Injuries typically happen when you're least expecting them: a fall off the curb resulting in a sprained ankle or a broken bone from a car accident. These injuries can cause long-term damage unless you get the proper treatment immediately.
Various treatments are available, depending on the type of injury and your activity level. If you have damaged tissues from an injury, PRP injections complement other therapies like physical rehabilitation and medications.
The benefits of PRP injections are exceptional, which is why Dr. Brandon Downs and the team at Orthopaedic Specialists offer them for injuries. Dr. Downs is an orthopaedic surgeon who offers various cutting-edge treatments for sports injuries and musculoskeletal problems.
Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is a regenerative medicine injection that utilizes your body's platelets and plasma. Platelets are a vital component of blood clotting. Still, many people need to realize they also have incredible growth proteins attached to them.
The growth proteins are essential for tissue repair and regrowth, especially after an injury. The PRP process is simple and only requires a blood draw from your arm.
After we draw the blood, we take it and put it in a machine known as a centrifuge, which spins the blood, separating the platelets and plasma from other components.
During the centrifuge process, the machine increases the concentration of platelets, which is a significant benefit after you have an injury. The more platelets there are, the more growth proteins work to enhance tissue growth and repair.
PRP injections are helpful for many conditions, including injuries and chronic orthopaedic conditions.
Dr. Downs utilizes PRP injections for various musculoskeletal conditions, primarily orthopaedic injuries. While not everyone is a good candidate for PRP injections, you may benefit from PRP injections if you have any of the following injuries:
If you have an ACL injury, rotator cuff tear, or tennis elbow, a PRP injection can help your body heal quickly and without surgery. However, if you require surgery for an injury, PRP injections also allow you to recover more readily and often provide better outcomes.
PRP has many benefits after an injury, especially if you want to avoid surgery and return to normal activities as soon as possible. The following are four of the significant benefits of PRP injections when you've suffered an injury:
One of the significant benefits of PRP injections is that they're minimally invasive, which is appealing if you're active and ready to get back to normalcy after an injury. You only need a blood draw to begin the process and an injection to return the platelets to your injury.
Another advantage to PRP injections is that they provide longer-lasting relief than other treatments. The platelets continue to work over time, meaning you could see up to a year of improvement and pain relief after a significant injury.
Other treatments use medications that may produce unwanted side effects – but PRP injections provide relief using cells from your body. The chance of side effects is slim, although it still has some risks related to the injection into the injured area.
PRP enhances the body's healing process, including stimulating collagen production. The tendons and ligaments require collagen to stay healthy, meaning increased collagen significantly helps a tendon or ligament injury heal quickly.
To learn more about PRP injections, call Orthopaedic Specialists today or request an appointment using the convenient online booking tool.
