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Denver PRP Injections: Platelet Rich Plasma
Platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) is a blood product derived from the patient’s own blood. Through the local introduction of increased levels of platelets and the associated bioactive molecules (proteins and growth factors), PRP has been used to biologically augment the healing and regeneration of damaged tissue.
In theory, the increased levels of these bioactive molecules stimulate the wound healing and regenerative process of damaged tissue. This has been seen especially in degenerative tissues or biologically compromised individuals.
While the use of PRP treatments has been increasingly utilized in the treatment of a variety of sports-related injuries, chronic injuries, and skin rejuvenation, improvements in healing and clinical outcomes have not been universally reported.
One reason for this may be the fact that all PRP preparations have not been the same.
Several factors can affect the character and potential efficacy of the final PRP product: variations in the volume of whole blood taken, the final volume of plasma in which the platelets are suspended, the presence or absence of white blood cells, the addition of exogenous thrombin to activate the platelets or calcium chloride to induce fibrin formation, and the spinning down process.
The premise behind treatment is that by injecting PRP into damaged tissues, it will stimulate your body to grow new, healthy cells and promote healing.
Because the tissue growth factors are more concentrated in the prepared growth injections, some research has shown that the body’s tissues may heal faster.
The treatment does have some controversy regarding efficacy, but it has gained significant popularity and demand with world-wide appreciation of its abilities from at least an anecdotal standpoint.
Although it has not been approved as a treatment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, famous athletes like Tiger Woods and tennis star Rafael Nadal have been known to use these injections to help heal injuries.
Collect blood.
30-60ml of blood is drawn from patient’s arm.
Separate the platelets.
The blood is then placed in a centrifuge. The centrifuge spins and separates the platelets from the rest of the blood components.
Inject the Plasma.
The final product is injected into a site of pain or injury to speed the healing process.
Proposed PRP Benefits
- Hair loss: Medical providers have injected platelet rich plasma into the scalp to stimulate hair growth and improve hair health to potentially prevent hair loss. A 2014 research study: “Platelet-Rich Plasma in Androgenic Alopecia: Myth or an Effective Tool”, demonstrated that platelet rich plasma injections are effective in treating androgenic alopecia (aka: male pattern baldness).
- Tendon/Ligament injuries: Tendons are fibrous bands of tissue that connect muscle to bone, and ligaments are fibrous bands that connect bone to bone. Due to limited blood flow, these tissues are typically slow to heal after injury and can become chronic injuries.
Medical providers have used PRP injections to treat these acute and chronic problems, which include golfer's elbow, tennis elbow, Achilles tendonitis at the ankle, and jumper’s knee, or pain in the patellar tendon in the knee. - Acute injuries: Doctors have used platelet rich plasma injections to treat acute sports injuries, such as pulled muscles or knee sprains.
- Postsurgical repair: This is arguably where PRP has its origins. PRP has been used in surgery to assist with repair and integration of tissue with surgical treatment of tendon repairs, such as rotator cuff repair, and with ligament tears occurring in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
- Osteoarthritis: There has been an increase in the use of intra-articular PRP injections to assist with stabilization of osteoarthritis. PRP has been injected into the knees of people with osteoarthritis with some good results.
A 2015 study entitled, “Knee Osteoarthritis Injection Choices: Platelet- Rich Plasma (PRP) Versus Hyaluronic Acid, “ found that platelet rich plasma injections were more effective than hyaluronic acid injections for treating osteoarthritis. - Soft tissue regenerative procedures: Facial, vaginal, and penile rejuvenation procedures have been developed over the last years to increase genitalia sensitivity and erectile dysfunction.
In addition, PRP has demonstrated good results with skin rejuvenation when specifically used in facial procedures. Some of the names associated with these procedures are the “P-shot,” “O-shot,” and the “Vampire Facelift."
FAQ
PRP injections are a treatment option for soft tissues injury such as skin, various tendon, ligament, muscle, and joint injuries.
Chronic tendon injuries that may benefit from PRP injections are tennis elbow, jumper’s knee, rotator cuff injury, ankle injury, achilles tendinopathy and others. In these cases, PRP stimulates healing, reduces pain, and potentially speeds up recovery time.
