The longest lasting component of injuries and surgical procedures is pain. Waiting for the body to naturally heal can take a lot longer than expected and individuals dealing with pain must depend on a variety of treatment methods to help cope with it. If you or a loved one are looking for a way to heal an injury and become pain free, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy may be the solution.
Many athletes such as Tiger Woods and football great Hines Ward have used PRP to heal injuries or from surgical procedures and speed up the healing process. PRP therapy was initially used in sports medicine because sports teams needed faster treatments to heal their athletes. Once it was proven successful in sports medicine, PRP therapy became popular for anyone individuals suffering from lasting pain, not just elite athletes.
The Procedure
PRP therapy involves injecting a patient’s own platelet-rich plasma into his own injured area so the injury can heal faster. The doctor collects the platelet-rich plasma by taking a small amount of blood from the patient and isolating the plasma using a centrifuge. Once the isolated plasma is inserted into the desired location, the patient typically needs to rest. After resting, the patient needs to take up physical therapy to make sure the injured area can gradually retain its regular movement.
Benefits of PRP Therapy
PRP therapy has many benefits that make it a great option for anyone dealing with pain in any part of their body. Here are just a few of the many benefits PRP has to offer.
Treat Unresponsive and Chronic Issues
PRP therapy has shown to be effective in treating unresponsive or chronic issues such as injuries that did not heal the way they should have over the course of time. The platelet-rich plasma can actually kick-start the body’s natural healing system in the area so that the healing process can begin and do its job the way it should. For individuals who have battled with relentless chronic pain, PRP therapy may be able to kick-start the halted recovery process.
Limited Side Effects
One of the great things about PRP therapy are the very limited side effects. Because the PRP is taken from the patient’s own blood, there is little chance the body will adversely react when it’s put back into the body. Additionally, the recovery period is generally short, requiring rest afterward. This means patients can get back to regular routines sooner than they would without other treatments.
Non-invasive
PRP therapy is non-invasive. Injections are used when both extracting the patient’s blood and injecting the platelet-rich plasma back into the affected area. This means healing is much quicker, and chances of infections or complications are limited.
Scar-free
Scars might add character, but they can also be painful reminders of surgeries and can oftentimes be unattractive. PRP therapy is a great option for anywhere on the body because no scars are left from the procedure, incisions, or stitches that have to be removed later. Imagine the benefits PRP therapy allows for cosmetic reasons such as hair loss or promoting collagen growth.
Want to know more about PRP therapy or other forms of pain management? Balcones Pain Consultants will be happy to all of your questions. Call 512-834-4141 to make an appointment at one of our three locations in Austin, Cedar Park, or Marble Falls.
