As the importance of regenerative medicine has become more apparent. Many people have been turning to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections as a way to heal. Platelets are blood cells that can help with wound healing and tissue regeneration by providing your body with important growth factors for cell repair. PRP therapy now uses in orthopedic surgery following injury. Or fracture because it promotes bone formation while also reducing swelling at the site of an injury through decreased inflammation response.
Studies on hand/wrist fractures found significant improvements when patients had their bones surgically pinned before receiving either autologous iliac crest bone grafts. Or hip joint replacement followed by adjunctive use of allogenic recombinant human BMP2 protein.
A platelet is a small cell that helps wounds to heal. They are one of the factors in blood clotting. And, when activated by trauma or injury, help other cells repair damaged tissue.
What is plasma and what are platelets?
Platelet-rich plasma therapy has gained popularity in recent years. Because it uses a patient’s own healing system to accelerate the recovery process. Platelets, which live for five days before dying off and being replaced by new platelets, are concentrated from just one or two tubes of blood into PRP injections. That can use at any time within those next few days as needed. The injection mainly consists of proteins called growth factors. These promote cellular repair and stimulate regrowth while also reducing inflammation caused by injury. All things your body could do on its own if you didn’t have an active lifestyle!
What is platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and what are PRP injections?
These activated platelets then injected directly into your injured or diseased body tissue. This releases growth factors that stimulate and increase the number of reparative cells your body produces. This is why ultrasound imaging sometimes uses to guide the injection right where it needs to go. The photographs below illustrate a PRP injection through the guidance of ultrasound on a torn tendon in the patient’s arm at the left picture. And the final result shows with one bandaged hand after treatment for better recovery also helped by modern medicine pills called ibuprofen taken daily as prescribed (please consult the doctor before taking any medicines).
“These activated platelets have been found especially effective when they’re injected straight into injury sites.” When this happens, there are immediate relief thanks to the powerful.
WHAT ARE PRP INJECTIONS AND HOW ARE PRP INJECTIONS USED?
PRP is a process where your own blood, which contains an increased number of platelets (repair cells) and healing proteins, goes through the centrifuge. The machine spins it so fast that light can’t touch it! This leaves us with something called PRP-rich plasma or “platelet-rich” for short. It’s only taken from one arm using special equipment to separate out some specific parts of your blood. – like the stuff we call plasma because it’s full of all sorts including those super important repair cells among other things needed for our body such as hormones and enzymes…
That means when you get this procedure done on yourself at home or in person by someone else who knows what they’re doing then these cell-building blocks will do their thing With PRP injection treatments, the doctor injects a platelet-rich plasma solution under ultrasound guidance into areas of pain and degeneration. This treatment often recommended for people with osteoarthritis who are in need of relief from their joint or tendon pain as well as some other soft tissue conditions which involve similar symptoms. A series consisting of 3 injections given 1-2 weeks apart usually provides better results than one single shot. This type of program offers by our clinic to help those suffering from these types of ailments experience significant improvement over time.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I HAVE A PRP INJECTION?
When you visit your clinician they will speak to you about the injection and make sure it’s a good choice for what’s wrong with you. They’ll also talk with your doctor before doing anything in case there is something that could be making this treatment unsafe or ineffective.
Today you’re going to get the treatment that will fix all of your problems. You’ll need a full day, but it’s worth it for how much better you’ll feel afterward! The first step is getting yourself hydrated in advance and eating foods rich in protein so your body can recover from this procedure as quickly as possible. After making sure there are no allergies or other risks involved, we set up an appointment time on our calendar with 30 minutes to spare because before treating anything else, they have to take blood samples which usually takes around 10-20 minutes depending on what needs testing done at different times (just think – by then most people would be ready for their snack break!). Then comes the PRP preparation process were some more needles.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE INJECTION?
A significant percentage of patients will experience pain one to two weeks after the injection. This is a “post-injection rash” and there is usually nothing to worry about. This certainly doesn’t mean that the PRP injection won’t help you after the initial discomfort subsides. We try to avoid the use of local anesthetics as much as possible so that the injection site can be a little sore even for a day or two.
You may want to consider going home after the injection as the joint or tendon may be sore and therefore it may not be appropriate or practical to drive home after the injection.
Also think about your activities for the first few days after the injection, especially regarding the possibility of relapse after the injection. Patients should take rest for 5-7 days after the injection. Try not to do any strenuous exercise for the first 5 days after the injection. Even if you feel comfortable doing it. If you are getting an injection around a tendon, you may be asked to avoid hard blows and stressful activities for two to three weeks. Injections around the tendons are more likely to cause a flare-up after the injection and the flare-up lasts longer.
We usually treat with a series of 3 PRP injections, each 2 weeks apart. If you still have a recurrence 2 weeks after the injection, we will postpone another 2 weeks for the next injection.
DO I NEED ANOTHER INJECTION?
If you find the PRP injection regimen helpful, it is safe to repeat it. The effects of PRP last for about 1 year. Therefore, some patients may wish to receive a series of 3 PRP injections each year if they find it helpful.
RISKS AND POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS
Most people get PRP injections with no side effects.
The main side effect is post-injection glow, as mentioned above. Other risks and side effects are extremely rare and list at the bottom of this page. If you want to talk more, contact your doctor before your appointment. On the day of your appointment, you also have the option to explain it in more detail.
TO RENT?
They may be a little uncomfortable at the time of the injection. But many people find that they are not as bad as they feared. Pain at the injection site can occur 1 to 2 days after the injection. The increase after the injection can last from 2 to 3 weeks.
INFECTION
In very rare cases, a joint infection may occur at the time of injection. Estimated to be about 1 in 50,000 injections. If your joint hurts a lot and burns a lot, you should see a doctor right away, especially if you feel bad in general.
OTHER POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS
Some injections can damage local tissues. The injection is done under the ultrasound guidance of an experienced doctor, so it is a very rare complication and every effort is made to avoid trauma to the nerves or blood vessels.
CAN I TAKE OTHER MEDICINES DURING THE PRP TREATMENT?
You can take other medications with PRP injections. But we recommend that you avoid NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Such as ibuprofen or naproxen) 1 week before and 4 weeks later. Your treatment, it can affect the therapeutic effects of PRP injections.
RISKS OF COMPLICATIONS WITH OTHER MEDICINES
For example, if you are taking an anticoagulant. You may need a blood test to make sure the blood is not too liquid to inject. This is due to the risk of bleeding in the joint.
Therefore, tell the physiotherapist who gives you the injection if you are taking anticoagulants. This may need to discuss with your doctor before receiving the injection.
PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer PRP injections to pregnant or breastfeeding patients. There is a lack of research in this area to provide solid evidence that it is safe and completely risk-free.
