25 Feb Platelet Rich Plasma Recovery
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a form of regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine focuses on harnessing the body’s natural healing power to heal itself. Stem cell therapy is one of the most well-known forms of regenerative medicine. However, it is not the only form of regenerative medicine. Through years of research, platelet-rich plasma has been found to have important healing effects that can help boost the capability of stem cell therapy. In addition, recovery from platelet-rich plasma therapy is much easier on the body than other conventional treatments such as surgery.
Platelet-rich plasma is not a magical injection. However, it is an injection that can help minimize pain for many people who are having problems with joints, ligaments, and tendons. Platelet-rich plasma is used for a wide range of orthopedic injuries and conditions, including arthritis. The injection is done in a medical office and is typically a quick procedure, with patients being able to go home the same day. In total, the procedure takes about 30 minutes, with patients being able to get back to normal activities in a timely manner.
The first step of a platelet-rich plasma procedure involves taking blood from the patient. Since PRP procedures include biologics that come directly from the patient, the risk of rejection is eliminated. Next, the blood is centrifuged to separate the blood parts by weight. This allows all the platelets within the blood to separate out and become easily accessible. The layer with platelets is harvested and injected into the patient in whatever area they are experiencing a problem.
Many patients come into a doctor’s office concerned about what to expect after the PRP procedure. Oftentimes, other treatments such as surgery can leave a patient out of commission for weeks or months. The goal of platelet-rich plasma therapy is to give patients relief while allowing them to get back to their normal routine in a timely manner. After the injection, many patients notice a few days of soreness at the injection site. In some cases, stiffness may accompany the soreness. This can, fortunately, be relieved with over the counter medication. Patients can expect to see results about a month after the injection and may see even more improvement in the months following the injection. Platelet-rich plasma therapy is superior to cortisone injections because it oftentimes has longer-lasting results.
PRP therapy is a revolutionary procedure because it produces phenomenal results with requiring very little downtime or risk. Prior to platelet-rich plasma, many patients would opt for cortisone injections to even surgery for more serious cases. Cortisone injections do not last as long, have no healing properties on its own, and can potentially damage the joint even further. Surgery requires a very long downtime and comes with an extensive list of risks and side effects. Platelet-rich plasma therapy has provided a completely new form of regenerative medicine that can greatly help patients get the pain relief they need, with minimal downtime and significantly fewer risks than other procedures.
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