PRP Therapy Explained
We have talked briefly about Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy in previous blogs. In this article, we are going to walk you through the details of PRP injection therapy – the concept behind PRP and what you can expect during the procedure.
The Concept Behind PRP
PRP Therapy is a regenerative treatment that repairs, restores, and rejuvenates degenerative tissue using completely natural methods. Platelets are the component of human blood responsible for clotting a wound. When you accidentally cut yourself while chopping food, your platelets immediately rush to the site of the wound and begin rebuilding tissue to stop the bleeding (without platelets you would simply bleed out). In PRP therapy, the patient’s own tissue-rebuilding platelets are used to stimulate regrowth and repair in injured or degenerative areas of the body. Here are a few conditions PRP can successfully treat:
- Ligament injuries (ACL, MCL tears)
- Damaged or destroyed cartilage
- Wrinkled or damaged skin
The PRP Procedure
The PRP injection procedure is relatively quick an easy. First, your physician will take a small blood sample from you. This sample is then placed in a centrifuge, which separates out the various aspects of the blood (the platelets, red blood cells, white blood cells, and plasma). Once that is finished, the platelet rich plasma is injected into the injured area of the patient’s body (for example, the knee for a patient suffering from an ACL tear or osteoarthritis). The whole process takes about an hour and patients are able to go home shortly after the procedure is finished.
Minnesota PRP Therapy
If you are interested in learning more about how PRP injection therapy can help you, contact Advanced Spine & Pain Clinics of Minnesota today. Dr. Matthew Thorson is trained in regenerative medicine techniques and can tell you if PRP therapy is a good option for treating your condition. Make an appointment in Edina with Dr. Thorson by filling out our appointment form or calling 612.223.6227.
