Our Guide to Platelet Rich Plasma Injection Therapy

It is no secret that the human body is amazing. From within, the body possesses the unique ability to heal itself if provided with the correct environment and circumstances. This powerful aspect of the body is now being confirmed via research and is also being recognized when using platelet-rich plasma (PRP). PRP's use to obtain improved health is skyrocketing as it can help the body’s tissues grow, heal, and repair through the use of natural regenerative factors. 

PRP is becoming a modern solution for patients that suffer from a wide range of musculoskeletal problems, including chronic back and joint pain as well as urogenital conditions. These chronic conditions are often hard to treat utilizing conventional interventions, and recommended treatments can eventually lead to worsening tissue health and integrity over time. PRP can be used as a powerful healing tool to help increase the health of affected joints and tissues and stimulate the body's ability to repair itself.

PRP therapy injections are composed of high concentrations of a patient’s platelets and other growth factors that fast-track the body’s healing process. This technique can aid in repair and reducing pain associated with conditions including injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints. It’s a smart  and effective way of enhancing one’s healing system using the patient’s own immune system to regenerate damaged or weakened tissue. 

The process includes drawing numerous tubes of blood, drawn from a patient venous system and is processed through serial spinning and separating to remove red blood cells and to concentrate the patients platelets. This centrifuge spins at high speeds which allows the blood to separate into the different types of cells. This technique is performed two times which results in platelet-rich plasma. The platelet-rich portion is extracted and then injected directly into the affected area of the body using ultrasound guidance and sterile technique. The PRP injection stimulates the body’s growth factors, which promote the production of reparative cells in the targeted joint, ligament or tendon.

The standard operating procedure for PRP therapy involves drawing a patient’s blood. Once the blood is drawn, a trained professional separates the drawn blood sample into platelet-rich and platelet-poor components by using a centrifuge and a test tube. After centrifugation, the blood plasma is extracted and used right away in the platelet-rich plasma therapy procedure, which is usually carried out by administering a set of injections. 

By administering platelet-rich plasma, the therapy allows various parts of the body to repair and recover through the stimulation of new cell growth in any area that is injected directly. As opposed to other costly, yet inefficient treatment methods, the effects of PRP therapy have a greater sense of longevity because they allow the body to heal naturally without using chemicals that have adverse side-effects.

Plasma is primarily made up of water and proteins, making it the liquid portion of blood that allows red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets to travel throughout the body. Plasma plays an important role in maintaining the concentration of electrolytes in circulation along with protecting the body from various infections or blood disorders.

Platelets are a component of plasma and are blood cells that produce clots as a way of protection if there is injury to a blood vessel. In addition to forming clots, platelets play a central role in the immune response and the inflammatory cascade. Inflammation is the body's mechanism to initiate healing and platelets help modulate this response. They also increase the production of growth factors at the site of injury which aids in tissue repair and healing making PRP an excellent treatment modality for chronic pain.

In recent years, the use of PRP has increased significantly in outpatient settings for treating various conditions including musculoskeletal conditions. Here are a few of the more common conditions that are treated using PRP:

• Chronic Low Back Pain
• Knee Pain
• Shoulder and Rotator Cuff Tendonitis
• Tennis Elbow
• Patellar Tendonitis
• Wrist or Ankle Pain
• Urinary incontinence
• Erectile dysfunction 
• Pelvic pain 
• Fine lines and wrinkles

While PRP therapy is a safe treatment for many chronic conditions, there are specific precautions that patients should follow before receiving an injection. This includes but is not limited to the following: 

• Avoid using corticosteroid medications or injections for two to three weeks before the procedure. 
• Discontinue non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin or ibuprofen at least one week before the treatment. 
• Hydrate by drinking plenty of water the day before the procedure. 

Although PRP is generally safe and well-tolerated, there are additional risks and contraindications to treatment. It is important to discuss your medical history and your current complaints with a trained medical provider to determine if you are a good candidate for treatment and if there are any additional risks with receiving this treatment.

If you are looking for PRP injection therapy in Portland, OR, get in touch with us today to see how we can help. We offer a free 15-minute consultation to discuss in more detail PRP and to determine if this treatment is appropriate for you. It is also important to remember, if you choose to pursue PRP joint injections, at Sirona Integrative Health, we offer ultrasound-guided injections. Allowing us to visualize better where we are injecting and guarantee that we are reaching the target joints, tendons, and ligaments for optimal results and healing.