The Healing Power of PRP Injections If you’ve ever been sidelined by a sports injury, like tennis elbow, you might have wished for a faster way to heal. Plateletrich plasma (PRP) injections are becoming a game-changer in sports medicine, offering accelerated recovery times for overused tendons and more. This treatment even has uses beyond sports injuries. Catherine Reese, MD, a primary care sports medicine physician with Franciscan Health, helps us understand PRP therapy, its various uses and how plateletrich plasma can get you back in action. What Is PRP Therapy? PRP therapy uses your blood’s healing capabilities to speed recovery. Blood includes 93 percent red cells, six percent platelets, one percent white blood cells, and the plasma that moves the components throughout your body. Human then take out the part rich in platelets,” said Dr. Reese. They then inject it into your damaged tissue. It’s a concentrated platelet product rich in growth factors, proteins, cytokines and other molecules, which are important in tissue healing. What Conditions Are Treated With PRP Injections? PRP treatment works best for chronic ligament and tendon By Franciscan Health platelets are naturally rich in connective tissue growth factors. “Injecting these growth factors into damaged ligaments, tendons and joints stimulates the body’s natural repair process,” said Dr. Reese. In PRP therapy, providers concentrate the platelets so you can benefit from their natural healing proteins. “In the sports medicine office, to get platelet-rich plasma, we draw the patient’s blood, spin it down in a centrifuge and Indiana Golf Journal
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