Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is used to promote faster healing of soft tissue injuries.
PRP received a lot of publicity after Pittsburgh Steeler star Hines Ward used the therapy to recover from a nagging knee injury in time to help the Steelers win last year’s Super Bowl. This was not the first use of Platelet Rich Plasma therapy, but it certainly created quite a stir.
The medical community has begun to widely use PRP as an alternative to surgery to help many conditions. The theory is that the patient’s own blood is used and the platelets are separated in a centrifuge. Once the blood components are separated, the patient’s own plasma with a high concentration of platelets is injected into the injured area. Platelet Rich Plasma injection is believed to promote healing in conditions such as arthritis, plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, knee problems and strengthening damaged tendons.
Simply put, platelet-rich plasma injections of the platelets themselves have characteristics that promote the natural healing process. When high concentrations are placed in a specific area, the healing process shows extraordinary results.
A great advantage of this therapy is the low incidence of rejection because the platelets belong to the patient being treated. The reason this is done by direct injection is because most lesions targeted for therapy are located in areas with little blood flow, or at least not enough to carry the concentrated platelets to the points where those that are most beneficial. Therefore, minor irritation at injection sites has been reported, but the results of PRP therapy outweigh the mild discomfort that may be experienced.
Doctors at Advanced Footcare in Miami, FL are using PRP to treat conditions involving the foot, ankle, and lower leg. For more information and a video detailing the PRP, access the following website, http://footcarexpress.com/foot-orthotics/category/press-releases/.