PRP stands for Platelet Rich Plasma. PRP therapy uses the patient’s own collected blood, which is then spun in a centrifuge to separate platelets and growth proteins from cellular structures such as red blood and white blood cells. A medical professional then directly injects the PRP into an affected area to promote growth and healing in that area.
The term stem cell therapy is often misused in the medical community. Most often when we talk about stem cells, it is either cells taken from the patient’s body via fat or bone marrow or by donated cellular products such as Cord Blood and Wharton’s jelly from the umbilical cord of delivered babies. By definition, stem cells can continuously divide and renew over a long period and have the capacity to become very specialized to serve different parts of the body. The science of this occurring with “Stem Cell” therapy is continually up for debate.
Both of these therapies help our body heal itself by promoting tissue healing.
PRP uses substances taken from a patient’s own body, reducing the risk of adverse reactions or side effects from this treatment.
Regardless of the injection type, injection procedures always involve some risks, such as pain at the injection site, tissue damage, nerve injuries, or infection. While overall, this is a low-risk procedure, be sure to discuss any adverse side effects with your doctor ahead of the treatment.
PRP injections can be uncomfortable because PRP will initiate a inflammatory response. Inflammation is the process that assists with tissue healing and an important part of PRP treatment. The procedure involves obtaining the PRP to be used and then injecting this PRP solution derived from your own blood back into your body. Thus, this procedure does not carry the risk of spreading disease that is seen in Allograft (donated tissue) “Stem Cell Therapy.”
After receiving a PRP injection, you should see results within two to six weeks. The healing process accelerates over time, beginning within 24 hours of the injection. Those with milder conditions generally see results sooner than those with more severe conditions. Medical professionals often recommend follow-up injections for optimal results.
The lasting effects of PRP therapy vary from person to person. For example, the treatment can be effective for some 12 to 18 months depending on what is being treated. However, the severity of the condition being treated, overall health, and how a patient’s body responds will affect the final results.
PRP injections require minimal recovery time. Following a procedure, a patient may experience some mild to moderate swelling and discomfort as you would following any injection. Patients will not experience immediate relief from pain but should notice initial improvements a few weeks post-procedure.
Post-Procedural Care
- Keep the injection site clean and dry.
- Cover the site with a Band-Aid on the day of the procedure.
- Shower any time following treatment.
- Avoid ice – swelling and bruising may be present but are part of the healing process.
- Do not use any over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines for seven days following PRP injections. The best practice is to avoid these medicines for six weeks following the procedure.
- If needed, aspirin may be used but is not encouraged. Stop taking aspirin as soon as possible.
- Ask your doctor about any prescription or over-the-counter drugs and supplements.
On rare occasions, a patient may experience a post-injection flare that causes significant pain and swelling, but it will resolve in a few days. Ice may be used at the injection site for 20 minutes every 2-3 hours if this occurs. Ask your doctor before using pain relievers.
Resuming your regular exercise routine following PRP injections depends on the reason for your injections. For example, there is no downtime or recovery involved with PRP injections for hair loss.
Following PRP injections for other reasons, guidelines for resuming exercise may vary. Talk with your doctor about your specific situation and devise a plan together.
No. PRP injections are not covered by Medicare for any condition. Other insurance companies are following suit, and it is now very difficult to have health insurance cover PRP therapy.
Multiple PRP treatments over time are required to maintain results. The recommended frequency of treatments may vary from person to person; however, on average, maintenance treatments are needed every three to six months.
The experienced staff at R2 Medical Clinic has helped hundreds of clients achieve positive PRP therapy results. PRP therapy is gaining popularity, but not all outcomes are consistent from clinic to clinic. Here at R2 Medical Clinic, we offer individualized care and attention to every patient to achieve consistent results whenever possible. We always consider your unique condition and desired outcomes from start to finish.
Denver PRP Injections: Platelet Rich Plasma
R2 Medical Clinic
1873 South Bellaire St Suite 1215,
Denver, CO 80222
Call us: (720) 640-2333
Mail us: information@r2medicalclinic.com
