideal treatment because they increase blood flow and bring necessary healing to injured tendons. Because the platelet-rich plasma contains such a high concentration of healing cells at the site of the injury, the patient likely will experience relief much sooner than simple rest could provide.
Injuries to Muscles and Ligaments
Have you ever suffered the ongoing pain of plantar fasciitis? What about a pulled hamstring or a painful sprain?
These so-called soft-tissue injuries may be caused by sudden trauma like a fall or a twist. Alternatively, they may be the result of repetitive use.
The first step to treating such injuries is to rest. Other helpful remedies include icing the affected area for 20 minutes at a time, applying pressure, or elevating the injured body part.
However, sometimes people need more comprehensive treatment. It may make sense to pursue PRP therapy.
A PRP injection may be able to get you back to the activities that you enjoy sooner because of the exceptional concentration of platelets that it brings to the injured area.
Damage or Injury to Nerves
Conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and sciatica also may be eased through the use of PRP therapy. In fact, PRP injections may actually assist with regenerating nerve tissues, which restore proper function and reduces pain.
Back Pain and Injuries
Doctors further are using PRP treatments to help relieve the pain of lumbar spine and cervical spine conditions. Pinched nerves along the spine and sacroiliac joint dysfunction similarly may be treated with these therapies.
If you are being treated for problems with your facet joints, herniated discs, or other painful conditions, then ask your doctor about the options that are available to you. Spinal adjustments may be helpful, and when used in connection with PRP therapy, you may be able to experience less back pain than you have in years.
Does PRP Therapy Always Work?
With medical treatments, guarantees are rare. PRP doesn’t work for every patient, and it doesn’t always have the same effect in patients who have similar injuries.
Basically, each patient responds a little differently to PRP injections, so these treatments may be more effective for some individuals than they are for others. It also is worth considering that PRP can be rendered less effective when the patient continues to aggravate an existing injury, which may only create additional scar tissue.
Through a consultation with the practitioners at Integrative Physical Health, you can begin to explore the possibilities of what PRP therapy might do for you. Because our medical professionals have performed dozens of these treatments in the past on patients who have conditions similar to yours, they will be able to give you a realistic insight into the outcomes that you may expect from your treatment.
Remember that each patient is unique, and PRP is just one treatment option.
Many Methods for Treating Injuries
At Integrative Physical Health, we recognize that each of our patients is a unique individual. This means that we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all treatment plans. Instead, we like to really get to know our patients, the state of their health, and their priorities. This helps us to propose customized treatment plans that are more likely to result in a positive outcome.
Moreover, we place a critical emphasis on treating the whole patient rather than just a specific condition or injury. This means that we may recommend a range of treatment options. We’ll let you know if we believe that a specific approach is likely to be the most beneficial and why. That’s because, at Integrative Physical Health, we believe that everyone should be well informed with regard to their options and how these choices might affect their lifestyle going forward.
Are You Ready to Explore PRP?
Contact Integrative Physical Health today to learn more about the conditions that PRP injections can treat. You might be surprised to learn that a simple, half-hour appointment may be all that it takes to bring significant healing to an injury or degenerative condition.
Integrative Physical Health also offers a full menu of care and treatment options that are designed to optimize the well-being of our patients regardless of their age or the state of their health. If you want to find out how you can feel your absolute best, contact Integrative Physical Health today.
