Frequently Asked Questions About Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
When you suffer from an injury or degenerative musculoskeletal problem, you may wish that your body could simply use its own natural systems and abilities to help that problem heal. The good news is that your body can do exactly that -- sometimes it just needs a little extra help.
Our team at West LA Medical in Los Angeles CA is proud to offer a state-of-the-art technique known as platelet rich plasma therapy. If you have never heard of this technique, check out the answers to these frequently asked questions about it.
What Are Platelets?
Platelets are small cell fragments suspended in the clear part of your blood, or plasma. They play several key roles in tissue regeneration and injury healing. In addition to making blood clotting possible, platelets release growth factors that aid in tissue growth and help to reduce inflammation. They also contain cytokines, critical factors in cellular repair.
Why Do Some Health Challenges Require Extra Platelets?
Not every part of the body has equal access to platelets, simply because not every part of the body enjoys an equally rich blood supply. Some forms of tissue damage may also require more platelets than even a healthy blood supply can normally provide.
How Does Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy Work?
Platelet rich plasma (or PRP) therapy delivers concentrated growth and regeneration factors to specific points that require them. We start by spinning a sample of your blood in a centrifuge. This allows us to separate and collect large numbers of platelets in your plasma. We then inject the resulting concentration of platelets into the treatment site to promote greatly accelerated healing.
What Conditions Can We Treat With Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy?
Platelet rich plasma therapy can treat many kinds of soft tissue injuries. Its ability to encourage healing in connective tissue such as tendons makes it a natural solution for tendonitis issues such as golfer's elbow and tennis elbow, as well as the repair of partially-torn tendons. In addition to tendonitis, platelet rich plasma therapy can also help with problems such as arthritis, sprained ligaments, strained muscles, and acute musculoskeletal inflammation.
What Can You Expect From Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy?
Potential side effects of platelet rich plasma therapy include pain at the injection site, infection, and tissue or nerve damage. While the benefits do not occur overnight, you should enjoy noticeably rapid healing (or relief from arthritis pain) in the weeks and months following the injection.
Ready to learn more? Call our Los Angeles CA clinic at (310) 427-7370!