Using the body’s own elements of natural regeneration certainly has an advantage in healing an injury, which is exactly the mechanism used when performing platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections. The natural response of the body to an injury is to incite an inflammatory response to attract certain healing elements to the site of injury through the blood vessel system. The platelets in our blood are one of the integral elements used in this healing process.
The blood has been broken down into its three main components: platelet poor plasma (PPP), platelet rich plasma, and red blood cells. It is the platelet rich plasma that is the basis of all PRP therapies. The centrifugation separates the platelets from the other blood cells and increases their concentration. Then the increased concentration of platelets is combined with the remaining blood that was drawn.
PRP therapy may be used to manage numerous injuries including muscle injuries (hamstring sprains, biceps and triceps injuries, calf and quadriceps injuries), ligament injuries (ACL, MCL, LCL sprains and tears of the knees), tendon injuries (Achilles tendonitis, rotator cuff injuries, tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis), patellar and quadriceps tendonitis), degenerative conditions such as arthritis (osteoarthritis), joint pain, degenerative disc disease, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, neck and back pain, nerve injury, plastic surgery, burns, split-thickness skin graft donor sites, and stress fractures. It may also be used after surgical procedures to assist in the healing process in areas of poor blood supply.
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